A new survey by Testra has shown that grammar is back in fashion amongst Australian's as 50% of those polled find it objectionable receiving SMS that include abbreviations or emoticons, with 'totes' (totally), '4COL' (for crying out loud) and 'wut' (what) topping the no-go list.

Telstra Consumer Executive Director Rebekah O'Flaherty, said Telstra customers sent more than nine billion SMS in 2009/2010 and this would continue to rise following today's launch of Telstra's new Pre-Paid Weekend+ offer*, which includes free SMS and calls to any Australian network - all weekend, every weekend.

"Whether we're in the office, at home or on the move, SMS is an indispensible way for Australians to communicate, with Telstra's research suggesting setting up social outings, getting a message out en-masse and trying to avoid confrontation being the main drivers," Ms O'Flaherty said.

Telstra's research also reveals: "We love SMS. One in 10 Aussies send more than 10 SMS every day, with the younger generation (18 to 24 year olds) most likely to send upwards of 40 SMS every weekend."

Emoticons won't get you into a man's heart. Men are more likely than women to find SMS emotions silly or unnecessary (56% vs 37%). But correct spelling helps. 40% of Aussie men dislike SMS abbreviations and would prefer SMS to be spelt properly (vs 32% of women).

We know what we like. The top five most regularly used SMS abbreviations are - lol (laugh out loud); b4 (before); omg (oh my god); gr8 (great) and fyi (for your information).

And we know what we don't like. The top five most annoying SMS abbreviations are - totes (totally); 4COL (for crying out loud); wut (what); I<3u (I love you) and redic (ridiculous).

Ms O'Flaherty said the new Pre-Paid Weekend+ offer was based on extensive consumer research and designed for people who want simplicity, great value and unbeatable service from their mobile offer.

"We understand Australians are unique and use their phone differently, which is why we are continually looking at ways we can help customers stay in touch with their friends by having offers that include extra value, without it costing the world.

"The introduction of our new Pre-Paid Weekend+ offer is part of Telstra's strategy to give Pre-Paid customers even more flexibility and the opportunity to choose a mobile offer that suits their unique needs.

"From Australians whose mobile needs to be surgically removed from their palm at the end of each weekend, to chatterboxes who love yakking on their mobile on the train home from work, or lighter users looking for a offer with a longer expiry period, Telstra has a Pre-Paid offer that's got what you want," Ms O'Flaherty said.