What are Some Common Acronyms?
If you've been monitoring your child's internet activity, including their online conversations, you may have found conversations that are disconcerting to you. Afraid these acronyms may mean something more? Not sure if your child is being cyberbullied or talking to a predator? Here is a list of some common acronyms your child may be using. Please be aware this is NOT a complete list.
Symbols and Numbers
?4U : Question for you
<3 : Love
*nix : Linux, Unix or a similar operating system
1337 : Leet speek or someone/something that is "elite" or cool
2 : To
420 : Marijuana
53x : Sex
9 : Parent is watching
99 : parent is no longer watching
A, B, C
AFK : Away from keyboard
AIM : AOL Instant Messenger
ASL : Age, sex, location (Frequently used as a solicitation for cyber-sex)
ASLP : Age, sex, location, picture
B4 : Before
B4N : Bye for now
b/c : Because
b/w : Between
BAC : Back at computer
BAF : Bring a friend
BBL : Be back later
BBS : Be back soon
BCnU : Be seeing you
Bf : Boyfriend
BFN : Bye for now
BIH : Burn in Hell
BM : Bite me
BOB : Back off b******
BOL : Be on later
BOM : B**** of mine
BRB : Be right back
BRT : Be right there
BS : Bulls***
BTW : By the way
BYOB : Bring your own bottle/beer/booze
CD9 : Code 9 (Parents are around)
CFS : Care for a secret?
CTN : Can’t talk now
CU : See you
CUL8R : See you later
CWYL : Chat with you later
Cya : See you
CyaL8r : See you later
CYE : Check your email
D, E, F
DIKU : Do I know you?
Dl : Download
DMMGH : Don’t make me get hostile
DYK : Do you know
EMA : Email Address
EMFBI : Excuse me for butting in
EOD : End of discussion
f : Female
f/f : Face to face
F2F : Face to face
FAQ : Frequently asked questions
Fb : Facebook
FML : F*** my life
FO : F*** off
FOAF : Friend of a friend
FTF : Face to face
FTL: For the Lose
FTW: For the Win
FU : F*** you/F***ed up
FYA : For your amusement
FYE : For your entertainment
FYEO : For your eyes only
FYI : For Your Information
G, H, I
Gb : goodbye
Gf : Girlfriend
GJ : good job
GL : Good luck
Gr8 : Great
G2g : Got to go
GTFO : Get the f*** out
GTFY : Googled that for you
GTG : Got to go
GTH : Go to hell
GTK : Good to know
GYPO : Get your pants off
HAK : Hugs and kisses
HOAS : Hold on a second
HSWM : Have sex with me
HTH : Hope this helps
Hw : Homework
IANAL : I am not a lawyer
IC : I see
ILY (or ILU) : I love you
IDK : I don’t know
IIRC: If I Recall Correctly
IM : Instant Message
IMO / IMHO : In my (humble) opinion
IRC : Internet Relay Chat
IRL : In Real Life
ITT : In This Thread (in the context of a forum discussion)
IWSN : I want sex now
J, K, L
JAM : Just a minute
JAS : Just a second
JC : Just checking/just curious
Jk : Just kidding
KPC : Keeping parents clueless
L8r : Later
LD : Long distance
LFMF : Learn from my fail
LMAO : Laughing my a** off
LMIRL : Let's meet in real life
LMK : Let me know
LMS : Like my status (Facebook)
LOL : Laugh out loud
LYL : Love you lots
M, N, O
m : Male
MMB : Message me back
MoF : Male or Female
MOOS : Member(s) of the opposite sex
MOSS : Member(s) of the same sex
Msg : Message
MYOB : Mind your own business
N2M : Not too much
NA : Not Available
NAZ : Name, Address, Zip
NC : No comment
Ne1 : anyone
NIFOC : Nude in front of computer
NM : never mind
NM : not much
NP : No problem
NSFW : Not safe for work. Sometimes NWS "Not Work Safe" - used to indicate pornographic content
Nvm : Nevermind
OMG : Oh my gosh
OMW : On my way
OP : Original Post OR Original Poster - in the context of a discussion thread, refers to either the person who started the conversation, or the first post itself.
OTP : On the phone
P, Q, R
P911 : Parent Alert
PAL : Parents are listening
PAW : Parents are watching
PHAT : Pretty hot and tempting
PIR : People(parent) in room
PLZ : please
POS : Parent over shoulder
Ppl : People
Pwn : own (usually in the context of defeating someone in a game: "I pwned you" = I soundly defeated you)
Q4U : Question for you
Qt : cutie
ROFL : Rolling on the floor laughing
ROFLMAO : Rolling on the floor laughing my a** off
RTM/RTFM : Read the (f******) manual
RUMOF : Are you male or female?
S, T, U, V
SMEM : Send me an email
SMIM : Send me an instant message
SO : Significant Other
SorG : Straight or Gay
SOS : Someone over shoulder
SOS : Sibling over shoulder
Sup : What’s up?
SWDYT : So What do you think?
SYS : See you soon
TDTM : Talk dirty to me
Thx : Thanks
TL;DR : Too long; didn't read
TMI : Too much information
Tom : Tomorrow
TTFN : Ta-ta for now
TTYL : Talk to you later
TY : Thank you
U2 : You too
UR : Your; You're
W, X, Y, Z
w/ : With
w/e : Whatever
w/o : without
W8 : wait
WB : Welcome back
WBS : Write back soon
WTH : What the heck?
WTF : What the f***?
WUF : Where you from?
WYCM : Will you call me?
WYRN : What’s your real name?
Y : Why
YBS : You’ll be sorry
YW : you’re welcome
