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Common Internet, SMS Text, and iMessage slang

By , Sunday, Mar 27, 2011 at 12:45 pm
76

TiPb brings you a glossary of common Internet and SMS Text and iMessage slang terms, from the hipster to the 1337, and more

TiPb Guide: Common Internet, SMS Text, and iMessage slang

Just getting online or into SMS or iMessage and trying to figure out what all the abbreviations, acronyms, and random-seeming jumbles of letters and numbers actually mean? Internet slag is changing and evolving faster than any known language so far. From gaming chats to blog comments to sexting (sex texting) to who knows what's next, there are more and more terms cropping up everyday and it's getting harder and harder to keep up with them.

To help you get started we've compiled a list of common, basic internet and SMS Text and iMessage slang... after the break!

For iOS and Apple-related terms see our complete iPhone and iPad glossary, for Twitter and Facebook terms, see our Social Network glossary. And as always, if we're missing anything, add additions and corrections in the comments below!

  • <3: Heart
  • 9: Parents around
  • AFAIK: As far as I know
  • AFK: Away from keyboard
  • ASAP: As soon as possible
  • ASL: Age, sex, location (the second is a gender, not yes/no question!)
  • B: Be
  • BBL: Be back later
  • BBS: Be back soon
  • BF: Boy friend
  • BFF: Best friends forever
  • BRB: Be right back
  • BRT: Be right there
  • BTW: By the way
  • C: See
  • CCL: Couldn't care less
  • CSWS: Can't stop won't stop
  • FML: [F-word] my life
  • GF: Girl friend
  • GN: Get naked
  • GTG: Got to go
  • IDC: I don't care
  • IDK: I don't know
  • IK: I know
  • IKR: I know, right?
  • IMHO: in my humble/honest opinion
  • IMO: In my opinion
  • IWSN: I want sex now
  • J: Joke/joking
  • JK: Just kidding
  • K: Okay
  • KK: Okay
  • L8R: Later
  • LMAO: Laughing my ass off
  • LOL: Laughing out Loud
  • LULZ: Derivation of "LOL", often mischievous
  • N00B: Derivation of noobie, a.k.a a new user
  • NSFW: Not safe for work (because of nudity, language, etc.)
  • NVM: Never mind
  • O: Oh
  • OIC: Oh, I see
  • OMFG: Oh my [f-word] god
  • OMG: Oh my god
  • ORLY: Oh, really?
  • PITA: Pain in the ass
  • POS: Piece of [s-word]
  • PP: Post pictures (request/challenge)
  • PR0N: Derivation of "porn"
  • PWN: Derivation of "own", to beat or dominate something
  • R: Are
  • ROFL: Rolling on the floor
  • SFW: Safe for work
  • SMH: Shaking my head
  • STFU: Shut the [f-word] up
  • TDTM: Talk dirty to me
  • TTYL: Talk to you later
  • TTYL: Talk to you later
  • TWSS: That's what she said
  • U: You
  • UR: You are
  • WTF: What the [f-word]?
  • WTH: What the hell?
  • Y: Y
  • YW: You're welcome
  • ZOMG: Derivation of "OMG"

What common terms do you use a lot that are not yet part of this glossary? Let me know in the comments below and we will add them!

Georgia

Senior Editor at iMore, psychotherapist, 2x Canadian Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champion, co-host of iPhone & iPad Live and ZEN and TECH.

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  1. Tyler Z says:

    Rofl does NOT mean rolling on the follow? It's rolling on the floor laughing. Shows how much you know.

  2. Tyler Z says:

    And jk is just kidding..

  3. WalkyChalky says:

    I always though imho = in my HONEST opinion. What do i know tho??

  4. dave says:

    wow! no PMSL?! P*** myself laughing also no LMFAO! no need to explain the F there lol

  5. Bear says:

    I never figured out why people type "kk" instead of just "k"?

    • dave says:

      me too, i always put k then get moaned at for one letter texts! also PPL - people and CUL8R - see you later is missing from list too, sure loads more could be added, make the Tipb urban slang dictionary lol

  6. Cytotech says:

    Smh= shaking my head

  7. John says:

    FTW= [f-word] the world

  8. Dawn says:

    I see KWIM a lot. Know What I Mean?

  9. JAFF says:

    FYI - For Your Information, is also a good one

  10. Glenn says:

    ggcb. Good grief Charlie Brown. dwrmc or dwrwc. Danger Will Roberson Mom's coming, or danger Will Roberson Wife coming. w.........d. WilllllllllllllllDogies. SZ. Shazam. Ok I will stop, tell em Gomer says hey.

  11. deuts says:

    AFAIK is "as far as I know". What does "and" do there? As if it's an important part of the expression?

  12. Carl says:

    AYKM? - Are you kidding me?

    And it's friend AYFKM?

  13. SockRolid says:

    I thought AFAIK was "as far as i know"

    Here area few more:

    IIRC: "if i recall correctly"

    FML: "f-ck my life"

    TYVM: "thank you very much"

    TTFN: "ta-ta for now"

  14. Stephen says:

    Llf - laugh like fcuk

  15. Silvio says:

    All these abbreviations are asinine anyway and it's also a poor excuse not to spell things correctly. Illiterate degenerates!

