- George Bernard Shaw
Acronyms
| Unprecedented prominence... |
Though some may debate what the Internet's overall impact will be on social and cultural change, one thing is clear. The Net in general, and email and chat in particular, have given the acronym an unprecedented prominence. Just as words like 'hassle' and 'bummer' migrated from the lingo of the counterculture to the lexicon of the establishment, acronyms have become a widely used form in today's written communication.
The 90's produced a huge online community that needs to communicate clearly and efficiently, while striving to convey emotion in a two-dimensional, text-based medium. The acronym satisfies this need for efficiency and, more importantly, allows the cybernaut to laugh, love, and hate, with a minimal expenditure of that most precious of all commodities- time.
Historically, acronyms have been the exception. A few have become part of everyday usage and one in particular, 'RSVP', has all but supplanted its mother phrase. (When does one ever see it written out in full?) ASAP, ICU, SASE, ETA are commonplace but, in the online world, acronyms are the norm. And, as they become more widely known and used, crossword creators couldn't be happier.
Looking at this list of standard chatroom acronyms, it's easy to see how these could be of benefit to a crossword creator filling a grid. At last, they'll have alternatives to the banking (IRA, GIC) and military (AWOL, LST) acronyms which inhabit today's cruciverbal landscape.
Laugh, love, and hate...
Crossword creators couldn't be happier...
The more the merrier...
| AFAIK - As far as I know
AFK - Away from keyboard AKA - Also known as ASAP - As soon as possible B4 - Before BAK - Back at keyboard BBL - Be Back Later BBS - Be Back Soon BCNU - Be seeing you BFN - Bye for now BRB - Be Right Back BTDT - Been There Done That BTSOOM - Beats The Stuffing Outta Me BTW - By the Way BYOH - Bat you onna head CFV - Call for votes CU - See you CUL - See you Later CUL8R - See you later DYJHIW - Don't you just hate it when EG - Evil grin F2F - Face to face FAQ - Frequently Asked Question FFS - For Foobars Sake FUBR - Foobared up beyond recognition FOAD - Foobar off and Die FWIW - For what it's worth FYA - For your amusement FYI - For your information G - Grin GA - Go ahead H - Hug HB - Hug back HIT - Hang in there HH - Holding hands HHOJ/K - Ha Ha, Only Joking/Kidding HIWTH - Hate it when that happens IAE - In any event IANAL - I am not a lawyer IBN - I'm Buck Naked! IDK - I don't know IMHO - In My Humble Opinion IMO - In my opinion IOW - In other words IRL - In Real Life IYKWIM - If you know what I mean JAM - Just a Minute JK - Just kidding K - Kiss KB - Kiss back KOTC - Kiss on the cheek L8R - Later L - Laugh LMAO - Laughing my a** off LOL - Laughs Out Loud |
MORF - Male or female
MOTAS - Members of the appropriate sex MOTOS - Members of the opposite sex MOTSS - Members of the same sex MUD - Multi User Dungeon NIFOC - Naked in Front of Computer NFW - No foobaring way NRN - No reply necessary O&O - Over and out OBTW - Oh, by the way OIC - Oh, I see OTOH - On the other hand OTT - Over the Top PD - Public domain PMJI - Pardon me, Jumping in (when you interrupt a conversation) PMFJI - Pardon me for jumping in PITA - Pain in the aftdeck POTC - Peck on the cheek REHI - Hello again RFD - Request for discussion ROTFL - Rolling on the Floor Laughing (also ROFL) ROTFLMAO - Roll on the floor laughing my a** off RSN - Real soon now RTFM - Read The Foobaring Manual RUOK - Are you OK? S - Smile SB - Smiles back SITD - Still in the dark SNAFU - Situation normal, all foobared up SO - Significant other SOL - Sh*t outta luck (not us) STFU - Shut the Foobar Up SW - Shareware SYL - See you later TANSTAAFL - There ain't no such thing as a free lunch TARFU - Things are really foobared up TGIF - Thank God it's Friday TIA - Thanks in advance TIC - Tongue in cheek THNX - Thanks TTFN - Ta Ta for Now TTYL - Talk to You Later W - Wink WG - Wicked grin WRT - With regard to (also with respect to) WTF - What the Foobar? WTH - What the hell WTHDTM - What the heck does that mean YKYBOTLW - You know you've been on-line too long when... |
Acronym Web Sites
CUL8R...
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