Could we cool it with the bass jargon?

[fourstringdrums]

Guys, I have a problem. The cables have been clacking between the 7th and 9th speed bumps. Do I need to add some for-bow or back it up? Thought I'd ask here before I move it to HS&R.

 

[petrus61]

In the interest of efficient communication, would it be possible to use standard language rather than bass jargon in posts?

I can understand "pups" as shorthand for pickups, but I also see some newer members thinking they've stumbled into a dog owners' group. "Tort" means one thing to us, but something completely different to lawyers.

I bring this up because of two recent experiences.

One poster referred to something like his "Fender L." I know Ps and Js and PJs, but couldn't recollect any Fender model that started with an L. Another TB-er thought that it was a reference to Fender's early numbering system, where an L serial number would have indicated a pre-1965 vintage. But even today, neither of us knows for sure.

And just today, a TB-er posted something about his "Sting." Some responders to the post thought he was talking about the P-bass model that Sting uses. As it turns out (I think, anyway), he was referring to a MusicMan StingRay.

Since we're all in this together, and we do really want to understand and help each other, do you think it might be possible to take a look at your post before sending, just to make sure you're saying what you mean and making your point clearly to a general audience? Assuming that everyone you want to communicate with is familiar with all the bass jargon is usually a mistake.

Thanks.

hard no.

 

[rylie]

"sting", at least, gives me a hint of the total word
sorta like a board/card game
you gotta guess the rest
doesn't mean you win the game
that's way more generous clue than the use of ACRONYMS at TB
NBD, PPO, EI-EI-O, ETC...***?

 

[DrMole]

In my High School, there was a bunch of kids that ran around speaking in acronyms. To be part of the "in crowd" you had to have a copy of the IDIHB (I dig initials hand book). As status was apparently very important, and you'd lose status if everyone knew what was going on, the IDIHB's were naturally controlled; only given to a small group. It was, as pretty much everything in High School is, idiotic and sophmoric.

The acronym list referenced earlier is our IDIHB. Unlike High Schoool, we let everyone read it. We're less idiotic, and also less sophomoric, but we reserve the right to be a bit of each.

YMMV - AFAIK

IDK, we may often be more idiotic and sophmoric especially since most of us should know better.

 

[DrMole]

Popularized or coined by a recurring Saturday Night Live skit called "Coffee Talk." The host would use "like butter" to describe something that is good.

Probably( refuse to utilize the lazy form: prolly) has been addressed but I had always thought "...like butter" implied "smooth"... But I am not hip and slightly old. Though on TB, am likely at or less than the mean age.(statistics jargon)

 

[DrMole]

I agree with this statement.

I think it's worth mentioning that there's a marked difference between "jargon" and "slang".

Jargon is defined as:



Slang is defined as:



Essentially, jargon is more concrete and can be defined in concrete ways in writing and in speech (meaning you can look it up). Slang is more abstract and generally requires cultural context and experience (as opposed to a dictionary definition).

I believe that the usage of jargon is fine in any community - whether legal, scientific, musical, etc. Examples of jargon might include "pickups" - meaning the vibration-sensing electromagnetic coils that transmit signals, or "headstock", which means something very specific in terms of a stringed instrument, or "cabinet", meaning a speaker enclosure. Often, some of these words have specific meanings within a community that override the more general meaning. (For instance, "cabinet" in the political sense might refer to a government collective, while in the general sense, it may be a piece of furniture used for storage.

I believe that the usage of slang creates more problems than it solves. First:

1. Talkbass is (or at least, should be) an international community, and some visitors and members speak English as a secondary or tertiary language.
2. Slang isn't easily searchable through search engines, and it's not easily searchable through Talkbass search.

This is compounded by the fact that slang isn't static - it's ever-changing. Searching for "Musicman Stingray" would miss a posts containing "MM Sting", or "MM S", or "Humbuktu Bass". Abbreviating "truss rod" as "tr" (lowercase, no less) turns out to be an exercise in search frustration. (That's not even taking into account users who may use screen readers or other assistive technology to browse these forums.)

