DEAR ABBY: There's an ongoing debate among my group of friends about using the word "texted." When I used it, I was corrected, chastised and told that it is NOT a word. Five years ago, when my daughter was a teenager, I started hearing it used frequently.
I realize that "text" is not a verb, however, times have certainly changed, and many new words and expressions have been added to our vocabulary. Would it only be correct to say, "I sent a text"? Please settle this for us. -- BUSTED BY THE GRAMMAR POLICE
DEAR BUSTED: The English language is constantly evolving, and with the rapid advances in technology, words are added to the lexicon every year. According to Dictionary.com, "texted" is, indeed, a word and you have been using it correctly. However, because a picture is worth a thousand words, rather than tell your friends you got the information from me, consider sending them a descriptive emoji from the both of us.