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?
  • 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!