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Epic win: The new social media tool that automatically edits out annoying internet idioms

If you use one Twitter app today, use Pre-Tweet

Ian Burrell
Tuesday 21 October 2014 18:31 BST
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Twitter is rife with annoying internet colloquialisms
Twitter is rife with annoying internet colloquialisms (Getty Images)

“Amazeballs!” - help is at hand for those prone to the modern-day faux pas of irritating their friends and followers with their constant use of hackneyed buzzwords in their social media commentary.

A media tool has been developed to screen annoying internet colloquialisms and save those prone to using expressions such as “bantz”, “interwebs” and “proper ledge” from themselves. While such people might think such terminology implies a certain sophistication in the use of “teh internetz”, research showed that many people regarded such behaviour as an “epic fail”.

The Pre-Tweet tool offers a safety net to those at risk of using several hundred modern clichés such as “rant over”, “just saying”, “tru dat” and “stay classy”. Users can paste their social media post and any offending expressions will be screened.

Hamish Thompson, the London public relations man who devised the tool, said: “Twitter is tribal and the language is addictive and seductive. The point of our filter is to show that these cutesy phrases test people's patience even on Twitter. It’s also a reality check to help people avoid using these phrases in real life, which in social media-speak would be an 'epic fail'.”

His company, Houston PR, conducted research among 500 social media users to compile the list of annoying catchphrases.

Those seduced by such language should probably take a look at the Pre-Tweet list, even “if you read just one thing today”. It might leave them more “sadface” than “super excited” but then the alternative could be “awks” – “obvs”.

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