Twentifiable

With some relief I notice people starting to say twenty-
twelve and twenty-thirteen when referring to the years
2012 and 2013. Given the continuing preference for
two-thousand-and-ten and -eleven I was starting to
think we might never adopt the crisper, shorter versions.
The human race didn’t get where it is today without
abbreviating words wherever possible, which makes it
all the more surprising that there has been some
resistance to twentifying. So far, we earthlings have had
it relatively easy with our eighteens and nineteens and
so on, let alone that halcyon era of three-figure years
(where were you in 602?), but I’m worried about how
people will cope from around 2121 on. Imagine having
to say ‘twenty-one twenty-eight’ or ‘twenty-two twenty-
seven’ every time you want to specify a year. There are
some major mouthfuls there: as many as eight syllables
will be required. Some other form of codification may
have to be found. I wish them well.