how to change menu name

hey guys

how do i change the main menu names("applications", "places", "system") to make them shorter and take less space. they cant be changed trhough menu properties it seems

If you right click on the menubar and go to "Add Applets" (I think it's called?) and search for menu, you'll see two menus, one is the menu you have right now with names, but the other just has one button, more akin to the kde menu or windows start button.

Don't know about changing the names, but switching menu applets will certainly save space

Have you tried replacing the menu bar with the GNOME main menu? Takes up a heck of a lot less space.

Ah yes, that's the one I'm talking about.

I use that on my gnome machine because I only use one panel