There's definitely a grey area here for well-known items that haven't been defined by the community (such as the term P bass to mean a Precision), but in general, I think that slang in writing doesn't come across well in an informational context. It takes a modicum of skill to make it work in writing and generally requires some context switching to be understood.

So yes - I'm in agreement here. Well-defined jargon is acceptable (and often necessary in areas of specialization, like this one) but slang and acronyms can cause problems in terms of findability and understanding. I would advocate for the reduction of slang as a whole.

That said....I highly doubt that (sans individuals) this group as a whole would even entertain the notion. The Talkbass community seems kind of provincial, in a sense, and unfortunately I don't see that changing any time soon.

If one wishes to join a community it is incumbent on that person to learn both the jargon and slang of the community.

When I moved from New England to the South/ southern- mid-west 25 years hence- yes the vernacular was new and different but it would have been rather arrogant and a-holish of me to demand that an entire region stop using the phrase " Well bless their heart" just because it wasn't a proper or even utilized phrase back North.

What you suggest, while perhaps useful for a few, would remove a considerable amount of fun and enjoyment for thousands simply to please the few who wished to mold the community to their personal preference- which seems a bit self-centered to me but IDK.

 

[DrMole]

I have picked up most of the TB lingo, but I've never understood the "Carrots" thing...AND I DON'T WANT TO! It's good that there's an air of mystique around some of the jargon/slang on here.
I use a car forum where, instead of saying "BMW 3 Series", they'll say "E46" or "E39" or whatever - not just for BMWs, they do it for all kinds of cars. I rarely have any idea what they're on about.

Yup.
Had to learn I had an E60....not just a 550i and that it had a " Bangle Butt". I personally had to read, participate and research to know what the hell others were discussing and what I wanted to discuss. The exercise was far better than demanding all of the BMW websites make things clear- just for me.

 

[Paul New]

How original you are; and...how confused you are, as you’re dissing me for essentially doing the same thing.

Kidding, come on. I was born in 1951.

 

[Thegrandwazoo]

Hear, hear! I've always found all the silly internet jargon relatively irritating. How hard is it to just type the way human beings speak? Text message abbreviations and 'emojis' also make me mildly sick. We as a species are getting continuously dumber.

 

[Bulky Bass]

What annoys me more than bass jargon is people lying about the condition of their gear in classified ads. Like posting “Fender Precision USA” in the title but then admitting in the ad that the body is from a Mexican Fender and the tuners are Japanese. Or describing a bass as “minty” and then revealing that there is buckle rash and scratchy pots. This is mainly on Ebay and Reverb.

 

[SLO Surfer]

In the interest of efficient communication, would it be possible to use standard language rather than bass jargon in posts?

I can understand "pups" as shorthand for pickups, but I also see some newer members thinking they've stumbled into a dog owners' group. "Tort" means one thing to us, but something completely different to lawyers.

I bring this up because of two recent experiences.

One poster referred to something like his "Fender L." I know Ps and Js and PJs, but couldn't recollect any Fender model that started with an L. Another TB-er thought that it was a reference to Fender's early numbering system, where an L serial number would have indicated a pre-1965 vintage. But even today, neither of us knows for sure.

And just today, a TB-er posted something about his "Sting." Some responders to the post thought he was talking about the P-bass model that Sting uses. As it turns out (I think, anyway), he was referring to a MusicMan StingRay.

Since we're all in this together, and we do really want to understand and help each other, do you think it might be possible to take a look at your post before sending, just to make sure you're saying what you mean and making your point clearly to a general audience? Assuming that everyone you want to communicate with is familiar with all the bass jargon is usually a mistake.

Thanks.

I will admit that I only read your op then skipped to 14 pages and 270 posts later. IIRC I figured out all the bass slang by reading a bit on my own. GLWYS YMMV Carrots

Nope.

+271

 

[KevInDaBassment]

I would say just ask.
And, expect respectful responses. It’s the disrespectful responses that shouldn’t be tolerated.

part of being a community is usually developing in-jokes and terms for things that outsiders have to work out. they can always ask us.

