# Am I the only one bothered by the term "T's?"



## MikeC (Sep 17, 2015)

I've always had a small twinge whenever I hear or see "T" used to describe a tarantula.
Yes, I understand it's supposed to be an abbreviation, and Internet-speak is all about shortening things for convenience.

That said, I've been calling my shirts "T's" for ever, and since I don't wear my spiders on purpose, it gets under my skin.


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## BobGrill (Sep 17, 2015)

I absolutely hate it. If you pay attention, you'll notice I never use that term in my posts. I just say tarantulas. The term doesn't really make much sense IMO either. So if a tarantula is a "T", then would a scorpion be called an "S" ? 

Sent from my LG-D801 using Tapatalk

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## ophidia (Sep 17, 2015)

Also not a fan.  I usually just call them my spiders.  It's easier to say than my tarantulas.

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## Beary Strange (Sep 17, 2015)

Getting all hot and bothered about an abbreviation when we have people who are native English speakers that clearly do not have a grasp of the language seems silly to me. I try not to use it too much, but sometimes, it's just faster to type. And sometimes I just feel I've used 'tarantula' too much in one sentence or paragraph, so I use 'Ts' instead to avoid it sounding too redundant.

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## MikeC (Sep 17, 2015)

BobGrill said:


> I absolutely hate it. If you pay attention, you'll notice I never use that term in my posts. I just say tarantulas.


I can't say I notice too often when folks don't use it, but I sure as all heck notice when they do!
Glad I'm not the only one. I'm always using either "spiders", "tarantulas", or even "critters" as designation.



BobGrill said:


> The term doesn't really make much sense IMO either. So if a tarantula is a "T", then would a scorpion be called an "S" ?


This. This, so very much. You, sir, win at this thread.

Or: "T. T, SVM. Y, S, WATT." Since we're on the internet. 

---------- Post added 09-17-2015 at 01:48 AM ----------




Belle Fury said:


> Getting all hot and bothered about an abbreviation when we have people who are native English speakers that clearly do not have a grasp of the language seems silly to me. I try not to use it too much, but sometimes, it's just faster to type. And sometimes I just feel I've used 'tarantula' too much in one sentence or paragraph, so I use 'Ts' instead to avoid it sounding too redundant.


I certainly feel I'm much more lenient towards folks without English as a native language. 
I'd even be okay with misspellings like "tarnachula" and whatnot. I can respect the effort.
It's when people start using being on the Internet as an excuse to intentionally type like a third grader that starts bothering me. 

I think I'd explode if someone used "LOL" in a real life conversation.

The redundancy issue I understand as well. I try and avoid that myself, but there are a lot of other words to be used before I start using individual letters.


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## viper69 (Sep 17, 2015)

*Am I the only one bothered by the term &quot;T's?&quot;*

I'm a native English speaker and writer. I LOVE using the abbreviation T!!!!!! Because I can't be bothered typing out the actual term.

I don't call them spiders, because technically there are spiders and Ts, they aren't the same at all. I'm shocked that people have an issue with a logical abbreviation but have no issues calling them spiders!

Critters is such a generic term. One could be referring to snakes and not Ts.

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## petkokc (Sep 17, 2015)

When I first heard it I also hated it so much, but with time it grew on me. I sometimes use it cause it seems more appealing.

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## MikeC (Sep 17, 2015)

viper69 said:


> I'm a native English speaker and writer. I LOVE using the abbreviation T!!!!!! Because I can't be bothered typing out the actual term.
> 
> I don't call them spiders, because technically there are spiders and Ts, they aren't the same at all. I'm shocked that people have an issue with a logical abbreviation but have no issues calling them spiders!
> 
> Critters is such a generic term. One could be referring to snakes and not Ts.


Tarantulas are a variety of spider. I fail to see what your point was there?
I could just as well call them animals, arachnids, fauna, even arthropods. Do you have issues with those too, even though they're all technically correct terms?

Logical abbreviation or not, it bothers me because I associate it with laziness. (And shirts) 
I'm shocked that, as a writer, you don't see an issue with it. 

Can you picture passages from a well respected novel reading out like: 
"Rofl," exclaimed the distinguished gentleman. "That was a wonderfully titillating joke."
The clown replied, "That it was, my good man. NEways, do u no the 1 about the dog with no nose?"

Critters is generic. I see no problem using it especially if it's obvious what the conversation is referring to. 
While I primarily keep tarantulas, I have a variety of other things as well so it comes up in conversation a lot.

---------- Post added 09-17-2015 at 03:23 AM ----------




petkokc said:


> When I first heard it I also hated it so much, but with time it grew on me. I sometimes use it cause it seems more appealing.


Out of curiosity, what's appealing about it?


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## Tomoran (Sep 17, 2015)

Nope, I use it all the time, especially when I'm writing about them. There is only so many times I can write the word "tarantula" before it starts to sound redundant, so I like to mix it up. It's not a lazy thing at all and I don't think it's even in the same ballpark as a SMH, u for "you", or any of the other text-based or social media-based acronyms and shortcuts folks use. It's part of the common language of a hobby. I guess folks should also stop using nicknames or abbreviations like "GBB", "OBT", "LP", "pokies", "Tappis", and the like as those would also be "lazy" shortcuts? 

I guess to each his or her own.

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## TsunamiSpike (Sep 17, 2015)

Technically tarantulas are a variety of arachnid, not spiders. Just like spiders are a variety of arachnid, not tarantulas. I don't see issue with it myself, though I try to use it sparingly myself. If o use it I tend to be on my phone where typing tarantulas in a hurry is irritating at best.


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## MikeC (Sep 17, 2015)

Tomoran said:


> Nope, I use it all the time, especially when I'm writing about them. There is only so many times I can write the word "tarantula" before it starts to sound redundant, so I like to mix it up. It's not a lazy thing at all and I don't think it's even in the same ballpark as a SMH, u for "you", or any of the other text-based or social media-based acronyms and shortcuts folks use. It's part of the common language of a hobby. I guess folks should also stop using nicknames or abbreviations like "GBB", "OBT", "LP", "pokies", "Tappis", and the like as those would also be "lazy" shortcuts?
> 
> I guess to each his or her own.




Again, I understand the redundancy. And again, there are plenty of words you can use before resorting to a single letter.

I find it pretty much exactly the same as "SMH", "U", and "LOL." Shortenings of words and phrases to save time. 

In a perfect world, I'd prefer that someone would take the time to type out Pterinochilus Murinus or Chromatoplema Cyaneopubescens, but those are much longer and more complicated than "tarantula." It's that specific instance that bothers me the most for some reason. 

This wasn't intended to turn into a heated debate. I originally posted with some humor regarding that it reminded me of t-shirts.

---------- Post added 09-17-2015 at 05:14 AM ----------




TsunamiSpike said:


> Technically tarantulas are a variety of arachnid, not spiders. Just like spiders are a variety of arachnid, not tarantulas. I don't see issue with it myself, though I try to use it sparingly myself. If o use it I tend to be on my phone where typing tarantulas in a hurry is irritating at best.


Tarantulas are indeed a variety of spider. They belong to the Theraphosidae branch of the spider family, which in turn falls under arachnids. 
All tarantulas are spiders. All spiders are arachnids. Not all arachnids are spiders. Not all spiders are tarantulas.
Very similar to the Jacuzzi name. Since it's actually a brand, all Jacuzzis are hot tubs, but not all hot tubs are Jacuzzis.

Incidentally, I don't have a working computer these days so all my online stuff is done via phone.

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## Tomoran (Sep 17, 2015)

PTX said:


> Again, I understand the redundancy. And again, there are plenty of words you can use before resorting to a single letter.
> 
> I find it pretty much exactly the same as "SMH", "U", and "LOL." Shortenings of words and phrases to save time.
> 
> ...


Point well taken. I work with freshmen students on writing, and I spend the majority of my time trying to explain why they can't use "2" for "to" and u for "u" in their formal writing, so I can definitely appreciate the annoyance factor.

And, to support your T shirt association, I have a habit of using "Ts" when discussing my tarantulas at home. I also happen to wear T shirts under my dress shirts at work, and am constantly trying to find clean ones. The confusion caused when I'd use "Ts" for the tarantulas did create some humorous misunderstandings.


