text message abbreviations used in speech!

[Mark A Mandel]

On Fri, 24 May 2002, Charles Wells wrote:

#MUNG (Mung Until No Good, which is recursive).

As is Gnu, the Free Software Foundation's freeware (or rather
"copyleft") version of Unix. It stands for "Gnu's not Unix".

#TANSTAAFL:  There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.  (Unlike GAFIA, this
#one I think originated outside s.f fandom.)

This one was at least popularized within fandom by Robert A. Heinlein's
_The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress_. He may have originated it, but I don't
know for sure.

#ESP: Extra sensory perception.  Originated outside sf fandom, I think.

And the semi-acronymic derivative "esper", which may have originated in
fandom.

-- Mark A. Mandel
   Linguist at Large