A Guide to Internet Lingo and Emoticons

By James A. Martin, PCWorld

Mar 29, 2002 1:00 AM
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LOL :) -- A Guide to Internet Lingo and EmoticonsWith just a few keystrokes, you can quickly convey
laughter, disbelief, and other complex emotions on the Net. Here's the lingo you need to know. James A.
Martin
When someone tells you a hilarious joke, you're likely to respond by slapping your thigh, throwing your
head back, and chortling with abandon. Should you discover that same joke in your e-mail in-box,
however, you're likely to respond with LOL, LMAO, ROTFL, or in the event of extreme mirth, by
ROTFLMAO.
If you're new to chat rooms, instant messaging, or e-mail, the above acronyms may seem vaguely ofcial
or even intimidating. Relax. Those particular alphabet-soup concoctions simply mean laughing out loud
(LOL), rolling on the oor laughing (ROTFL), and laughing my, er, ankles off (LMAO). They're just a few
examples of the everyday cyberspace shorthand used to convey laughter and anger, approval and
disapproval, love and hate--and everything in between--with a few quick keystrokes.
In addition to acronyms, cyberspace slang also consists of an almost endless assortment of emoticons.
An emoticon is a combination of letters, symbols, or numbers that paint a picture (often when viewed
sideways). For instance, :) is one of the most popular emoticons, used to represent a smiley face. If :) still
doesn't make sense, tilt your head to the left.
Acronyms and emoticons have become the hieroglyphics of a hurried generation. They're informal, often
clever, and they save time. But they aren't always appropriate. For instance, sprinkling emoticons
throughout a message to a potential employer isn't a good idea--unless the employer is an 18-year-old
chat-room habitu. And like any slang, the use of acronyms and emoticons can make those who don't
know them feel excluded. So always be considerate about where you use Internet shorthand--and how
often.
The following glossary will help you decipher the most commonly used acronyms and emoticons. Plus,
we've thrown in a few favorite, exotic examples of each. And because we just couldn't stop ourselves,
we've come up with a few pop-culture-inspired acronyms we'd like to see. The possibilities are endless,
but if you use your own home-grown acronyms or emoticons, don't forget to explain them to your readers.
Everyday Acronyms: Coming and Going
afk Away from keyboard And about to do goodness knows what.
bak Back at keyboard Having done goodness knows what.
bfn Bye for nowTells others you're stepping away for an indeterminate amount of time.Variations: b4n, bbl
(be back later).brb Be right back Announces a brief absence, as if you're pausing to read a Shakespeare
sonnet. cu See you The more formal version of cya (See ya). ltns Long time, no see A polite way of
saying "I forgot you even existed," which could be abbreviated as ifuee. ttfn Ta ta for now What Zsa Zsa
Gabor might say when exiting a chat room. Variation:l8tr (later).
Flaming and Feuding
gal Get a life The exact opposite of hand (have a nice day). kiss Keep it simple, stupid An impolite way of
saying ot (off topic). pu That stinks tswc Tell someone who cares
Hooting and Hollering
gfete Grinning from ear to ear Indicates mild amusement in which minimal dental work is displayed. lmao
Laughing my ankles off The third word can also refer to another body part.
lol Laughing out loud An appropriate response to a humorous statement. Alas, it doesn't necessarily
mean lots of love. rot Rolling on the oor laughing Use when you couldn't possibly be more amused.
Unless you're rotmao, of course.
Opining and Informing
aamof As a matter of fact Though in cyberspace, the fact could just as well be ction. afaik As far as I
know Use when you really don't know, but want to appear as if you do. Variations: afaic (as far as I'm
concerned), afaict (as far as I can tell). btw By the way A kissin' cousin to fyi (for your information) and
fwiw(for what it's worth). damhikt Don't ask me how I know this For those obscure factoids your friends
tease you for remembering. eod End of discussion Use EOD after the 163,456th chat-room message
about the new Star Wars trailer.hth Hope this (or that) helps imho In my humble (or honest) opinion
Commonly used to preface unsolicited advice, such as "If I were you, I would dump your no-account
girlfriend immediately." Variations: imnsho (in my not so humble opinion), imco (in my considered
opinion). ianalb I am not a lawyer, but... As in, "IANALB I play one on TV." j/k Just kidding Best used when
combined with the :) emoticon. For more on the world of emoticons, see Everyday Emoticons. otOff
topicA polite way of saying kiss (keep it simple, stupid). otoh On the other handIndicates you were once a
member of the high school debate team.
Exotic Acronyms
aiamu And I'm a monkey's uncleSimian slurs are popular everywhere, and cyberspace is no exception.
bbfbbm Body by Fisher, brains by MattelPut another way: You have the physique of a Tonka truck and the
intellect of Barbie.
cmf Count my ngersSimilar to, though different from, rml (read my lips) or tmt(tally my toes). dgt Don't go
thereBest emphasized by raising your eyebrows, placing one hand on a hip and with the other hand,
wagging your index nger warningly--though, of course, your readers will have to imagine that part.
dqydjDon't quit your day job Or as they say on The Sopranos, 'fagiddaboudit.' tmi Too much information
An appropriate response to someone who claims their dog likes to eat the furballs their cat coughs up.
Acronyms We Wish Existed (and Possibly Do)
bmus Beam me up, ScottyFrom Star Trek. fmdidgad Frankly my dear, I don't give a damnClark Gable,
Gone with the Wind.
fysbigtbabn Fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a bumpy nightBette Davis,All About Eve. gmdts Give
my daughter the shot! Shirley MacLaine, Terms of Endearment. hlvb Hasta la vista, baby! Arnold
Schwarzenegger, Terminator 2.mmd Make my day Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry, Sudden Impact. rutus
Round up the usual suspects Claude Rains, Casablanca. yt2m You talking to me?Robert De Niro, Taxi
Driver.
Everyday Emoticons
:) Smile :( Frown ;) Wink
:o Shocked ?-( Black eye (((Insert name here))) A cyberhug for the person whose name is surrounded by
parentheses :P Disgusted The P indicates a protruding tongue. 5:) Elvis @>--;-- A rose
Favorite Exotic Emoticons
:-E Bucktoothed vampire :-F Bucktoothed vampire with one tooth missing :-.)Cindy Crawford
*<) :o) Clown O-) Cyclops :-! Foot in mouth @:-} Just back from the hairdresser{:- Wears a toupee
@@@@:-) Marge Simpson :8) Pig :-8 Talking out of both sides of your mouth
More Shorthand Slang Online
Hungry for more? The Internet is full of sites that catalog emoticons and acronyms. Here are a few:
AOL subscribers can visit AOL's Computer Center as a starting point. Within the Computer Center
channel, click the Fun Stuff tab, then select the Online Fun button, and click the Learn to :) and LOL
Online link. You'll nd a list of the basic acronyms and emoticons.
NetLingo offers one of the most comprehensive lists of acronyms.
The Correspondence Area of the Primitive Baptist Web Station gives a simple, bare-bones guide to the
most common emoticons and acronyms.
The Ultimate Chatlist provides a no-frills but exhaustive list of emoticons.
UselessKnowledge.com combines a brief acronym usage history and glossary with a list of the more
commonly used emoticons.