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## MikeC (Sep 17, 2015)

Tomoran said:


> Point well taken. I work with freshmen students on writing, and I spend the majority of my time trying to explain why they can't use "2" for "to" and u for "u" in their formal writing, so I can definitely appreciate the annoyance factor.
> 
> And, to support your T shirt association, I have a habit of using "Ts" when discussing my tarantulas at home. I also happen to wear T shirts under my dress shirts at work, and am constantly trying to find clean ones. The confusion caused when I'd use "Ts" for the tarantulas did create some humorous misunderstandings.


It does seem to be a newer generation thing. I doubt our grandparents had the same habit writing letters before email and electronic communication (barring telephones) showed up. 

I can definitely see mixing "T's" into a conversation with someone who didn't know offhand what you referred to having some hilarious outcomes. 

"Honey, I need to check on the T's." "Oh, I just folded them on the counter." "You did WHAT??"
"Shoot, my T escaped." "Did you check the hamper?"

It could go the other way, too.

"Man, this T is dirty." "Wait for it to molt."
"Oh, no! I ripped my T!" "If it's on the abdomen, superglue should help."



*Edit:* I feel like I should address this separately.. The whole "tarantulas aren't spiders" topic was not something I was expecting to have to refute on this forum. That astounds me.


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## KristinaMG (Sep 17, 2015)

Well, I am often typing from my phone.  At 30, I do not have the speed master skills of the younger folks on my phone's keyboard, so abbreviating to "T" is really helpful. Especially since AB is not particularly mobile-friendly website.


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## MikeC (Sep 17, 2015)

KristinaMG said:


> Well, I am often typing from my phone.  At 30, I do not have the speed master skills of the younger folks on my phone's keyboard, so abbreviating to "T" is really helpful. Especially since AB is not particularly mobile-friendly website.


That's a fair argument. 
I'm 27, so I'm not too far behind you. I didn't occupy the generation where 10 year olds got cell phones, but the few years I've had with one of them fancy newfangled smartphones certainly helped my small-screen typing ability. 

I do think they should make this forum a bit more mobile friendly.


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## BobGrill (Sep 17, 2015)

Belle Fury said:


> Getting all hot and bothered about an abbreviation when we have people who are native English speakers that clearly do not have a grasp of the language seems silly to me. I try not to use it too much, but sometimes, it's just faster to type. And sometimes I just feel I've used 'tarantula' too much in one sentence or paragraph, so I use 'Ts' instead to avoid it sounding too redundant.


Hot and bothered?  Not at all. Just a minor gripe. Still fun to discuss though. 

Btw I didn't have a cell phone until my sophomore year in high school and I'm 22.

Also for those who love using this term so much, what do you call scorpions or centipedes? [emoji14] 
Sent from my LG-D801 using Tapatalk


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## MikeC (Sep 17, 2015)

BobGrill said:


> Also for those who love using this term so much, what do you call scorpions or centipedes? [emoji14]


"S's" and "C's" of course!


Or, if they're called scorps and pedes, why not call tarantulas tulas?


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## petkokc (Sep 17, 2015)

PTX said:


> Out of curiosity, what's appealing about it?


I really can't tell, it's not about laziness. But I can totally relate since I also hated it


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## shawno821 (Sep 17, 2015)

I call them spiders,tarantulas,bugs,and T's. I love the term "T",if nothing but for the sake of laziness.How could such a silly little thing even be irritating? You must hate urticating hairs! Or "U hairs" as we lazy people call them.

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## BobGrill (Sep 17, 2015)

shawno821 said:


> I call them spiders,tarantulas,bugs,and T's. I love the term "T",if nothing but for the sake of laziness.How could such a silly little thing even be irritating? You must hate urticating hairs! Or "U hairs" as we lazy people call them.


It's just a pet peeve that's all. We all have minor unimportant things that bothers us. No one here is saying that it really makes us angry or anything. 

Sent from my LG-D801 using Tapatalk


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## Exoskeleton Invertebrates (Sep 17, 2015)

Omg! I hate it! Lol! I hate it too. T's don't bother me. I feel like I'm in high school when I hear those abbreviations. Maybe that's why it bothers me.

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## viper69 (Sep 17, 2015)

*Am I the only one bothered by the term &quot;T's?&quot;*



PTX said:


> Tarantulas are a variety of spider. I fail to see what your point was there?
> I could just as well call them animals, arachnids, fauna, even arthropods. Do you have issues with those too, even though they're all technically correct terms?
> 
> Logical abbreviation or not, it bothers me because I associate it with laziness. (And shirts)
> ...


In point of fact, Ts are not a variety of spider. They are each a variety of arachnid. Spiders are not Ts.

For the clown part I wouldn't know the difference by listening if someone said u or you. You botched your point with what you wrote hahah 

---------- Post added 09-17-2015 at 08:17 AM ----------




PTX said:


> "S's" and "C's" of course!
> 
> 
> Or, if they're called scorps and pedes, why not call tarantulas tulas?


Because they are already called Ts! 

---------- Post added 09-17-2015 at 08:19 AM ----------




KristinaMG said:


> Well, I am often typing from my phone.  At 30, I do not have the speed master skills of the younger folks on my phone's keyboard, so abbreviating to "T" is really helpful. Especially since AB is not particularly mobile-friendly website.


Try the App Tapatalk


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## MikeC (Sep 17, 2015)

shawno821 said:


> I call them spiders,tarantulas,bugs,and T's. I love the term "T",if nothing but for the sake of laziness.How could such a silly little thing even be irritating? You must hate urticating hairs! Or "U hairs" as we lazy people call them.


Actually, I am extremely sensitive to urticating hair. There's a reason my collection is primarily old world. 

---------- Post added 09-17-2015 at 09:24 AM ----------




viper69 said:


> In point of fact, Ts are not a variety of spider. They are each a variety of arachnid.


I'm going to challenge you. Tarantulas are spiders. That is an unarguable fact.
Not all spiders are tarantulas, seeing as there's a huge variety of them.

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## Sam_Peanuts (Sep 17, 2015)

I used to find it stupid, but since it stuck for many years and it's pretty well established in the forum now, I'm fine with it.

I still try to use the full word when replying to someone new to the forum though and I don't use it when I'm actually talking(I did let it slip out of habit once or twice though while recording videos), but here, I feel it has it's place.

The Tapatalk thing that get added to every post when people use it bugs me a lot more. I always start to read it and then realize it's just garbage that's wasting my time. Maybe one day I'll get used to it.


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## Chris LXXIX (Sep 17, 2015)

Actually what i don't like, not even a bit, is the term "Tarantula/s" (even if sound great, i have to admit) used by the USA/Canada/English enthusiast people community. It's not technically correct. _Theraphosidae_ is, actually, the right word.

I dislike the French enthusiasts habit to call _Theraphosidae_ (Tarantulas, here) "Mygal".. incorrect as well.

I use "T" and "T's", here, however.. but just for have life easy, let's say


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## PanzoN88 (Sep 17, 2015)

In my case the term ts does not bother me at all, i just prefer not to use it.


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## LythSalicaria (Sep 17, 2015)

Would you like a lice comb to help with that nit-picking? :tongue: (Just teasing, don't hate me!)

In all seriousness, I don't see the issue. When people start abbreviating every word, now that's annoying. But much like Belle, you will catch me saying "T" or "T's" if I've already used the word Tarantula in a paragraph.

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## MikeC (Sep 17, 2015)

Chris LXXIX said:


> Actually what i don't like, not even a bit, is the term "Tarantula/s" (even if sound great, i have to admit) used by the USA/Canada/English enthusiast people community. It's not technically correct. _Theraphosidae_ is, actually, the right word.


I don't agree with this. Theraphosidae is indeed a correct identifying taxonomical term, it does not make Tarantula incorrect. 
Do you refer to widows as Lateodectinae? 
How about dogs as Canidae? Cats as Felidae or Felinae?
How about children as small Hominidae? 

There's a general consensus that common names that describe a genus or family as a whole be used.




Chris LXXIX said:


> I dislike French enthusiasts who call _Theraphosidae_ (Tarantulas, here) "Mygal".. incorrect as well.


Is it? Tarantulas, being Theraphosidae, belong to Mygalomorphae, which is a suborder of Araneae, which is an order from Arachnida, belonging to the phylum Arthropoda. Which one is most correct to you?


