Chat abbreviations are commonly used in e-mail, online chatting, instant messaging, and conference postings.
|
Abbreviation |
Meaning |
|
ADN |
Any day now |
|
AFIK |
As far as I know |
|
AFK |
Away from keyboard |
|
ARE |
Acronym-rich environment |
|
A/S/L? |
Age/sex/location? |
|
B4N |
Bye for now |
|
BAK |
Back at the keyboard |
|
BBIAB |
Be back in a bit |
|
BBL |
Be back later |
|
BEG |
Big evil grin |
|
BFD |
Big f***ing deal |
|
BFN |
Bye for now |
|
BG |
Big grin |
|
BIOYIOP |
Blow it out your I/O port |
|
BL |
Belly laughing |
|
BOTEC |
Back-of-the-envelope calculation |
|
BRB |
Be right back |
|
BTA |
But then again… |
|
BTW |
By the way |
|
BWTHDIK |
But what the heck do I know… ? |
|
CU |
See you |
|
CUL |
See you later |
|
CUL8ER |
See you later |
|
CYA |
Cover your ass |
|
CYO |
See you online |
|
DBA |
Doing business as |
|
DFLA |
Disenhanced four-letter acronym |
|
(that is, a TLA) |
|
|
DL |
Dead link |
|
DIKU |
Do I know you? |
|
DITYID |
Did I tell you I’m distressed? |
|
DQMOT |
Don’t quote me on this |
|
EG |
Evil grin |
|
EMFBI |
Excuse me for butting in |
|
EOM |
End of message |
|
EOT |
End of thread (meaning: end of discussion) |
|
ETLA |
Extended three-letter acronym (that is, an FLA) |
|
F2F |
Face to face |
|
FAQ |
Frequently-ask question(s) |
|
FISH |
First in, still here |
|
FLA |
Four-letter acronym |
|
FMTYEWTK |
Far more than you ever wanted to know |
|
FOMCL |
Falling off my chair laughing |
|
FUBAR |
F***ed up beyond all repair or recognition |
|
FUD |
Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt |
|
FWIW |
For what it’s worth |
|
Abbreviation |
Meaning |
|
FYI |
For your information |
|
G |
Grin |
|
GA |
Go ahead |
|
GAL |
Get a life |
|
GD&R |
Grinning, ducking, and running |
|
GIWIST |
Gee, I wish I’d said that |
|
GMTA |
Great minds think alike |
|
GOL |
Giggling out loud |
|
GTRM |
Going to read mail |
|
HTH |
Hope this helps |
|
IAC |
In any case |
|
IANAL |
I am not a lawyer (but) |
|
IC |
I see |
|
IHA |
I hate acronyms |
|
IIRC |
If I recall/remember/recollect correctly |
|
ILU or ILY |
I love you |
|
IM |
Immediate message |
|
IMHO |
In my humble opinion |
|
IMing |
Chatting with someone online usually while doing other things such as playing trivia or other interactive game |
|
IMNHO |
In my not so humble opinion |
|
IMO |
In my opinion |
|
IOW |
In other words |
|
IPN |
I’m posting naked |
|
IRL |
In real life (that is, when not chatting) |
|
IYSWIM |
If you see what I mean |
|
JBOD |
Just a bunch of disks (like redundant array of independent disks, etc.) |
|
JIC |
Just in case |
|
JK |
Just kidding |
|
KOTC |
Kiss on the cheek |
|
KWIM? |
Know what I mean? |
|
L8R |
Later |
|
LD |
Later, dude |
|
LDR |
Long-distance relationship |
|
LLTA |
Lots and lots of thunderous applause |
|
LOL |
Laughing out loud |
|
LRF |
Little Rubber Feet (the little pads on the bottom of displays and other equipment) |
|
LTM |
Laugh to myself |
|
LTR |
Long-term relationship |
|
LULAB |
Love you like a brother |
|
LULAS |
Love you like a sister |
|
MorF |
Male or female |
|
MOSS |
Member of the same sex |
