When refering to your 'favorite' in modern informalSpeak, is it your fav or your fave?

I would use neither in speech, because I don't like the sound. In writing I would use it only if pushed for time (or space, as in a text), and then I would write fave.

Are they both supposed to be pronounced with a long 'a'? if so, fav is misleading.

That would be "fave" /'fejv/.

This exact question had come up on OEDILF because of a limerick I wrote. I had "fav" rhyming with "brave." I have only seen "fav" as an abbreviation for "fave," though they changed my limerick to "fave." "Fave" doesn't even make sense to me because the word is "favorite," not "faverite."

I don't think I've ever said either.
I've only ever heard it to rhyme with brave.

If I wrote it I'd write it as "fave" just because any way you look at it it's only a slang word and has no official spelling and you might as well encourage people to pronounce it as intended. "Fav" would run the risk of being pronounced to rhyme with have.

It's the silent 'e' elongating the previous vowel that makes 'fave' my abbreviation of choice, Kalleh. Otherwise, on first reading I'd automatically pronounce it with a short 'a' (as in 'dad') before realising what it was supposed to say.

When faced with the choice between fav and fave I choose to go ahead and spell out "favorite."

It's only four or five more strokes than the abbreviation.

About the same as written already by Bob and Cat. In the unlikely event of my using it, I would spell it "fave".

Sigh. Again I find myself dreadfully more casual than the rest of you. I use the word FAVE all the time. I don't spell it out much because I generally stay a little more formal in my written diatribes.

I'd say fave, maybe even in quotes or italicized, and often with lots of !!!!!!!!! after it.

Oh, for heaven's sake, nobody here agrees with me? Sheesh, sometimes I think I am from Venus and all of you are from Mars!

For the record, there are about 2,000,000 more Google sites for fav, versus fave, so I am don't feel too bad.

I understand that if you never use the word "fav," then you might pronounce it wrong. However, once you know it (now you all do!), then it's quite simple, really. "Fav" is short for "favorite." "Fave" doesn't work, unless you misspell "favorite."

That's my story, and I am sticking to it!

They went ahead on OEDILF and changed my already approved limerick from "fav" to "fave" (without my knowledge )...so OEDILFers must be from Mars too!

I don't think I'm from either Mars or Venus, but instead from some undiscovered planet in another system.

Just a theory, mind you, but it's my fave. <bratty grin>

If you count google hits, fav dominates by almost a 3:1 margin.
If you instead count hits on googlenews, the margin is again almost 3:1 -- but this time fave dominates.

Go figure.

I suppose the news, in trying to be grammatically correct, puts the "e" on the end to make the "a" long, as those of you who favor "fave" have stated.

Of course, I assume all of you pronounce "have" as "hay-v."

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kalleh,

Onelook seems to prefer fave.

The OED Online lists both, but fav is limited to horse-racing.

quote:

fave, n. and a.
slang (orig. U.S.).
Abbrev. of FAVOURITE, FAVORITE n. and a., used esp. in show business. fave rave adj. and n., of popular music(ians), films, etc.: (designating) a special favourite.
The first citation is from Variety (1938): "Lester Harding, heavy fave here, clicks with pop songs."

quote:

fav
Racing.
Abbrev. (usu. written) of FAVOURITE, FAVORITE n. 1b, as in the results of a horse-race.

The first citation is from 1935.

Tinman

quote:

Originally posted by Kalleh:
Of course, I assume all of you say pronounce "have" as "hay-v."

LOL, Kalleh!

No-one said the English language was logical - but isn't that one of the reasons we love it?

I've been trying to think of common abbreviations that don't follow the full word's spelling, but I'm obviously trying too hard as my mind is a blank.

Hi Kalleh,

You've got me to blame for your limerick - I noticed the (IMHO) misspelling of "fave" and mentioned it in the "Corrections to Approved Limericks - Minor" thread. When it had no dissentions, Chris made the change.

I don't have access to the full OED, but I consulted every other dictionary before suggesting the change. None of them list "fav" as a legitimate spelling, and indeed, "fave" is the only one I've ever seen. A lot of the millions of results for "fav" reference acronyms like the "Foundation for American Veterans."

Well, as I told CJ when he was surprised that he had changed it without my knowledge (I don't often read the forum there), it really is fine with me, though it might have been nice had I been asked before it was changed. However, judging from all the posts here (I haven't seen the thread on OEDILF, but I assume the responses are similar), I am...<gulp>...(do I dare admit it?)....WRONG! 'Tis hard to argue with the OED and all these wise people!

Still, I hate to be wrong!

quote:

Still, I hate to be wrong!

Well, Kalleh, maybe if you did it more often (like me) you'd have come to terms with being wrong more readily!

Ahhh, have you seen some of my posts here? I am wrong all the time with words and language!

I generally hate to follow the crowd but if I do abbreviate I would go with 'fave' for the reasons already stated. As a rule though it is something I try to avoid. I think it's a hang-up from teaching English as so many of the children I teach habitually spell words as they do on their mobile phones. I don't know what it's like in America but in England mobile phone use is so common that even with kids of 11 I have to start each lesson by reminding them to switch off their phones! It is destroying their ability to use language properly.

quote:

Originally posted by Doad:
so many of the children I teach habitually spell words they do on their mobile phones

I teach adults but it creeps in there too. One of my students has just handed in a piece of work for her City and Guilds assessment which is an excellent clear pass. In the middle of it she has momentarilly forgotten what she's doing and written "u" instead of "you".