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## BobGrill (Sep 17, 2015)

Chris LXXIX said:


> Actually what i don't like, not even a bit, is the term "Tarantula/s" (even if sound great, i have to admit) used by the USA/Canada/English enthusiast people community. It's not technically correct. _Theraphosidae_ is, actually, the right word.
> 
> I dislike the French enthusiasts habit to call _Theraphosidae_ (Tarantulas, here) "Mygal".. incorrect as well.
> 
> I use "T" and "T's", here, however.. but just for have life easy, let's say


That's what everyone calls them. I hate to sound ignorant, but so what if it's not technically correct? 

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## Chris LXXIX (Sep 17, 2015)

PTX said:


> I don't agree with this. Theraphosidae is indeed a correct identifying taxonomical term, it does not make Tarantula incorrect.
> Do you refer to widows as Lateodectinae?
> How about dogs as Canidae? Cats as Felidae or Felinae?
> How about children as small Hominidae?
> ...


_Theridiidae_, _Latrodectus_ sp.

I call those "widows" when talking in general, of course.

I call those with their name, man. Just that.

---------- Post added 09-17-2015 at 11:17 AM ----------




BobGrill said:


> That's what everyone calls them. I hate to sound ignorant, but so what if it's not technically correct?
> 
> Sent from my LG-D801 using Tapatalk


Nothing. I don't like that, but i have no problems with. Just me


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## viper69 (Sep 17, 2015)

Chris LXXIX said:


> Actually what i don't like, not even a bit, is the term "Tarantula/s" (even if sound great, i have to admit) used by the USA/Canada/English enthusiast people community. It's not technically correct. _Theraphosidae_ is, actually, the right word.
> 
> I dislike the French enthusiasts habit to call _Theraphosidae_ (Tarantulas, here) "Mygal".. incorrect as well.
> 
> I use "T" and "T's", here, however.. but just for have life easy, let's say


I think that's funny, esp because the word Tarantula originated in Europe, after the town Taranto in Italy.

---------- Post added 09-17-2015 at 09:21 AM ----------




PTX said:


> you. Tarantulas are spiders. That is an unarguable fact.
> Not all spiders are tarantulas, seeing as there's a huge variety of them.


In point of fact, I could be wrong! However, just saying I'm wrong doesn't mean I am. Come back w/the phylogenetic trees for each and we'll know for sure. I don't care if I'm wrong, just demonstrate it.

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## Chris LXXIX (Sep 17, 2015)

viper69 said:


> I think that's funny, esp because the word Tarantula originated in Europe, after the town Taranto in Italy.


Indeed. The reason IMO is about something (not someone) "from Taranto", hence "Tarantula".. related to Taranto somewhat.
Btw what really amaze me is that there's still _Lycosa tarantula _ in the wild of Taranto. Seriously, they are probably some sort of "Fallout" mutant creatures.
One of the worst polluted Italian towns.


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## MikeC (Sep 17, 2015)

Chris LXXIX said:


> _Theridiidae_, _Latrodectus_ sp.
> 
> I call those "widows" when talking in general, of course.
> 
> I call those with their name, man. Just that.


I guess I'm still missing why tarantula and widow are "technically" incorrect? 

I probably shouldn't have used domesticated animals as the other examples. 
What about squid? Rhinoceros? Fruit bats? Palm trees? Tomatoes? Gemstones?

---------- Post added 09-17-2015 at 10:37 AM ----------




viper69 said:


> In point of fact, I could be wrong! However, just saying I'm wrong doesn't mean I am. Come back w/the phylogenetic trees for each and we'll know for sure. I don't care if I'm wrong, just demonstrate it.


I can dig up a tree for it when I have more time at my disposal, but I can try and simplify it.
The order Araneae contains what we all know as spiders. Tarantulas belong to it as well. As do widows, wolf spiders, trap doors, wandering spiders, funnel webs, etc.

The term "true spider" commonly used is a misnomer. Something that doesn't fall under it isn't necessarily a "false spider", although there are exceptions. Tarantulas aren't one of them.


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## Chris LXXIX (Sep 17, 2015)

PTX said:


> I guess I'm still missing why tarantula and widow are "technically" incorrect?
> 
> I probably shouldn't have used domesticated animals as the other examples.
> What about squid? Rhinoceros? Fruit bats? Palm trees? Tomatoes? Gemstones?


"Widow" from my point of view, is a common name for _Latrodectus _ sp.
"Tarantula" IMO is incorrect, as i've said.
There's no need for reply to your other examples. Dogs are dogs.. but a "Mastiff" one isn't in the same family of a Chihuahua.

---------- Post added 09-17-2015 at 11:50 AM ----------

Have to go, now, and will reply later.
I still think that calling _Theraphosidae _ "Tarantulas" is not correct, but more reasonable than the French "Mygal" (from _Mygalomorphae_, of course).
Question, just for example.. if we start all of a sudden to call _Theraphosidae_ (Tarantulas) ONLY _Mygalomorphae_... we could continue to state: "No one ever died from a bite?"


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## viper69 (Sep 17, 2015)

PTX said:


> I guess I'm still missing why tarantula and widow are "technically" incorrect?
> 
> I probably shouldn't have used domesticated animals as the other examples.
> What about squid? Rhinoceros? Fruit bats? Palm trees? Tomatoes? Gemstones?
> ...


Right, at the Araneae they are both in the same group, that one I knew. It's further down where I wanted to know where they diverge. As Ts are more primitive there's a divergence at some point.


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## MikeC (Sep 17, 2015)

Chris LXXIX said:


> "Widow" from my point of view, is a common name for _Latrodectus _ sp. "Tarantula" IMO is incorrect, as i've said.


So, Widow is correct, but Tarantula is not?

You have said it, but you haven't explained why you think that. That's what I've been after.



Chris LXXIX said:


> There's no need for reply to your other examples. Dogs are dogs.. but a "Mastiff" one isn't in the same family of a Chihuahua.


So, a dog is a dog, but a tarantula is not a tarantula? Or am I misunderstanding what you're trying to mean? Why is it okay to refer to some animals by common designations, and not others?

A mastiff and chihuahua are the same species. 



Chris LXXIX said:


> I still think that calling _Theraphosidae _ "Tarantulas" is not correct, but more reasonable than the French "Mygal" (from _Mygalomorphae_, of course).


Again, I feel it would help the conversation if you explained why you think that. Is it because Mygalomorphae is a broader class? 




Chris LXXIX said:


> Question, just for example.. if we start all of a sudden to call _Theraphosidae_ (Tarantulas) ONLY _Mygalomorphae_... we could continue to state: "No one ever died from a bite?"


You could still say: no one ever died from a tarantula bite.

---------- Post added 09-17-2015 at 11:19 AM ----------




viper69 said:


> Right, at the Araneae they are both in the same group, that one I knew. It's further down where I wanted to know where they diverge. As Ts are more primitive there's a divergence at some point.


Anything in Araneae is a spider. Past that, those are just varieties of spiders, broken up into different taxonomical groups.
There's a second classification in Theraphosidae besides what we call tarantulas, the bald legged spiders Paratropididae.
(That's partially why I'm getting confused that Chris is saying Tarantula is wrong, and Theraphosidae is correct)


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## Chris LXXIX (Sep 17, 2015)

PTX said:


> So, Widow is correct, but Tarantula is not?
> 
> You have said it, but you haven't explained why you think that. That's what I've been after.
> 
> ...


No. "widow/s" from my point of view, isn't correct. As i've said, "widow/s" is a common name, and common names do only nothing but confusion.

While, granted, there's some common names i use, and i admit, i love (because i feel that they hit the target creating those) such _Pterinochilus murinus_ "Orange Bitey Thing", _Pelinobius muticus_ "King Baboon" or _Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens_ "GBB", and of course, "Black Widow" for _Latrodectus mactans_, i personally despise the using, or creation, of common names. 

"Giant super white/orange/knee something" etc. Bollocks.

Spiders, spiders.. "everything" is a spider. _Atrax robustus _is a spider. _Pterinochilus murinus_ is as well, and so for everyone from _Phoneutria nigriventer_ to _Argiope bruennichi_.
But i think is always better to be specific.