|
MOTOS |
Member of the opposite sex |
|
MUSM |
Miss you so much |
|
NFG |
No f*****g good |
|
NFW |
No feasible way or no f*****g way |
|
NIFOC |
Naked in front of computer |
|
NP or N/P |
No problem |
|
NRN |
No response necessary |
|
OIC |
Oh, I see |
|
OLL |
Online love |
|
Abbreviation |
Meaning |
|
OTF |
Off the floor |
|
OTOH |
On the other hand |
|
OTTOMH |
Off the top of my head |
|
PANS |
Pretty awesome new stuff (as opposed to "POTS") |
|
PCMCIA |
People can’t master computer industry acronyms |
|
PDA |
Public display of affection |
|
PEBCAK |
Problem exists between chair and |
|
keyboard |
|
|
PIBKAC |
Problem is between keyboard and chair |
|
PITA |
Pain in the ass |
|
PMFJIB |
Pardon me for jumping in but… |
|
POOF |
Goodbye (leaving the room) |
|
POTS |
Plain old telephone service |
|
PU |
That stinks! |
|
RL |
Real life (that is, when not chatting) |
|
ROR |
Raffing out roud (Engrish for "laughing out loud") |
|
ROTFL |
Rolling on the floor laughing |
|
ROTFLMAO |
Rolling on the floor laughing my a** |
|
off |
|
|
ROTFLMAOWPIMP |
Rolling on the floor laughing my a** |
|
off while peeing in my pants |
|
|
ROTFLMBO |
Rolling on the floor laughing my |
|
butt off |
|
|
RPG |
Role-playing games |
|
RSN |
Real soon now |
|
RTFM |
Read the f***ing manual |
|
RYO |
Roll your own (write your own program; derived from cigarettes rolled yourself with tobacco and paper) |
|
S4L |
Spam for life (what you may get when you become someone’s customer or client) |
|
SHCOON |
Shoot hot coffee out of nose |
|
SEG |
S***-eating grin |
|
SF |
Surfer-friendly (low-graphics Web site) |
|
SNAFU |
Situation normal, all f***ed up |
|
SO |
Significant other |
|
SOL |
Smilling out loud or sh*t out of luck |
|
SOMY |
Sick of me yet? |
|
STFW |
Search the f*****g Web |
|
STW |
Search the Web |
|
SWAG |
Stupid wild-a** guess |
|
TAFN |
That’s all for now |
|
TANSTAAFL |
There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch |
|
TFH |
Thread from hell (a discussion that just won’t die and is often irrelevant to the purpose of the forum or group) |
|
TGIF |
Thank God it’s Friday |
|
Abbreviation |
Meaning |
|
THX |
Thanks |
|
TIA |
Thanks in advance (used if you po a question and are expecting a helpful reply) |
|
TLA |
Three-letter acronym |
|
TLK2UL8R |
Talk to you later |
|
TMI |
Too much information |
|
TOPCA |
Til our paths cross again (early Celtic chat term) |
|
TPTB |
The powers that be |
|
TTFN |
Ta-Ta for now |
|
TTT |
Thought that, too (when someone types in what you were about to type) |
|
TTYL |
Talk to you later |
|
TU |
Thank you |
|
UAPITA |
You’re a pain in the ass |
|
UW |
You’re welcome |
|
VBG |
Very big grin |
|
VBSEG |
Very big s***-eating grin |
|
WDALYIC |
Who died and left you in charge? |
|
WFM |
Works for me |
|
WIBNI |
Wouldn’t it be nice if |
|
WT? |
What/who the ? |
|
WTFO |
What the F***! Over! |
|
WTG |
Way to go! |
|
WTGP? |
Want to go private? |
|
WU? |
What’s up? |
|
WUF? |
Where are you from? |
|
WYSIWYG |
What you see is what you get |
|
YGBSM |
You gotta be s***tin’ me! |
|
YMMV |
Your mileage may vary. |
