Cablese

/ˈkeɪbəl iːz/ noun

Definition

The abbreviated language or style used in writing cablegrams and telegrams, using short words and numbers to save costs.

Etymology

From cable with suffix -ese (from Italian -ese, meaning in the style of, as in journalese or bureaucratese). This term emerged in the telegraph era.

Kelly Says

Cablese was like the original text-speak—people developed abbreviations like STOP for periods and numbers for words to save money, since cables were charged per word.

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