Understand Chat Acronyms
Chat acronyms and lingo move fast, even for people who are already in the know. To understand chat acronyms, use these techniques and definitions.
Contents
Steps
- Become familiar with commonly used abbreviations. Browse abbreviations in the dictionary provided below (listed in alphabetical order).
- Carefully examine the order of letters. For example, TTLY (totally) should not be confused with TTYL (talk to you later).
- Consider the context. Is the abbreviation being used as a greeting, exclamation, verb, or noun? What is it in response to? If you're caught off guard by an abbreviation and can't find the definition on hand, asking these types of questions can help you figure out what the abbreviation stands for.
- Ask. If you don't want to seem "out of the loop" by asking "What does that mean?" then generally, you can get away by writing "Y (enter abbreviation)?" as a response. Usually the other person will offer enough of an explanation that you'll be able to understand what they meant with the abbreviation.
- Practice using them! Pepper your texts, World of Warcraft messages, and emails with chat acronyms to get the hang of them.
Chat Abbreviation List
- 121: one to one
- ADN: any day now
- ADR/addy: address
- AFAIK: as far as I know
- AFK: away from keyboard
- A/S/L: age, sex, location (or just "ASL")
- ASAP: as soon as possible
- B4: before
- B4N: bye for now
- BB: best boy
- BBFD: big bad forum discussion
- BBL: be back later
- BF: boyfriend or best friend
- BFF: best friends forever
- BFFL: best friends for life
- BFFEAE..: best friends for ever and ever..
- BFFN: best friends for now
- BFN: bye for now
- BG: big grin / best girl
- BMA: best mate always
- BNR: but not really
- BRB: be right back
- BRT: be right there
- BTA: but then again
- BTW: by the way
- C: see
- CID: crying in disgrace
- CNP: continued (in my) next post
- CP: chat post
- CU: see you
- CUL: see you later
- CYA: see you (later) / cover your a**
- CYO: see you online
- DBAU: doing business as usual
- DD, DH, DS, DW: dear daughter, dear husband, dear son, dear wife (often used on boards where you discuss personal things, but wish to keep private the names of your loved ones)
- DW: don't worry
- EIP: Find wikiHow Pages That Need Editing in progress
- FML: f*** my life, also an increasingly popular site, FMyLife.com
- FTW: for the win / f*** the world / for the world
- FUD: fear, uncertainty, and doubt / food
- FWIW: for what it's worth
- FYI: for your information
- G2G or GTG: got to go
- G: grin
- GA: go ahead
- GAL: get a life
- GF: girlfriend
- GFN: gone for now
- GFY: go f*** yourself / good for you
- GG: gotta go / good game
- GJ: good job
- GL: good luck
- GM: good morning
- GMBO: giggling my butt off
- GMTA: great minds think alike
- GSOH: good sense of humor
- GTFO: get the f*** out
- GTG or G2G: got to go or get together
- GYPO: get your pants off
- H2G: have to go
- HAGN: have a good night
- HDOP: help delete online predators
- HHIS: hanging head in shame
- HOMG: same as OMG
- IAC: in any case
- IANAL: I am not a lawyer (but)
- IAWTC: I agree with this comment
- IC: I see
- IDC: I don't care
- IDK: I don't know
- IDRC: I don't really care
- IDFC: I don't f***ing care
- IFSFWI: if the shoe fits, wear it!
- IIRC: if I recall correctly
- IMNECTHO: in my not-even-close-to-humble opinion
- ILU: I love you
- ILY: I love you
- IMHO: in my humble/honest opinion
- IMNSHO: in my not-so-humble opinion
- IMO: in my opinion
- IMS: if memory serves
- IOW: in other words
- IPN: I’m posting naked
- ISFHU: I so f***ing hate you
- ISFHY: I so f***ing hate you
- IRL: in real life
- IWSN: I want sex now
- JC: just chilling
- K: all right / okay
- KFY: kiss for you
- KIT: keep in touch
- KTHX: okay, thanks.
- JK: just kidding / joking
- JKING: just kidding / joking
- JSUK: just so you know
- KPC: keeping parents clueless
- L8R: later
- LAFFO: laughing out loud
- LBR: loser beyond repair
- LD: later, dude
- LDR: long distance relationship
- LLTA: lots and lots of thunderous applause
- LMIRL: let's meet in real life
- LMAO: laughing my a** off
- LMSO: laughing my socks off
- LMFAO: laughing my f***ing a** off
- LMK: let me know
- LOL: laughing out loud, lots of love
- LOLZ: same as LOL
- LQTS: laughing quietly to self
- LTNS: long time no see
- LTP: learn to play (L2P)
- LTR: long-term relationship
- LULAB: love you like a brother
- LULAS: love you like a sister
- MML: making me laugh
- MMORPG: massively multiplayer online role playing game
- MOOS: member(s) of the opposite sex
- MorF: male or female?