As for for French, and some Italians as well, who loves to label under the "Mygal/Mygals" or "Migale/Migali" (in Italian) term, the _Theraphosidae_ "world" (here, Tarantulas) is damn wrong IMO.
Because, in that scenario, you can't anymore state "no one died from a bite" because there's, just for instance, _Hadronyche formidabilis_ and _Atrax robustus_ _chelicerae_ who can prove, anytime, the opposite.

As i've said, IMO to call _Theraphosidae_ ALL the, no matter if NW or OW, and no matter: temperament, size, colours, venom potency, habits etc isn't wrong. Others aren't obligate to agree with that. I have nothing against people who call them "Tarantulas", i'm used to that, and the matter i dislike that means nothing.


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## Tim Benzedrine (Sep 17, 2015)

Oh, so we are being pedantic, eh? Well, I'll see folk's annoyance at "T's" and raise them my annoyance over "slings". It is a contraction of "spiderlings" and as such, should be "s'lings"!


Eh, I'm just T'sing , y'all!

Reactions: Like 5 | Funny 1


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## Chris LXXIX (Sep 17, 2015)

Tim Benzedrine said:


> Oh, so we are being pedantic, eh? Well, I'll see folk's annoyance at "T's" and raise them my annoyance over "slings". It is a contraction of "spiderlings" and as such, should be "s'lings"!
> 
> 
> Eh, I'm just T'sing , y'all!


I don't want to sound pedantic at all, or an arrogant one. I just call Tarantulas _Theraphosidae_, that's all


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## windscorpions1 (Sep 17, 2015)

I do use the term "T" but I use it a bit more sparingly. Most of the time I just refer to them as spiders.


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## MikeC (Sep 17, 2015)

Chris LXXIX said:


> No. "widow/s" from my point of view, isn't correct. As i've said, "widow/s" is a common name, and common names do only nothing but confusion.


Okay. So back to my dog reference. Is "dog" incorrect, as it's a common name? What about various breeds of dogs? It has direct pertinence to my argument that "tarantula" is still correct terminology.



Chris LXXIX said:


> As for for French, and some Italians as well, who loves to label under the "Mygal/Mygals" or "Migale/Migali" (in Italian) term, the _Theraphosidae_ "world" (here, Tarantulas) is damn wrong IMO.
> Because, in that scenario, you can't anymore state "no one died from a bite"


That's about as logical a reason as "chocolate milk should be illegal because I'm allergic to chocolate."



Chris LXXIX said:


> As i've said, IMO to call _Theraphosidae_ ALL the, no matter if NW or OW, and no matter: temperament, size, colours, venom potency, habits etc isn't wrong. Others aren't obligate to agree with that. I have nothing against people who call them "Tarantulas", i'm used to that, and the matter i dislike that means nothing.


I'm still trying to figure out why you feel it's incorrect. You haven't answered that, and I'm very curious.You just keep saying it's incorrect. I'd like a reason, please. I feel like you're dodging my question.




Chris LXXIX said:


> But i think is always better to be specific.


Wouldn't it then be better to pick a different term than Theraphosidae, since there's two families in there, one of which aren't tarantulas?

---------- Post added 09-17-2015 at 12:17 PM ----------




Tim Benzedrine said:


> Oh, so we are being pedantic, eh? Well, I'll see folk's annoyance at "T's" and raise them my annoyance over "slings". It is a contraction of "spiderlings" and as such, should be "s'lings"!
> 
> 
> Eh, I'm just T'sing , y'all!


Gosh, this thread needed another good dose of humor. 

I have less problems calling them slings than if folks called them S's.


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## elportoed (Sep 17, 2015)

Tarantula is a mouthful to say and too long to be typed over and over, so it's natural to be shorten to T.  
We do that to people whose last names are too long or hard to pronounce, so they become Mr T, or Ms S, etc.

We can try using XLS, for extra large spider, or BAS, for big ass spider, or more polite term, BBS, for big booty spider, etc.

I have always wondered about slings though.  It's short for spiderlings, but shouldn't it be tarantulings, or baby tarantulas for lack of a better word?

The word tarantula itself is originated from the spiders in the town of Taranto which aren't tarantula at all which you may have read about it in wiki, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarantula


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## 8Legs8Eyes (Sep 17, 2015)

Tim Benzedrine said:


> Oh, so we are being pedantic, eh? Well, I'll see folk's annoyance at "T's" and raise them my annoyance over "slings". It is a contraction of "spiderlings" and as such, should be "s'lings"!
> 
> 
> Eh, I'm just T'sing , y'all!


Made me laugh! 

I'm still pretty new to T's - got my first one just 16 months ago. As I did research over what species of tarantula I was interested in getting, I frequently came across "T" on its own and as a newbie felt it just as common and normal to use as "OBT" or "sling." Having been used to it since day 1, I often use it interchangeably, although when I use "T" I notice I am actually just saying the letter and not really meaning it as an abbreviation, more as just a short nickname. As for out loud, at home I often tell my husband, "I am going to go check on the spiders." Less syllables and easier to say.


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## Amimia (Sep 17, 2015)

elportoed said:


> I have always wonder about slings though.  It's short for spiderlings, but shouldn't it be tarantulings, or baby tarantulas for lack of a better word?


I have too. When I was first researching it I thought 'sling' was a name for baby tarantulas as 'foal' is a name for baby horses. Kinda interesting to find out it's actually a slang term


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## tonypace2009 (Sep 17, 2015)

If I show up at Walmart looking for a T I am probably looking for a T shirt but if I am holding two catch cups. Then I am most likely looking for the other kind of T that some one saw scurrying across the floor. Or I am here to catch the huge hairy Aphonopelma Hentzi last seen climbing up the T shirt rack at Walmart. Actually using the T to represent a tarantula doesn't bother me . What bothers me is the fact that I am once again banned from any catch cups outside our home. All because I brought back a 7" centipede, I appropriately named NOTHING.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Tim Benzedrine (Sep 17, 2015)

Well, the sling slang should be slung. It's s*'*ling, dammit!

Reactions: Like 2


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## Beary Strange (Sep 17, 2015)

PTX said:


> It does seem to be a newer generation thing. I doubt our grandparents had the same habit writing letters before email and electronic communication (barring telephones) showed up.
> 
> I can definitely see mixing "T's" into a conversation with someone who didn't know offhand what you referred to having some hilarious outcomes.
> 
> ...


Now see that is a circumtance in which I never use "Ts": when talking to laypersons about tarantulas. Calling them Ts in that situation is practically begging for a misunderstanding. Similar to trying to talk to them about a specific one and referring to it by scientific name, you just get a sort of blank stare.

I think the argument people are making re: calling them spiders is due to the fact that we already have a group of arachnids we call "true spiders". But, to say that they aren't spiders is incorrect; tarantulas are Theraphosidae, which are Mygalomorphae, which are Aranae (psst psst, spiders) and then Arachnida. I think some people forget about the Aranae in between Mygalomorphae and Arachnida. That said, I also am reticent to refer to them as spiders because when I say spider, I usually mean trues.

---------- Post added 09-17-2015 at 01:02 PM ----------




Tim Benzedrine said:


> Well, the sling slang should be slung. It's s*'*ling, dammit!


That one confused me so much when I first entered the hobby. I thought it was some sort of slang term for selling and couldn't understand why they'd use it when they already had the 'FS' tag on there. >w<


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## cold blood (Sep 17, 2015)

I guess I get it to those that are brand new to the hobby or to forums.  When I first joined here I thought the t designation was hard to get used to and seemed strange, and I had a moment of resistance.  But after some long time keepers expressed their preference for just using t, I quickly adapted...as anyone should when immersed in a hobby, any hobby/sport/activity....all hobbies have their shortened terms, and until you get sufficiently immersed in the hobby, you may not get it, but once you are immersed in it, it becomes second nature.

In fishing people rarely spell out largemouth bass or smallmouth bass, its just LMB or SMB, for instance.

In baseball no one gets upset when they look at a lineup and see 1B, 2B, SS, LF or even the single number designations instead of names, as in 5-4-3 double play for instance when describing a specific put out.  Seems goofy to those outside the hobby, but is just a much easier way to designate the occurring play quickly and accurately.

Even professions have them, doctors and nurses have shortened terms for seemingly everything. 