/THREAD

Expecting "layman's terms" for everything in an internet forum? I don't know about you folks, but I can remember a day when I had no clue what a "pickup" or "string tree" or even an "onboard preamp" was. You ask, you learn, you LISTEN...and you make sure to help others catch up along the way. The only problem is when you've got snobs who laugh at people who DON'T know and decide to mock them for whatever reasons they have.

 

[Matty Koff]

Hear, hear! I've always found all the silly internet jargon relatively irritating. How hard is it to just type the way human beings speak? Text message abbreviations and 'emojis' also make me mildly sick. We as a species are getting continuously dumber.

You live in West Virginia and think all human beings speak the Queen's English? Take a ride through the more rural areas of the state. There's plenty of thum people that talk like y'all don't never described here-in within these interweb forums.

I almost linked a Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia video but I don't feel like spending all night searching for one without vulgarity.

Haha better yet try any direction 20 miles away from my home town. I think some heads might explode.

 

[Relsom]

Probably( refuse to utilize the lazy form: prolly) has been addressed but I had always thought "...like butter" implied "smooth"... But I am not hip and slightly old. Though on TB, am likely at or less than the mean age.(statistics jargon)

Yeah, prolly and peeps really irritate me. I'm pretty sure I've reached the mean age(GOF jargon) though.

 

[Thegrandwazoo]

You live in West Virginia and think all human beings speak the Queen's English? Take a ride through the more rural areas of the state. There's plenty of thum people that talk like y'all don't never described here-in within these interweb forums.

I almost linked a Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia video but I don't feel like spending all night searching for one without vulgarity.

Haha better yet try any direction 20 miles away from my home town. I think some heads might explode.

Dude, I'm a West Virginian construction worker, and I play with old time string bands and love moonshine, haha! You're not telling me anything I don't know, probably better than you do. I'm just saying, I can speak fluent hilljackanese and authentic mountain gibberish (even passable Kentuckistanian) with the best of them, but out th' holler you'll hear nary a 'lol' 'r 'BRB', an' they ain't never heared a' no 'tort' 'r 'EBMM' neither, an' th' onliest 'pups' ever they seed 'us Walkers 'r redbones 'r mountain feist.

 

[Thegrandwazoo]

You live in West Virginia and think all human beings speak the Queen's English? Take a ride through the more rural areas of the state. There's plenty of thum people that talk like y'all don't never described here-in within these interweb forums.

I almost linked a Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia video but I don't feel like spending all night searching for one without vulgarity.

Haha better yet try any direction 20 miles away from my home town. I think some heads might explode.

I used to see and talk with several of those very Whites on a semi-regular basis, by the way, haha!

 

[zontar]

One on't cross beams gone owt askew on treddle.

 

[mikewalker]

Ixnay ethay argonjay, eh?

 

[zontar]

Ixnay ethay argonjay, eh?

Top-hole. Bally Jerry, pranged his kite right in the how's-your-father; hairy blighter, dicky-birded, feathered back on his sammy, took a waspy, flipped over on his Betty Harpers and caught his can in the Bertie.

 

[doug calkin]

In the interest of efficient communication, would it be possible to use standard language rather than bass jargon in posts?

I can understand "pups" as shorthand for pickups, but I also see some newer members thinking they've stumbled into a dog owners' group. "Tort" means one thing to us, but something completely different to lawyers.

I bring this up because of two recent experiences.

One poster referred to something like his "Fender L." I know Ps and Js and PJs, but couldn't recollect any Fender model that started with an L. Another TB-er thought that it was a reference to Fender's early numbering system, where an L serial number would have indicated a pre-1965 vintage. But even today, neither of us knows for sure.

And just today, a TB-er posted something about his "Sting." Some responders to the post thought he was talking about the P-bass model that Sting uses. As it turns out (I think, anyway), he was referring to a MusicMan StingRay.

Since we're all in this together, and we do really want to understand and help each other, do you think it might be possible to take a look at your post before sending, just to make sure you're saying what you mean and making your point clearly to a general audience? Assuming that everyone you want to communicate with is familiar with all the bass jargon is usually a mistake.

Thanks.

Hmm, maybe L was a G&L L 1 or 2000