- MOSS/MOTSS: member(s) of the same sex
- M/F: male or female
- N1: nice one
- NALOPKT: not a lot of people know that
- NERF: Non-Expanding Recreational Foam (NERF is a company); used as a verb (example: The paladins were nerfed in the last game update.), “nerf” is generally a gaming term meaning that the subject has been lowered in power/stats.
- NE1: anyone
- NFI: no f***ing idea
- NFW: no f***ing way
- NTW: nothing to water
- NIAGW: not in a gay way
- NIFOC: naked in front of computer
- NO1: no one
- NOOB: newbie (new to the site / new to texting / new to whatever)
- NSFW: not safe for work
- NP: no problem
- N/P: no problem
- NVM: nevermind
- NM: not much, nothing much, never mind
- OIC: ohh I see
- OMG: oh my God, oh my goodness, oh my gosh
- OMGBBQWTF: oh my God, bar-b-q, what the f*** (surprise and confusion); sometimes spelled OMGWTFBBQ
- OMFG: Oh my f***ing God
- OLL: oh, Lordy, Lordy!
- OLL: online love
- OMW: on my way
- OP: original post/original poster
- OTOH: on the other hand
- OTW: on the way
- P911: parent alert
- PAL: parents are listening
- PAW: parents are watching
- PCM: please call me
- PIR: parent in room
- PLOS: parent looking over shoulder
- POS: piece of S***
- PLZ: please
- PlzKThx: Please, ok? – thanks (Thanks in advance)
- PlzKThxNo-Re: Please, ok? – thanks… No-read (sarcasm)
- PL0x or PLOX: same as please
- Pwn: to triumph (not actually an abbreviation, but rather a misspelling of own)
- PDA: public display (of) affection
- QFT: quoted for truth
- R: are (common)
- RBA: right back at you (right back atcha)
- RL: real life
- RTFM: read the f***ing manual
- RTFO: rock the f*** out
- ROFL: rolling on floor laughing
- ROTFLOL: rolling on the floor laughing out loud
- ROFLMAO: rolling on the floor laughing my a** off
- RPG: role-playing games
- RP: roleplay
- SA: something awful
- SGXK: set a good example for the kiddies
- SHID: slaps head in disgust
- SLAP: sounds like a plan
- SLGF: second-life girlfriend
- SO: significant other
- SOMY: sick of me yet?
- SorG: straight or gay
- SOT: short of time
- SUF: shut up fool
- STFU: shut the f*** up
- STHU: shut the h*** up
- TBH: to be honest
- TDTM: talk dirty to me
- THX: thanks
- THT: that
- TIA: thanks in advance
- TMI: too much information
- TTFN: ta-ta for now
- TTYL: talk to you later
- TTYL,L: talk to you later, loser
- TTYS: talk to you soon
- TTLY: totally
- TY: thank you
- U: you (common); how are you?; you do it!
- UC: under construction
- U/C: under construction.
- UW: you’re welcome
- w/e: whatever
- WAT: what?
- WAYT: what are you thinking?
- WB: welcome back/ write back
- WDYT: what do you think?
- WFM: works for me
- WIBNI: wouldn't it be nice if
- WIP: work in progress
- WTGP: want to go private?
- WTG: way to go
- WTF: what the f***, what the frak; alternatively, where's the food or way too funny
- WTH: what the heck, what the he**
- WUIP: wind up in progress
- WUBU2: what you been up to
- WUD: what you doing
- WUU2: what you up to
- WYCM: will you call me?
- WYSIWYG: what you see is what you get
- Y: why?
- YM: young man
- YMMV: your mileage may vary
- YTMND: you're the man now, dog
- YW: you're welcome
- ZOMG: same as OMG
Tips
- Most people type chatspeak in lowercase.
- Sometimes, people just remove the vowels of words, like in Fall Out Boy's song "Thanks fr th Mmrs" ("Thanks For The Memories").
Warnings
- Try not to use chat abbreviations in real life, especially in formal writing or conversation. If you do, you may come across as uneducated.
- Avoid Never Say the Wrong Thing (in All Forms of Communication) to the wrong person. Never use an abbreviation unless you are sure of its meaning.
- Using abbreviations that contain inappropriate words still count as swearing.
Related Articles
- Use Proper Chat Room Etiquette
- Be Safe in the Chat Rooms
- Get Started with IRC (Internet Relay Chat)
- Play Music in Yahoo! Chat
Sources and Citations
- http://www.urbandictionary.com/ An online dictionary written by the public.
- transl8it is a translator that converts English to SMS TXT lingo slang.