Bottom line, when in Rome, do as the Romans do....so if you're in the hobby, these should be embraced and accepted, not fought or left to irritate, cause that's never gonna change a thing, its been engrained into the hobby long before most of us were even alive.  Don't fight it or be irritated by it....rather, embrace it.

I just don't see how the term/letter t would cause anyone a bit of angst or irritation, its not rocket science, its as simple as it could be made to be (of write).  Write tarantula 10,000 times and you'll see t is just easier pretty quickly.

I'm utterly shocked that this nit-picky thread about a minor irritation for some took off like it did.

Reactions: Like 5


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## BobGrill (Sep 17, 2015)

Chris LXXIX said:


> I don't want to sound pedantic at all, or an arrogant one. I just call Tarantulas _Theraphosidae_, that's all


Try convincing the rest of the non-spider enthusiast population to not call them tarantulas. 

"I recommend reading The Theraphosidae Keepers Guide if you're new to the hobby. " I'll make sure to start telling people that.

Sent from my LG-D801 using Tapatalk

Reactions: Like 1


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## Sickgirlstatt2 (Sep 17, 2015)

I don't get bothered so much by "T" I honestly have stareted using it myself however the one that really gets to me is when they're called specimens, I'm sorry but they're living, breathing creatures, and granted though I haven't asked any of mine but I'm fairly sure they have feelings. So calling them a "specimen" to me implys they don'y matter as an individual Tarantula, that they just are there for our amusement and I just don't feel that way about mine.


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## truecreature (Sep 17, 2015)

Maybe it's just me but the word "tarantula" doesn't really lend itself well to a shortened version, like scorps or pedes. "Tars", "tarans", "tulas", etc just sound weird - hence T.


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## 14pokies (Sep 17, 2015)

cold blood said:


> I guess I get it to those that are brand new to the hobby or to forums.  When I first joined here I thought the t designation was hard to get used to and seemed strange, and I had a moment of resistance.  But after some long time keepers expressed their preference for just using t, I quickly adapted...as anyone should when immersed in a hobby, any hobby/sport/activity....all hobbies have their shortened terms, and until you get sufficiently immersed in the hobby, you may not get it, but once you are immersed in it, it becomes second nature.
> 
> In fishing people rarely spell out largemouth bass or smallmouth bass, its just LMB or SMB, for instance.
> 
> ...


You put it much better than i ever could.. See this is what i was gonna say.. TsTsTsTsTsTsTsTsTsTsTs REALLY this bugs you? TsTsTsTsTsTsTsTs its way faster to type T than tarantula TTs Ts Ts Ts Ts Ts Ts Ts Ts suck it up its how we do on the boards TsTsT Ts Ts Ts Ts Ts Ts Ts Ts Ts Ts...

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## AphonopelmaTX (Sep 17, 2015)

When written, "T" doesn't bother me, but when someone verbally uses "T" I'm annoyed by it the same as when someone uses chat lingo in real life.  I try not to use the word "tarantula" when speaking because it's a mouth full and it sounds abrasive hearing it.  When someone speaks it, I hear "tar-an-CHOO-la" which sounds ridiculous to me. My favorite word, contrary to some, is Mygale.  I'm never sure if it's pronounced "my-GALE" or "my-GAL" but I would love to know how it's pronounced in French.

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## le-thomas (Sep 17, 2015)

AphonopelmaTX said:


> When written, "T" doesn't bother me, but when someone verbally uses "T" I'm annoyed by it the same as when someone uses chat lingo in real life.


EXACTLY!

I hate the way "Ts" sounds, but seeing it online isn't so offensive. Just... the way it's said... I dunno.



ophidia said:


> Also not a fan.  I usually just call them my spiders.  It's easier to say than my tarantulas.


Same for me.


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## viper69 (Sep 17, 2015)

Tim Benzedrine said:


> Oh, so we are being pedantic, eh? Well, I'll see folk's annoyance at "T's" and raise them my annoyance over "slings". It is a contraction of "spiderlings" and as such, should be "s'lings"!
> 
> 
> Eh, I'm just T'sing , y'all!


What a grammar Nazi!

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## Chris LXXIX (Sep 17, 2015)

PTX said:


> Okay. So back to my dog reference. Is "dog" incorrect, as it's a common name? What about various breeds of dogs? It has direct pertinence to my argument that "tarantula" is still correct terminology.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


The venom example i'd put before was only for give you the idea. To call _Theraphosidae_ _Mygalomorphs_ is not completely correct. _Mygalomorphae_ is the infraorder.

As for your dogs example, well i never bother myself with that, i mean.. i call them dogs, but honestly, there's differences among those as well.
A Mastino Napoletano is a dog, as well a dog is a little one like a Chihuahua. But there's differences, no? 

For that same reason, _Atrax robustus_ is a spider just like _Loxosceles rufescens_. But there's differences again as well.

I've said "dogs" and "spiders" not "dogs" and "tarantulas".

Reason i think Tarantulas is for me not correct? Because i think was made after _Lycosa tarantula_ (not a _Theraphosidae_, btw, as you people know) i view that term as a generalization made back then for indicate somewhat big spiders.

But who knows? Actually Tarantulas is used by everyone, from USA to Russia. BobGrill is right about his TKG example, probably Tarantulas is more easy then _Theraphosidae_, indeed.

But i stick to Thorell, and call Tarantulas _Theraphosidae_.

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## The Snark (Sep 17, 2015)

It snot T's it's Ts. Yer personal posssesive ernt neskissary. And dem tings ya ware is T-Ses and dem eyebrow lickin dipsnakes in da barz is teezes. Yall lern ta speek porper inglishes, ya hear?

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## parthicus (Sep 17, 2015)

I agree with you, i prefer just to use tarantulas. Its clear and concise, and you will not get it confused with a genus such as Theraphosa.


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## Chris LXXIX (Sep 18, 2015)

parthicus said:


> I agree with you, i prefer just to use tarantulas. Its clear and concise, and you will not get it confused with a genus such as Theraphosa.


Confusion? Why? It's easy. _Theraphosidae_. 
_Theraphosa_ sp. and _Theraphosinae_ sp. are both subfamily

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## The Snark (Sep 18, 2015)

Can I toss a wrench into the works? Check out the etymology of the word Tarantula:_
"1560s, "wolf spider," (Lycos tarantula), from Medieval Latin tarantula, from Italian tarantola, from Taranto "Taranto," seaport city in southern Italy in the region where the spiders are frequently found, from Latin Tarentum, from Greek Taras (genitive Tarantos; perhaps from Illyrian darandos "oak"). Its bite is only slightly poisonous. Popularly applied to other great hairy spiders, especially the genus Mygale, native to the warmer regions of the Americas (first so called in 1794)."_

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## Tim Benzedrine (Sep 18, 2015)

viper69 said:


> What a grammar Nazi!



That's "G-naz", pronounced "Gee-notz", thank, you very much.


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## Cavedweller (Sep 18, 2015)

I always just assumed people used "Ts" because "tarantula" is a bit of a finger-tangler to type out. When I first got into the hobby it took me an embarrassing amount of time to realize that's what it meant, though.


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## Sam_Peanuts (Sep 18, 2015)

AphonopelmaTX said:


> I'm never sure if it's pronounced "my-GALE" or "my-GAL" but I would love to know how it's pronounced in French.


It's pronounced "Me-Gal" in French, probably with a softer "G" than what's used in English(I kind of have it sounding two different ways in my head right now so I'm not 100% sure). The "e" is silent at the end.


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## Chris LXXIX (Sep 18, 2015)

The Snark said:


> Can I toss a wrench into the works? Check out the etymology of the word Tarantula:_
> "1560s, "wolf spider," (Lycos tarantula), from Medieval Latin tarantula, from Italian tarantola, from Taranto "Taranto," seaport city in southern Italy in the region where the spiders are frequently found, from Latin Tarentum, from Greek Taras (genitive Tarantos; perhaps from Illyrian darandos "oak"). Its bite is only slightly poisonous. Popularly applied to other great hairy spiders, especially the genus Mygale, native to the warmer regions of the Americas (first so called in 1794)."_


That's the latin word they used for call _Lycosa tarantula_ spider. Just that.
In Italian, the word "Tarantola" (plural, Tarantole) was nothing particular referred to, back then (of course, since that, everyone thinks when hear "Tarantola" all of a sudden, about a "big" spider) except for something related to the old "Magna Grecia" town of Taras (Taranto).

