Abbreviating 2010?

So about 65 seconds ago, I was commenting on my boy Sam’s post, (which was essentially about the importance of conforming to the utter stupidity that is Twitter, and the importance of doing so) and it really got me thinking about the current year, and how no one really knows how to verbally abbreviate it. For all of our lives, we’ve had the pleasure of being able to say it’s ’77, or ’85, or ’99, or ’09, and now that’s all over. As the new year was approaching, I listened for anyone to say something like “Yeah blah, blah, blah in ’10,” and it simply never happened. I definitely heard a few people say “0-10,” which technically is right if you consider that it’s 2-0-1-0, but totally incorrect in terms of how we have abbreviated years for the last 90 years or so. So what do we do?

Here’s what I’ve come up with: when speaking with your friends in a slang-esque/gangsta manner, I suggest referring to to 2010 as the “1-0.” It’s very reminiscent of late 80′s/early 90′s gangsta rap from Compton, CA, which makes it all make sense. The only problem with that, is that it is limited to social interaction, and even more limited to social interaction with your close friends. I mean, you wouldn’t want to go on a double date with your wife’s friend, and her new boyfriend and say “Yeah, that’s what it’s all about in the ’1-0′” and risk sounding like MC Eiht, if that’s not necessarily their “thing.”

Now when it comes to how to say it in a professional setting, I think I’m going to bite the bullet and say “2010.” I am well aware that this is going to waste 2 additional milliseconds of my life for each time that I say it, but that’s a price I’m willing to pay. I’m just going to have to wait until 2013, when I’ll finally have a 2 syllable year, and I can say things like “Oh, my Bentley? Yeah that’s the THIR-TEEN (’13).” Until then, just know if you here 2010 referred to as the “1-0,” they stole it from me. Also know that referring to 2010 as “’10″ sounds stupid, and that saying “0-’10″ makes you sound uneducated, and it’s not acceptable. To help me with my conundrum, I am taking all suggestions on a professionally acceptable method of abbreviating 2010. All suggestions will be taken into consideration. Thanks!