  16. Irsyad says:

    TTYL-talk to you later ROFLOLMAO- rolling over floor laughing out loud my a** out.

    Though I never know what's 1337 means.. -.-"

  17. Tweger01 says:

    OMW = on my way

  18. jacksonville 2dsa says:

    OFWKGTA

  19. James says:

    LDO = Like, duh, obviously

  20. haha says:

    what about ty= thank you or np= no problem

  21. squire says:

    WUA = where you at?

    WUC = Call me when you can

  22. Thomas says:

    I like PITA = Pain In The Ass. someone who really bothers you!

  23. Scott says:

    Also don't forget the best one ever:

    ROTFLSHMSFOAIDMT -Rolling On The Floor Laughing So Hard My Sombrero Fell Off And I Droped My Taco

  24. Niko360 says:

    I've got to be the only person I know that don't do all this facebook/SMS slang don't see the point of it as I'm not on Facebook it brings too much crap to your door ie (people telling tails on each over)

    • Niko360 says:

      And Don't need some one telling me what they are having for dinner you all know what I mean

    • dave says:

      the purpose to the slang is to shorten the words, almost like a abberviation, basically when SMS holds you to 160 characters and twitter to 140, sometimes shortening stuff can save costs

  25. Mckelle says:

    Wyc=when you can

  26. nicole says:

    YW: *You're welcome

  27. Waterman says:

    What about: ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ -- Oh yeah, the alphabet. I went there. I really don't do these abbreviations. I have the iPhone and don't mind using full words. SRY.

  28. chirmer says:

    all of the ones people have said so far are great! others I can think of:

    ILU = i love you AAMOF = as a matter of fact sry = sorry abt = about FUBAR = fcked up beyond all repair AISI = as i see it KISS = keep it simple, stupid ATM = at the moment bc or b/c = because BAMF = bad a* mother fcker STFU = shut the fck up FFS = for fck's sake OIC = oh, i see! TL;DR = too long, didn't read GG = good game POV = point of view NM = not much or nevermind (nevermind is more commonly NVM, but can be both) noob or n00b or newb = newbie HB = hurry back PDQ = pretty darn quick BS = bullsht dubs = W (can replace W in previous acronyms, like BTdubs) Hi5 = high five TMI = too much information SOL = sh*t out (of) luck TC = take care

    that's all I can think of off the top of my head... and yes, i use these A LOT.

  29. chirmer says:

    all of the ones people have said so far are great! others I can think of:

    ILU = i love you

    AAMOF = as a matter of fact

    sry = sorry

    abt = about

    FUBAR = fcked up beyond all repair

    AISI = as i see it

    KISS = keep it simple, stupid

    ATM = at the moment

    bc or b/c = because

    BAMF = bad azz mother fcker

    STFU = shut the fck up

    FFS = for fck's sake

    OIC = oh, i see!

    TL;DR = too long, didn't read

    GG = good game

    POV = point of view

    NM = not much or nevermind (nevermind is more commonly NVM, but can be both)

    noob or n00b or newb = newbie

    HB = hurry back

    PDQ = pretty darn quick

    BS = bullsht

    dubs = W (can replace W in previous acronyms, like BTdubs)

    Hi5 = high five

    TMI = too much information

    SOL = sht out (of) luck

    TC = take care

    that's all I can think of off the top of my head... and yes, i use these A LOT.

  30. Skwidspawn says:

    All these responses, and not one single person noted the misuse of the word "your" in YW? YW is short for "you are welcome" aka "you're welcome" not "your welcome" as in "the welcome you own". :D

    Honestly though, I think anyone reading this blog already knew these.

  31. DRHughes says:

    You forgot g2g = got 2 go.

  32. SkiPPy says:

    Wow, I guess with no iphone 5 rumors to report this is what we have to put up with.

  33. Cristina says:

    You put TTYL twice and YW should be YOU'RE welcome, not your welcome. Grammar FTW! ;)

  34. Requiem for a Dream fan says:

    You forgot

    A2A - *** to ***

  35. Tim says:

    DW=duh! Winning!

  36. Dave says:

    LSHIDMSAIFIMT - laughing so hard I dropped my sombrero and it fell in my taco

  37. FairPatterns says:

    Our Services include iphone programming,android application development with the help of our world's best iphone programmers.

  38. Johnny says:

    I came up with WUD= what are you doing or what you doing.

  39. n0thinghead says:

    ily = i love you ty = thank u thnx = thanks yw = you're welcome ur = your/you're otw/omw = on the way/on my way bts = be there soon (any form of LOL [rofl/lmao/etc])-WTIME = with tears in my eyes ID 10 T error = "idiot"

  40. Stain says:

    WWBWD? ~ What Would Bruce Willis Do?

  41. cosby01 says:

    TY all for the great additions.

  42. filthyJ24 says:

    GTFO-get the fcuk out/off/on

  43. Jabba_the_hutt_b says:

    stfu - shut the f*** up

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