NYC

I'm just back from a trip to the big apple.
I like the city, I enjoy the people, I love me some broadway.

What I don't understand, however, is the need for New Yorkers to abbreviate words.
Now, I'm all for regionalisms. Boston has "wicked", Northern California has "hella", my homestate, Wisconsin, has "donchaknow!"

But this trip to New York I was introduced to "Totes!"
Totes.
Short for Totally.
Totes, which is 5 letters.
Down from the 7 lettered great-wall-of-china that is "Totally."

I believe that language is a living, breathing entity and should be changed and updated and used to benefit of the speaker or the writer, but this is ridiculous.
If you asked me it sounds unintelligent.
Certainly unintelligible.
When I first heard I thought the person said "Toast!" as in "Cheers!"
I like that much better. More affirming. Less "I don't have time to say an entire 7-letter word."

Don't you agree?
Totes.