How to Understand Chat Acronyms

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Can't understand the "IM Language" or "chat slang" the kids are typing? Does it seem like they're speaking a foreign language when they chat? Should you be worried if you see your child getting a message like "Im 47/m/ny, LMIRL 121"? (Yes, you should.) We've all used acronyms or shorthand at one point or another, but chat programs and text messaging have taken it to a whole new level. Here's how to navigate through this brave new world.

Steps

Become familiar with commonly used acronyms. Browse acronyms in the dictionary provided below (listed in alphabetical order).
Practice using them! Join a busy Internet mailing list for a short time and practice reading them, or text-message your kids and practice reading/using them there. Alternatively, ask your World of Warcraft-addicted teen to let you hang out as their character in a busy city for a while, and see what everyone there is talking about.
Carefully examine the order of letters. For example, TTLY should not be confused with TTYL.
Consider the context. Is the acronym being used as a greeting, exclamation, verb, or noun? What is it in response to? If you're caught off guard by an acronym and can't find the definition on hand, asking these types of questions can help you figure out what the acronym 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 acronym)?" 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 acronym.

Tips

Sometimes, people just remove the vowels of words, like in Fall Out Boy's song "Thnks fr th Mmrs" ("Thanks For The Memories")

Warnings

Never use an acronym unless you are sure of its meaning, because if you say the wrong thing to the wrong person.....
Try not to use chat acronyms in real life, especially in formal writing or conversation. Doing this could be embarrassing depending on who you're communicating with.

Chat Acronym Dictionary

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
BBFD: big bad forum discussion
BBL: be back later
BF: boyfriend or best friend
BFF: best friends forever
BFFL: Best Friends For Life
BFN: bye for now
BG: big grin
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)
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)
EIP: editing in progress
FTW: for the win or f*** the world or For The World
FUD: fear, uncertainty, and doubt
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
IFSFWI: if the shoe fits, wear it!
IIRC: If I recall correctly
ILU: I love you
ILY: I love you
IMNECTHO: in my not-even-close-to-humble opinion
IMNSHO: in my not so humble opinion
IMO: in my opinion; or "IMHO" - in my humble/honest opinion
IMS: If memory serves
IOW: in other words
IPN: I’m posting naked
IRL: in real life
IWSN: I want sex now
JC: just chilling
K: all right
KFY: kiss for you
KTHX: Okay, thanks.
JK: just kidding
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 *** off
LMSO: laughing my socks off
LMFAO: laughing my f*** 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: longterm 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
MOSS/MOTSS: member(s) of the same sex
M/F: male or female
N1: nice one
NALOPKT: not a lot of people know that
NE1: anyone
NFI: no f****** idea
NFW: no f****** way
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)
OMFG: Oh my f*****g 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
PIR: parent in room
POS: parent over shoulder / 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 acronym, 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*****g 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: secondlife girlfriend
SO: significant other
SOMY: sick of me yet?
SorG: straight or gay
SOT: short of time
SUF: shut up fool
STFU: shut the **** up
STHU: shut the h*** up
TDTM: talk dirty to me
THX: thanks
TIA: thanks in advance
TMI: too much information
TTFN: ta-ta for now
TTYL: talk to you later
TTYS: talk to you soon
TTLY: totally
TY: thank you
U: you (common); how are you?; or you do it!
UW: you’re welcome
w/e: whatever
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 ****, alternatively Where's The Food
WTH: what the heck, or what the he**
WUIP: wind up in progress
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

Related wikiHows

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.

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