You betray the dominion of breast when you say ‘brezz’ (Read first, then comment)

Abbreviations have become a menace to language use. I even had an argument with someone who insists that abbreviations help the speaker talk and text faster… and smarter. Says, “if you don’t accept my opinion you’re ignorant and have a crippling sense of reasoning” (sic).

I was taken aback not because he attacked my sense of reasoning and enlightenment. I was amazed that he used the word “smart” and “abbreviation” in the sentence.

My subconscious led my consciousness to Merriam Webster to check the meaning of smart, and I further wondered how I even met this person.

I ended the conversation – and the friendship – but not without saying that abbreviations are mostly unnecessary. In many cases, they can confuse and alienate unfamiliar audiences, and even well-intentioned writers and speakers may overestimate an audience’s familiarity with abbreviations.

I remember my time in high school when abbreviations were never a thing. You want to write a love letter using abbreviations? The girl would totally frown at the trash in her face and wonder if you were a bush man from the wilderness. Then, I remember my time at the University when abbreviations became a thing.

It sounded and looked cool to use abbreviations. If you used abbreviations then, you would look and sound smart because the person receiving your message thinks the same way, or has no idea what you’re talking about and is inquisitive.

“You don’t know what that means? You’re old school mehn!”

But the abbreviations started creeping into our notebooks and our exams. It got so bad that, in a conversation with a lecturer, it was mentioned that a student would “definitely fail this exam,” because she understood the assignment but “communicated very poorly.”

I wanted to beg on behalf of the student but I would be putting myself on the spot. I decided, alongside my – supposed – friend then that abbreviations would leave my lexicon, for good.

It left, but the abbreviations industry keeps growing and impeding on smart speech and affecting cultural settings and its important we now discuss this. To be true to myself and the world, abbreviations shouldn’t be completely avoided, but using them as a default can be problematic.

Indeed, it is reasonable to assume that abbreviations serve a function. They can enable speed and efficiency (of course, when the conversation is with someone in the same cultural, religious, professional space). Abbreviations can be used in ingroup settings, and can be used as code, to obscure the content of a message, or to create the impression that it is especially complicated or impressive. The last point is why we were sure we sounded smart. Same reason Mr A thinks I am ignorant.

Abbreviations put a burden on the reader. I mean, I have to first decipher the words, put them together before I understand the point. By then, some other person would have completed all the works of Shakespeare.

The general belief is that unfamiliar abbreviations are difficult for audiences to digest. So, we should all limit ourselves to abbreviations that are universally accepted. This is understandable, but caution is advised knowing that we can’t conveniently determine that a given phrase is sufficiently familiar to abbreviate.

I remember how school mates abbreviate their courses and expect the other person understand what it means. Words like “BE”. Oh! You too didn’t know? It’s Business Education.

This is what has been happening with words like “breast”. If you thought deeper, the word “brezz” was coined so as to embrace conservatives in our use of language. Nigerian conservatives – and the religious – don’t buy the idea of using words like “breast”, “penis”, “vagina”, “bottom” because they are not body parts, so should not be discussed. But, the supposed abbreviation “brezz” is a complete disservice to the inestimable value of “breast”.

The reason it’s even called an abbreviation flies over my head every single time.

Again, no doubt abbreviations serve a purpose and there are some already used in formal conversations, and emails. But, we really should stop saying brezz. I don’t even know how that is even pronounced.

I wonder if when breast is translated to a local language, it is also abbreviated.

Breast is breast! Leave it like that.

One more thing. Avoid supposed universal abbreviations. Abbreviations are mentally taxing on a reader and can
incidentally alienate an audience.