However, everything can be shortened into an acronym. And if you don't know the new, shorter texting language by heart, you're stuck figuring out what the flood of acronyms and abbreviations could possibly mean.
Mom: What does IDK, LY and TTYL mean?
Daughter: I don't know, love you, talk to you later.
Mom: OK, I will ask your sister.
Little did that mom know that her daughter was actually answering her questions, not blowing her off. And that's exactly why we've come up with a cheat sheet to help you master the shorthand text language.
Basics
- BFF: Best friends forever
- BRB: Be right back
- BTW: By the way
- CYA: See ya
- IDK: I don't know
- JK: Just kidding
- KK: Okay
- LOL: Laugh out loud (not "lots of love." Make sure you know the difference)
- NP: No problem
- NVM or NM: Nevermind
- OMG: Oh my gosh
- OMW: On my way
- TMI: Too much information
- TTYL: Talk to you later
- XOXO: Hugs and kisses
Intermediate
- CWYL: Chat with you later
- CYT: See you tomorrow
- GR8: Great
- HMU: Hit me up
- IDC: I don't care
- IRL: In real life
- L8R: Later
- LMK: Let me know
- LYLAS: Love you like a sister
- NSFW: Not safe for work
- OIC: Oh, I see
- POV: Point of view
- ROTFL: Rolling on the floor laughing
- THX or TX or THKS: Thanks
- TXT: Text message
- WBU: What about you?
- W/E: Whatever
- WYWH: Wish you were here
Expert
- B4N: Bye for now
- DBEYR: Don't believe everything you read
- FTW: For the win
- FWIW - For What It's Worth -or- Forgot Where I Was
- IMHO: In my humble opinion
- IMNSHO: In my not so humble opinion
- ISO: In search of
- MHOTY : My hat's off to you
- NIMBY: Not in my back yard
- NUB: New person to a site or game
- OT: Off Topic
- PROPS: Proper respect and acknowledgement
- RBTL: Read Between The Lines
- RTM: Read the manual
- SOHF: Sense of humor failure
- TYVM: Thank you very much
- VBG: Very big grin