Something, not someone (important) related to Taranto, no matter if the town or the nearby area. Someone from Taranto (a man) is a "Tarantino" (like Quentin ah ah) plural, "Tarantini".
IMO i guess they called that spider because that spider was found, and still live today (amazing IMO, since is a mess of a pollution that zone) in Taranto area.

So.. _Lycosa_ "something related to Taranto.. where we found that.. let's see.. ok, good old Latin.. Tarantula!" hence Tarantula. Later even become "Tarantola" an Italian surname ah ah (in the South, not here in the Northern part).
Now of course, of course. That term was after applied to American continent, the "New World", "big, hairy spiders" as well discovered. They are, indeed, worldwide knowed as "Tarantulas". I'm not denying that. As you said, popularly.

What about the OW'S, then, that arachnologists like Tamerlan Thorell or our Giacomo Doria (he was into spiders as well) studied (i assume that.. probably they did) even prior to apply the name "Tarantulas" in a general way to American T's? 

That's the reason why i stick to Thorell _Theraphosidae_. Not cool and straight like Tarantulas, ok. But.

That's only my view about the story, of course. After all, to call those Tarantulas is now a worldwide accepted fact, even if i don't like that much on a personal opinion.


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## cold blood (Sep 18, 2015)

This is arachnologist Sam Marshall's explanation in his book, "Tarantulas and other Arachnids":

"The tarantulas bad reputation began in southern Europe during the middle ages with a large burrowing wolf spider Lycosa tarentula, which was thought to be dangerously venomous.  The name tarantula derives from the city of Taranto in northern Italy, and a popular dance, the Tarantella, which was supposed to cure the effects of a tarantulas bite.   It has been proposed that the real or imagined tarantula bites were used as an excuse to dance wildly, something the church frowned upon at the time.  The memory of this big, bad wolf spider was brought to the Americas by Europeans, and the name tarantula was quickly applied to a totally different type of spider: spiders in the family Theraphosidae.  Perhaps the first recorded use of the name tarantulas for these new world spiders is in a narrative by Jonathan Stedman, a British adventurer and mercenary traveling in Suriname (in north-eastern South America) in the 1770's in his narrative of a five year expedition....

Most of the furor is over the fact that the name tarantula was initially applied to a wolf spider.   Wolf spiders are not closely related to the large, hairy theraphosid spiders we now call tarantulas.   However, the wolf spider from southern Europe (Lycosa tarentla) does look something like a tarantula and digs and burrows like many tarantulas do.

When Europeans started to settle the New World, the name tarantula was already firmly established in the popular mythology of spiders.  The first of what are now called tarantulas was not brought to the attention of scientists until 1705 when Maria Sibylla Merian, a Swiss naturalist visiting Suriname, included a painting of a large hairy spider eating a hummingbird in her book "Insects of Suriname".  The tarantula was a pink toe tarantula...Her readers in Europe were horrified at the idea that a spider could turn the tables and eat a bird."

Reactions: Like 1


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## Chris LXXIX (Sep 18, 2015)

cold blood said:


> This is arachnologist Sam Marshall's explanation in his book, "Tarantulas and other Arachnids":
> 
> "The tarantulas bad reputation began in southern Europe during the middle ages with a large burrowing wolf spider Lycosa tarentula, which was thought to be dangerously venomous.  The name tarantula derives from the city of Taranto in northern Italy, and a popular dance, the Tarantella, which was supposed to cure the effects of a tarantulas bite.   It has been proposed that the real or imagined tarantula bites were used as an excuse to dance wildly, something the church frowned upon at the time.  The memory of this big, bad wolf spider was brought to the Americas by Europeans, and the name tarantula was quickly applied to a totally different type of spider: spiders in the family Theraphosidae.  Perhaps the first recorded use of the name tarantulas for these new world spiders is in a narrative by Jonathan Stedman, a British adventurer and mercenary traveling in Suriname (in north-eastern South America) in the 1770's in his narrative of a five year expedition....
> 
> ...


Sorry.. Taranto in Northern Italy? Ah ah ah, that's in the South, Sam Marshall! Puglia region (ancient, Apulia). 
Ah ah ah, sorry if i laugh cold blood, my friend, but here in the North where i live.. the Northern League separatists (who fail 24/7 to try to imitate Eugene Terre'Blanche South Africa AWB Boers) would be extremely pissed off. Great 
Couldn't resist.. everything here is politics.


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## MikeC (Sep 18, 2015)

Belle Fury said:


> I think the argument people are making re: calling them spiders is due to the fact that we already have a group of arachnids we call "true spiders". But, to say that they aren't spiders is incorrect; tarantulas are Theraphosidae, which are Mygalomorphae, which are Aranae (psst psst, spiders) and then Arachnida. I think some people forget about the Aranae in between Mygalomorphae and Arachnida. That said, I also am reticent to refer to them as spiders because when I say spider, I usually mean trues.


Yea, that's pretty much what I thought as well, which is why I touched on it trying to explain things. 
"True Spider" is a misnomer. 
I can understand why you wouldn't typically call a tarantula a spider, too.


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## AphonopelmaTX (Sep 18, 2015)

Sam_Peanuts said:


> It's pronounced "Me-Gal" in French, probably with a softer "G" than what's used in English(I kind of have it sounding two different ways in my head right now so I'm not 100% sure). The "e" is silent at the end.


Thanks for that. I think I will start using it instead of "tarantula." I just hope it won't come off as more pretentious than using "theraphosid" or "theraphosid spider" in casual conversation.


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## Chris LXXIX (Sep 18, 2015)

AphonopelmaTX said:


> Thanks for that. I think I will start using it instead of "tarantula." I just hope it won't come off as more pretentious than using "theraphosid" or "theraphosid spider" in casual conversation.


My two cents, AphonopelmaTX. Stick to "Tarantulas", man. "Mygal" or what Italians sometime use, "Migale/Migali/Migalomorfi" is a generalization, not 100% correct, counting in that "army" ALL of the eight legged "big" spiders, hence from a "Grammo/or Brachy" to "Atrax".


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## MikeC (Sep 18, 2015)

cold blood said:


> I guess I get it to those that are brand new to the hobby or to forums.


I'm not new to the hobby, or to forums in general. It's just an idiosyncrasy of mine. It really is specific to the term "T," as well. Abbreviating the first half of the scientific name doesn't bother me. Things like OBT, LP, and GBB aren't nearly as irritating. Just "T." 
I don't have a logical reason why, aside from associating all text-based shorthand on the Internet as lazy (to an extent, some folks have posted pretty valid reasons.) 

With regard to doctors, that's probably the one instance I would actually encourage it, since I'd prefer a physician to spend time on care, rather than worrying that his/her complicated medical terms are all written out.



cold blood said:


> Bottom line, when in Rome, do as the Romans do....so if you're in the hobby, these should be embraced and accepted, not fought or left to irritate, cause that's never gonna change a thing, its been engrained into the hobby long before most of us were even alive.  Don't fight it or be irritated by it....rather, embrace it.


This isn't me trying to change anything. I don't expect something ingrained into the hobby to up and disappear. I can, though, express distaste at the fact it started being used. I don't see myself changing either, since I'm perfectly happy to type "tarantula." 



cold blood said:


> I just don't see how the term/letter t would cause anyone a bit of angst or irritation, its not rocket science, its as simple as it could be made to be (of write).  Write tarantula 10,000 times and you'll see t is just easier pretty quickly.


For the same reason things like "SMH", "LOL", and the like bother me. I also get irritated at folks who intentionally don't care about grammar, punctuation, and syntax. 

The fact that it's easier shouldn't always be a valid reason. I get your example, but when would someone be writing "tarantula" more than a handful of times in something like a short forum post?



cold blood said:


> I'm utterly shocked that this nit-picky thread about a minor irritation for some took off like it did.


To be frank, me too. I wasn't expecting this, but since it escalated I feel a little obligated to see most of the conversation through.

---------- Post added 09-18-2015 at 04:02 PM ----------




raisinjelly said:


> Maybe it's just me but the word "tarantula" doesn't really lend itself well to a shortened version, like scorps or pedes. "Tars", "tarans", "tulas", etc just sound weird - hence T.


