A Guide to Internet Acronyms
If ASL, BRB, LOL or ROFL seem 2 hard 4 U 2 underst&, don't worry. Adults and teens who visit chat rooms and communicate via instant messengers (IMs) can give U the 411, including children who seem 2 young 2 even know much about computers. Does that sound g%d 2 U? B4 U get 2 frustrated with this shorthand and say CUL8R to this article, read a little further and U 2 will become versed in the foreign language of cyber land.
This isn't an exhaustive list. New cyber slang comes out every day, and some of these terms will be outdated tomorrow. It's just an overview for parents, grandparents, teachers, babysitters, newbie computer users, adults interested in learning more about cyber dating or anyone with a curiosity or concern for today's Internet culture and phraseology:
A
AAK: Alive and kicking
AAR: At any rate
AAS: Alive and smiling
Addy: Abbreviation for e-mail address
ADN: Any day now
AFAIK: As far as I know
AFK: Away from the keyboard
AFN: All for now
AOTA: All of the above
ASL: Age/Sex/Location (used to ask a chatter their personal information)
AV: Avatar (a graphic or icon often used by chatters to express looks, personality or mood)
B
B4: Before
BAK: Back at keyboard (ex.: I'm back at the keyboard.)
BBL: Be back later
BBS: Be back soon
B/F: Boyfriend
BEG: Big evil grin
BFN: Bye for now
Boot: When chatters are kicked out of a chat room due to some technical problem, or have to restart their computers
BR: Best regards
BRB: Be right back
BRH: Be right here
BTA: But then again
BTW: By the way
C
Chat room: A Web page where people gather using software that allows them to type messages to each other in real time
CU or CYA: See you or see ya
CNP: Continued in next post
CP: Chat post
CUL8R: See you later
CUOL: See you on-line
CYA: See ya
D
DD, DS, DH: Darling (or Dear) – Dear Daughter, Dear Son, Dear Husband
DEGT: Don't even go there
DIKU: Do I know you?
DIS: Did I say
D/L, DL: Downloading or download it
E
EG: Evil grin
EM: E-mail
EMA: E-mail address
EOT: End of thread
EZ: Easy
F
F2F: Face to face
FAQ: Frequently Asked Question
FISH: First in still here
FUD: Fear, uncertainty and doubt
FWIW: For what it's worth
FYI: For your information
G
GA: Go ahead
GAL: Get a life
G/F or GF: Girlfriend
GFN: Gone for now
GGOH: Gotta get outta here
GMTA: Great minds think alike
GR: Gotta run
GR&D: Grinning, running and ducking
GTR: Got to run
GTRM: Going to read mail (leaving chat room to read e-mail)
H
HAGD: Have a good day
HAGO: Have a good one
HB: Hurry back
HTH: Hope that helps
Huggles: Hugs
I
IAC: In any case
IB: I'm back
IC: I see
ICQ: I seek you (a computer program used to instantly communicate over the Internet)
ILU or ILY: I love you
IM: Instant Message
IMHO: In my humble/honest opinion
IMO: In my opinion
IOH: I'm out of here
IOW: In other words
IRL: In real life
IYO: In your opinion
J
JAS: Just a second
JIC: Just in case
JK: Just kidding
JMO: Just my opinion
JW: Just wondering
K
K: OK
KIT: Keep in touch
L
L8R: Later
LMAO: Laughing my ass off
LOL: Laughing out loud
LTNS: Long time no see
LTS: Laughing to self
LY: Love ya
LYL: Love you lots
M
Message Board: A web page where people type comments, leave messages and communicate, and those comments are posted online for others to read. Used to talk, request information and leave messages.
N
Newbie or NB1: A person new to computers or technology
NIMBY: Not in my back yard
NM: Never mind
NP: No problem
NRN: No response necessary or not right now
NT: No thanks
O
OBTW: Oh, by the way
OIC: Oh, I see
OJ or OK: Only joking or only kidding
OL: the Old Lady
OM: the Old Man
OMG: Oh my gosh or God
OT: Off topic
OTH: Off the hook (something really wild, hot or unusual)
OTR: Off the rack (saying that something is off the hook)
OTE: Over the edge (beyond reason or normalcy)
OTOH: On the other hand
OTOMH: Off the top of my head
OTW: On the way (when sending a file, meaning, "It's on the way.")
P
P911: Parents are in the room (P=Parents and 911=emergency, meaning stop talking or watch what you say)
PEBCAK: Problem exists between chair and keyboard
Peeps: People, friends, other chatters
Peep This: Listen to this or watch this
PLZ: Please
PMJI: Pardon me for jumping in (when a chatter jumps into a new conversation or thread)
Poof: When a chatter leaves a chat room, as in "Poof! They disappeared."
POS: Parents over shoulder (as in parents are looking over my shoulder to read the chat text)
POTS: Parents over the shoulder
POTS: Plain old telephone service
PPL: People
Q
QT: Cutie
R
RL: Real life (as in life away from the computer)
RM: Ready made
ROFL: Rolling on floor laughing
RSN: Real soon now
RT: Real time
RU: Are you?
S
SH: Same here
SN: Screen name (nickname selected by chatter or for an IM)
SO: Significant other
SOTA: State of the art
SPST: Same place, same time
STR8: Straight (refers to sexual orientation or being free of alcohol or drugs at the moment, also used in "I'm OK" or "It's OK. I'm satisfied. I'm straight with it.")
STW: Search the Web
SY: Sincerely yours
SYL: See you later
T
TAFN: That's all for now
TC: Take care
THX: Thanks!
TIA: Thanks in advance
TM: Text message (communications with text over cell phones)
TMI: Too much information
TNT: 'Til next time
TPS: That's pretty stupid
TPTB: The powers that be
TRDMF : Tears running down my face (from laughter or sadness)
TTFN: Ta-ta for now
TTTT: These things take time
TTYL: Talk to you later
TY: Thank you
TYT: Take your time
TYVM: Thank you very much
U
UV: Unpleasant visual
UW: You're welcome
UY: Up yours
W
WB: Welcome back (said out of courtesy when a chatter returns to a chat room)
WC: Welcome
WEG: Wicked evil grin
WEU: What's eating you?
WFM: Works for me
WIIFM: What's in it for me?
WTG: Way to go
WT?: What the ...? or Who the ...?
WTGP?: Want to go private? (move to IM or private conversation)
WWJD: What would Jesus do?
Y
YAA: Yet another acronym
YBS: You'll be sorry
YL: Young lady
YM: Young man
YMMV: Your mileage may vary
YR: Yeah, right (sarcastic)
YS: You stinker
YVW: You're very welcome
YW: You're welcome
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