I don't know what it's like in America but in England mobile phone use is so common that even with kids of 11 I have to start each lesson by reminding them to switch off their phones!
I am sure it is just as bad, if not worse, here. I will never forget, though, the embarrassing time that I was in front of a group of nursing students, teaching them about oncology, when suddenly my purse started ringing! I tried to ignore it, but of course that isn't possible. The worst part was that I had always made a huge point before each class that they had to turn off their phones!

I know EXACTLY what you mean Kalleh as I too have been that soldier and suffered the same embarrassment.

Not me but my colleague.

There are two of us from the same college currently doing day release on Mondays to study for our Certificates of Eduction. During Monday's lesson on Classroom Management her phone started ringing - not a nice quiet ring but one of those loud polyphonic ones that sounds like you have a disco in your pocket.

Worse still instead of turning it off as we always instruct our students to do if it happens in our classes she did exactly what we always tell them not to do and leapt to her feet and ran from the classroom without asking so that she could take the call.

Great story Bob, I really liked that. When it happened to me I told the kids I would be confiscating my own phone and giving myself a detention!

I remember when my son was small and we used to give him time-outs for having tantrums. One day I was having a terrible day and he said to me "Mommy, do you need a time out?" At first I was ready to be even more upset, but then I sat in the time-out chair and relaxed, breathed deep, and ended up thanking him for reminding me to appreciate silence. A good lesson learned.

I can just imagine the laughter, Doad, when you said you'd give yourself a detention.

Great stories!

I was on the bus the other day going to work, and there was an obnoxious woman talking so loudly on her phone. The whole bus heard about how awful Max has been to her and how Jim is about to be fired! Finally, a really sweet elderly man said loudly, "You'd better speak up; they can't hear you on the top of the Sears Tower!" Then another woman loudly said, "Oh, don't you mean Mars?!" The poor woman quickly said good-bye and hung up.

What I don't understand, though, is why some people can talk on a cell phone and it isn't bothersome at all. Others, however, can be so loud and obnoxious.

It's very annoying to be working in a library when someone's cell phone starts playing the William Tell Overture, and plays it repeatedly because the phone's owner is not only asleep, but also deaf. This is not a one-time occurrence.

quote:

What I don't understand, though, is why some people can talk on a cell phone and it isn't bothersome at all. Others, however, can be so loud and obnoxious.

Isn't it the same with just about anything? Some people are obnoxious. Some people are pleasant.

Once, a customer had asked to meet with me to ask if I'd read the first chapter of the book she had written and give my opinion. While we were meeting in my office, her cell phone rang, she said excuse me and actually had a 5 minute conversation before hanging up! Astonishing.

I know exactly what you mean CW. I often think that the advent of modern technology has led to a deterioration in manners. My own private quirk is internet messenger systems where people hold multiple conversations at the same time. Personally I only open one window at a time because it seems rude to me to talk to 2 people at once. If someone did that to me in the street I would walk away yet this doesn't appear true of the internet. Surely if there is somebody you consider worth talking to, they deserve your total attention. Perhaps I'm old fashioned.

But Doad - what about parties where there are multiple conversations going on all around you, in a group of people? Do you find those situations rude? I know it's harder for those who don't type quickly to carry on more than one IM . . . but some people can do it seamlessly.

To me at least there seems to be an important difference with a conversation at a party or indeed the conversations in our chat room and that is that everyone is aware of the other peoples presence and are all involved in the same conversation (for the most part). The analagy I would use is that you are stood talking to somebody and while you are talking they are ignoring you and looking at another person. The only thing that makes this possible on the internet is that you can catch up by reading what was said while you were ignoring them. I know I'm in the minority on this one but I'm afraid that's how I seem to view it.

quote:

I know it's harder for those who don't type quickly to carry on more than one IM . . . but some people can do it seamlessly.

Having visited CW in her lovely home, I can tell you, Doad, that she can very seamlessly use IM. I was amazed!

I think it just amounts to individual differences. While I love posting on a forum like this, to be honest, I don't much like our chats on Saturdays. I get all mixed up about who is talking to whom, and if someone whispers to me, I am really thrown! That's why I haven't wanted to try IM. I'd rather think about what I say, maybe search for some supportive information, and then wait for responses. Yet, others, like you and Shu, really like IM and chat rooms.

I confess that perhaps part of my problem with this is my own inability, as a man, to multi-task. When I was on the chatroom the other day I also became very confused with what was going on as I can't look at the screen and type at the same time. As a result I tended to lose the thread of the conversation quite easily. It remains the only chatroom I've ever been on and while I will go on that one again it certainly cured any desire I may have had to try any others. I do quite like IM but I don't keep many contacts due to my unwillingness to open more than one conversation window at a time and CW is always telling me off for typing too much before sending.

One reason I like yahoo IM better than the other interfaces like aol and msn is that there is a clear indication if the person you're talking to is typing. I like that about the chatroom, too.

You can pause in your IMing, if you're thinking - but the person you're talking with might get the wrong idea and say something about you ignorning them. That's a downside of IM, since they can't SEE that your child just walked in and is talking to you or whatever.

I understand your point about IMs and multitasking, Kalleh and Doad . . . I just disagree. I like the immediacy of IM and chat. They're my FAVE!

I think I can multitask as well as anyone; that isn't it for me. For me, it's that I have never been one who has liked small talk. At a party, I would much rather talk to one or two people and really get to know them, rather than to go around talking to everyone. I think that has something to do with it, though I don't know. Who knows, if I were to use IM, maybe I'd like it!

I think you would, Kalleh. IM is really one-on-one (unless you choose to multitask on purpose). I can certainly understand about the chat thing . . . I just happen to have one of those personalities that enjoys the chaos. I guess that's why I love working with kids.