I'm not sure I'd agree there. 
I think "pedes" is a little strange. At least stranger than "scorps." 
It's also hard to distinguish whether they meant centipedes or millipedes. Maybe "MPedes" and "CPedes" should be the designation?

---------- Post added 09-18-2015 at 04:04 PM ----------




14pokies said:


> You put it much better than i ever could.. See this is what i was gonna say.. TsTsTsTsTsTsTsTsTsTsTs REALLY this bugs you? TsTsTsTsTsTsTsTs its way faster to type T than tarantula TTs Ts Ts Ts Ts Ts Ts Ts Ts suck it up its how we do on the boards TsTsT Ts Ts Ts Ts Ts Ts Ts Ts Ts Ts...


This post demonstrates a level of immaturity I didn't expect from you. 

In answer to your question, yes, that bugs me. As does that entire post, since you're acting childish and intentionally trying to get under my skin.

---------- Post added 09-18-2015 at 04:10 PM ----------




Cavedweller said:


> I always just assumed people used "Ts" because "tarantula" is a bit of a finger-tangler to type out. When I first got into the hobby it took me an embarrassing amount of time to realize that's what it meant, though.


I've never had to much trouble typing it out, so it's a bit hard for me to relate to that. 
You want a finger tangler? "Bougainvillea."


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## cold blood (Sep 18, 2015)

Chris LXXIX said:


> Sorry.. Taranto in Northern Italy? Ah ah ah, that's in the South, Sam Marshall! Puglia region (ancient, Apulia).
> Ah ah ah, sorry if i laugh cold blood, my friend, but here in the North where i live.. the Northern League separatists (who fail 24/7 to try to imitate Eugene Terre'Blanche South Africa AWB Boers) would be extremely pissed off. Great :
> 
> It was NOT my words, I clearly attributed it to the original author.
> ...

Reactions: Like 1


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## Chris LXXIX (Sep 18, 2015)

Chris LXXIX said:


> Sorry.. Taranto in Northern Italy? Ah ah ah, that's in the South, Sam Marshall! Puglia region (ancient, Apulia).
> Ah ah ah, sorry if i laugh cold blood, my friend, but here in the North where i live.. the Northern League separatists (who fail 24/7 to try to imitate Eugene Terre'Blanche South Africa AWB Boers) would be extremely pissed off. Great :
> 
> It was NOT my words, I clearly attributed it to the original author.
> ...


I've said that, read well 
I just explained to you why that made me laugh, that's all.


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## MikeC (Sep 18, 2015)

Chris LXXIX said:


> Sorry.. Taranto in Northern Italy? Ah ah ah, that's in the South, *Sam Marshall!* Puglia region (ancient, Apulia).
> Ah ah ah, sorry if i laugh cold blood, my friend, but here in the North where i live.. the Northern League separatists (who fail 24/7 to try to imitate Eugene Terre'Blanche South Africa AWB Boers) would be extremely pissed off. Great
> Couldn't resist.. everything here is politics.





cold blood said:


> It was NOT my words, I clearly attributed it to the original author.
> 
> Please contact Samuel Marshall for your rebuttal and complaints.


It looks like he did.


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## cold blood (Sep 18, 2015)

Man you guys are quick, I literally tried to delete that post within 5 seconds after realizing, but there was a problem with the edit/delete and I had to shut off and turn back on the computer...by then y'all beat me to it:evil:


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## MikeC (Sep 18, 2015)

cold blood said:


> Man you guys are quick, I literally tried to delete that post within 5 seconds after realizing, but there was a problem with the edit/delete and I had to shut off and turn back on the computer...by then y'all beat me to it:evil:


I would have posted even faster if I had abbreviated a few of those words to individual letters. 

(I kid, I kid!)


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## parthicus (Sep 18, 2015)

Chris LXXIX said:


> Confusion? Why? It's easy. _Theraphosidae_.
> _Theraphosa_ sp. and _Theraphosinae_ sp. are both subfamily


I guess it really comes down to how you use it in a given situation. If you are talking to someone that is not interested in tarantulas and you use "T's", this can cause confusion.


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## Chris LXXIX (Sep 18, 2015)

parthicus said:


> I guess it really comes down to how you use it in a given situation. If you are talking to someone that is not interested in tarantulas and you use "T's", this can cause confusion.


I live in a nation where people are interested in every type of oop: but not about _Theraphosidae_  so i don't talk about with those :coffee:

They can die now IMO and i wouldn't care, seriously. "arachno-haters" ignorants, puppets.

Reactions: Like 1


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## le-thomas (Sep 18, 2015)

Chris LXXIX said:


> They can die now IMO and i wouldn't care, seriously. "arachno-haters" ignorants, puppets.


Retweet :clap::worship:

Reactions: Like 2


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## Chris LXXIX (Sep 18, 2015)

le-thomas said:


> Retweet :clap::worship:


Yeah. "Eradicate, destroy them all" <-- from "Disarmonia Mundi - Nihilistic overdrive".
Good guys.

Reactions: Like 1


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## vespers (Sep 19, 2015)

PTX said:


> I'm 27, so I'm not too far behind you. I didn't occupy the generation where 10 year olds got cell phones, but the few years I've had with one of them fancy newfangled smartphones certainly helped my small-screen typing ability.


Your generation did indeed get cell phones around 10...the rich kids had Nokias, the not-so-rich kids still had pagers. Those silly pagers still had abbreviations and codes too. One of my stepdaughters is 27 too, and I remember that stuff all too well. She had an orange pager...and those of us who remember rotary landline phones were paying the bill, haha. Or is it LOL?

Anyhow, sorry to stray off topic.:laugh:

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## MikeC (Sep 19, 2015)

vespers said:


> Your generation did indeed get cell phones around 10...the rich kids had Nokias, the not-so-rich kids still had pagers. Those silly pagers still had abbreviations and codes too. One of my stepdaughters is 27 too, and I remember that stuff all too well. She had an orange pager...and those of us who remember rotary landline phones were paying the bill, haha. Or is it LOL?
> 
> Anyhow, sorry to stray off topic.:laugh:


Well, shoot. I feel like I missed out, then. None of my friends growing up, nor myself, had phones that early. I think I got my first one around 15-16?


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## Beary Strange (Sep 19, 2015)

Chris LXXIX said:


> Yeah. "Eradicate, destroy them all" <-- from "Disarmonia Mundi - Nihilistic overdrive".
> Good guys.


I totally read that in a Dalek voice in my mind. XD;;;;

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## advan (Sep 19, 2015)

People using it verbally or via a keyboard annoy the oop: out of me. 



			
				PTX said:
			
		

> In a perfect world, I'd prefer that someone would take the time to type out Pterinochilus Murinus or Chromatoplema Cyaneopubescens, but those are much longer and more complicated than "tarantula."


Actually in a perfect world, people would follow ICZN code and not capitalize species names and use italics. 

Later, Tom

Reactions: Like 3


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## PRE66 6TART (Sep 19, 2015)

Sam_Peanuts said:


> I still try to use the full word when replying to someone new to the forum


I figured out what T meant immediately when I first found the forum (it's pretty obvious), but someone did reply to my very first post, in which I was asking to get a species identified, by saying they thought it might be an MM, and I think it took me several weeks to realize that MM wasn't a species.


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## MikeC (Sep 19, 2015)

advan said:


> People using it verbally or via a keyboard annoy the oop: out of me.
> 
> Actually in a perfect world, people would follow ICZN code and not capitalize species names and use italics.
> 
> Later, Tom


Yes, I would agree there. That happens to be one of my shortcuts.  Call me a hypocrite, but at least it's more than a single letter.
_Pterinochilus murinus_ etc, etc.


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## Beary Strange (Sep 19, 2015)

PTX said:


> Yes, I would agree there. That happens to be one of my shortcuts.  Call me a hypocrite, but at least it's more than a single letter.
> _Pterinochilus murinus_ etc, etc.


[strike]Call me pedantic (and understand, I'm being totally lighthearted in my poking at you) but it's: Pterinochilus _murinus_...is what Advan was trying to say. Genus is capitalized, species italicized and not capitalized.[/strike]
I am a derp, ignore me.:bruised:

Reactions: Like 1


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## AphonopelmaTX (Sep 19, 2015)

Belle Fury said:


> but it's: Pterinochilus _murinus_...is what Advan was trying to say. Genus is capitalized, species italicized and not capitalized.


