Journalist Overstates Importance of Variant Spelling

In a story on FoxNews.com entitled Hip Hop Artists Rewrite Dictionary, Jennifer D’Angelo fawns over variant spellings used by hip-hop and rap artists, such as Nelly (“Hot in Herre”), Mya (“My Love Is Like … Wo”). and Christina Iwannabareall (“Dirrty”). She goes so far as to assert:

Every generation invents its own slang (think of the ever-changing synonyms for “cool.”) But this crop of artists is changing the spellings of already established English words.

I beg to differ. Ms. D’Angelo is forgetting:

Song Title:

Artist:

Year:
“Tip Toe Thru’ The Tulips With Me”

Tiny Tim

1968
Gimme Dat Ding

Pipkins

1970
Tuff Enuff

Fabulous Thunderbirds

1986
C’Mon And Get My Love”

D-Mob featuring Cathy Dennis

1990
“Nothing Compares 2 U

Sinead O’Connor

1990
Source: The Billboard Book of One Hit Wonders
Song Title:

Artist:

Year:
“Do Ya Think I’m Sexy”

Rod Stewart

1979
“I Gotcha

Joe Tex

1972
Outa-Space”

Billy Preston

1972
“Pop Muzik

M

1979
Use Ta Be My Girl”

The O’Jays

1978
Source: The Billboard Book of Gold & Platinum Records
Song Title:

Artist:

Year:
Betcha By Golly Wow”

The Stylistics

1972
C’mon Everybody”

Eddie Cochran

1958
“Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing”

Stevie Wonder

1974
Every 1’s a Winner”

Hot Chocolate

1978
Lawdy Miss Clawdy”

Lloyd Price

1952
Rockit

Herbie Hancock

1983
U Got The Look”

Prince

1987
Source: The Heart of Rock and Soul


And I didn’t even dig into my copy of Billboard Top 1000 Singles – 1955-2000, okay?

So D’Angelo has discovered a trend in song titling that has extended back 50 years at least. Perhaps she should have gotten a government grant of some sort to unearth it.

The difference, of course, between then and now is that some people, including some educators, are trying to legitimize these alternate spellings in written communication. In the name of self-expression, of course. However, half of written communication is expressing what you want to express. The other half is conveying that meaning so that the reader can understand.

Hence, variations in song titles are okay, because the actual communication is aural; that is, the recipient gets the benefit of a beat you can dance to and inflection. However, in written communication, standard spelling, syntax, and semantics alone convey all meaning, so if you’re busy “expressing your individuality” by writing gibberish and higherglyphics, you’re losing readers. Sorry to dent your self-esteem.

So what’re my points?

  1. Variant spelling in song titles and lyrics isn’t a new phenomenon.
  2. It’s okay for song titles and lyrics, but not for “the dictionary.”
  3. I have a lot of cool books about music.

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