No, try again.


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## Philth (Sep 19, 2015)

advan said:


> Actually in a perfect world, people would follow ICZN code and not capitalize species names and use italics.
> 
> Later, Tom


haha ! ^^  Its worse when you claim you're a "dealer" and don't know simple rules. 

Later, Tom

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## Beary Strange (Sep 19, 2015)

AphonopelmaTX said:


> No, try again.


Well, obviously this was my understanding of how it should be. I don't object to being corrected, so please show me the proper way.

Edit: Nevermind, I see where I went wrong. PTX was in the right and I apologize. Not sure where I picked up that only species is italicized.


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## AphonopelmaTX (Sep 19, 2015)

Belle Fury said:


> Well, obviously this was my understanding of how it should be. I don't object to being corrected, so please show me the proper way.
> 
> Edit: Nevermind, I see where I went wrong. PTX was in the right and I apologize. Not sure where I picked up that only species is italicized.


In all fairness though, writing a species name in italics isn't a rule, but a recommendation according to the ICZN.  The recommendation is to use any type-face different from the text. This is typically italics and you usually see that in the scientific literature, but one could underline the binomial name and it would still satisfy the ICZN recommendation.  Also according to the ICZN, standard format in referring to a species includes the authority and year.  That is, the one who originally described the species and the year it was published.  For example, Pternochilus murinus Pocock, 1897.  But this is an internet forum not a publication so the ICZN rules and recommendations don't apply, shouldn't apply, and will never apply.  My feelings are that if one is to use binomial nomenclature in an internet forum, one should at least attempt to do it correctly.

Some references...

http://iczn.org/content/should-all-names-be-written-italics
http://iczn.org/content/what-standard-format

http://iczn.org/iczn/index.jsp
Scroll down to Appendix B: General Recommendations then read number 6.

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## Tim Benzedrine (Sep 19, 2015)

You know the use of ICZN for  International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature really bugs me...

Reactions: Like 2


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## viper69 (Sep 20, 2015)

Tim Benzedrine said:


> You know the use of ICZN for  International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature really bugs me...


You're an acronym Nazi too!


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## 14pokies (Sep 20, 2015)

I honestly cant believe that 7 pages have been dedicated to this rediculous topic...

Reactions: Like 3


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## Tim Benzedrine (Sep 20, 2015)

I know! I can't believe it either!


I was sure we'd have at least 14 pages by now.

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## 320TONY (Sep 20, 2015)

Love the Using "T" to shortain up Tarantula ! Stop being so anal and offended, there much more important things to bother you. I have always called my shirt T'S  also. Don't bother me a bit. Any way I have to go feed some T'S and if you really think I ment my T shirts wel, l I don't want call you names.

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## BobGrill (Sep 20, 2015)

320TONY said:


> Love the Using "T" to shortain up Tarantula ! Stop being so anal and offended, there much more important things to bother you. I have always called my shirt T'S  also. Don't bother me a bit. Any way I have to go feed some T'S and if you really think I ment my T shirts wel, l I don't want call you names.


Okay who is getting offended here? I think you're exaggerating a bit. It's just a MINOR pet peeve to some of us. 

Sent from my LG-D801 using Tapatalk

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## parthicus (Sep 20, 2015)

BobGrill said:


> Okay who is getting offended here? I think you're exaggerating a bit. It's just a MINOR pet peeve to some of us.
> 
> Sent from my LG-D801 using Tapatalk


My thoughts exactly.


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## skar (Sep 20, 2015)

Ts, pokies .... Shrugs doesn't bother me a bit.


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## Ellenantula (Sep 20, 2015)

skar said:


> Ts, pokies .... Shrugs doesn't bother me a bit.


Me either.  I am surprised the thread went on this long.

Reactions: Like 1


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## MikeC (Sep 21, 2015)

Belle Fury said:


> [strike]Call me pedantic (and understand, I'm being totally lighthearted in my poking at you) but it's: Pterinochilus _murinus_...is what Advan was trying to say. Genus is capitalized, species italicized and not capitalized.[/strike]
> I am a derp, ignore me.:bruised:


I happen to like pedantic folks.  
Surprise, surprise, I know. I seem like such an easy going fellow.

---------- Post added 09-20-2015 at 11:53 PM ----------




320TONY said:


> Love the Using "T" to shortain up Tarantula ! Stop being so anal and offended, there much more important things to bother you. I have always called my shirt T'S  also. Don't bother me a bit. Any way I have to go feed some T'S and if you really think I ment my T shirts wel, l I don't want call you names.


While I can't argue with my tendency to be "anal," I can say I'm not really offended by it. 
It just bothers me.

As a side note, I resisted temptations to correct your misspellings and poor use of punctuation in that post. You know, just because there are more important things to spend my time on. 

---------- Post added 09-20-2015 at 11:56 PM ----------




14pokies said:


> I honestly cant believe that 7 pages have been dedicated to this r*i*diculous topic...


Fixed that for you. 


Why? It's just a conversation. You also seem genuinely offended by it, which I can't honestly believe.


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## Angel Minkov (Sep 23, 2015)

This PTX fellow came out of nowhere and basically all he's doing is picking on people. He's obviously either a troll or a complete ass with no real things in his life. I think this is enough, because if I express my full opinion I'll probably get banned.


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## BobGrill (Sep 23, 2015)

How is he trolling? Really what is up with this aggressive confrontational attitude that you seem to have towards members who disagree with you on things?

Sent from my LG-D801 using Tapatalk

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## Angel Minkov (Sep 23, 2015)

What did he disagree with me on now? He didn't disagree on the other thread either. He just called me an idiot without any real proof to back up his statements. I'm not aggressive. He's nitpicking and calling people names, so he's not going to get sugarcoats or respect from me :coffee:

Oh, and also about the "disagreements" on the other topic - "If you think I am in error, the onus is with you to provide evidence refuting what I have documented. Just saying "nuh-uh" is not evidence." - jmugleston (sorry for borrowing your sig, Chad). It's disagreeing with me only if you present evidence to the table, otherwise it's just you throwing words and insults at me.


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## Chris LXXIX (Sep 23, 2015)

Ah ah :coffee:


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## MikeC (Sep 23, 2015)

Angel Minkov said:


> What did he disagree with me on now? He didn't disagree on the other thread either. He just called me an idiot without any real proof to back up his statements. I'm not aggressive. He's nitpicking and calling people names, so he's not going to get sugarcoats or respect from me :coffee:
> 
> Oh, and also about the "disagreements" on the other topic - "If you think I am in error, the onus is with you to provide evidence refuting what I have documented. Just saying "nuh-uh" is not evidence." - jmugleston (sorry for borrowing your sig, Chad). It's disagreeing with me only if you present evidence to the table, otherwise it's just you throwing words and insults at me.


That's interesting, seeing as I provided several examples of your inconsistencies, yet when I asked you for the same your response was "I don't need to spoon feed you."

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## Angel Minkov (Sep 23, 2015)

I gave you a more detailed response which you seemed to not even bother to read. I'm not going to explain everything to you like you're a 5 year-old. I expect some cognition...


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## MikeC (Sep 23, 2015)

Angel Minkov said:


> I gave you a more detailed response which you seemed to not even bother to read. I'm not going to explain everything to you like you're a 5 year-old. I expect some cognition...


You know, that detailed list of yours was missing a lot of information that would have cleared up most of your other ones that backtracked all over the place.
I don't need to be treated like a 5 year old, but I do expect some cognition as well, which you have not been bothered to provide.

We've derailed two threads now, if you wish to continue please take it to pm's.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Angel Minkov (Sep 23, 2015)

Looks like we're talking about different things and it's a matter of miscommunication. Regardless, it's pointless to argue without mutual attempt at understanding


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## zonbonzovi (Sep 23, 2015)

*Sigh.*

Yawn.  This thread is being closed solely out of sheer contempt.  Maybe someone with more patience for this sort of bottom feeding topic will open it back up for you. 

Why don't you kids give grandpa a break and go play with used needles in the park, eh?  Go on...git.

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