Texting and Chat Messages
Whatsapp, WeChat, Telegram, Facebook, Twitter… Messaging Apps are changing the way we write and communicate with one another. In the 90s and early 2000s, when people texted SMSs (Short Message Service) and were charged for each one they sent, abbreviations and acronyms were a way to save money. With primitive chats and SMS we saw the firsts emoticons , which not only have survived the Apps revolution, but play an important role in our day-to-day communications since, as the saying goes, “an image is worth a thousand words”.
Today, such abbreviations have become a way of saving time and space, rather than money. More often than not, it is difficult to keep track of the overwhelming amount of new expressions, acronyms and even neologisms new generations —such as millennials— are constantly coming up with.
To help ease the haze that this flood of new terms may cause, here is a list of the most common ones I’ve been able to collect so far. Hope that helps!
Complete List of Messaging Abbreviations and acronyms
1NAM | One In A Million |
2MORO | Tomorrow |
2nte | Tonight |
2N8 | Tonight |
404 | No Clue |
5N | Fine |
A3 | Anywhere, anytime, any place |
AAB | Average At Best |
ADL | All Day Long |
AEAP | As Early as Possible |
AKA | Also Known As |
ALAP | As Late as Possible |
ANY1 | Anyone |
ASAP | As Soon as Possible |
ASL | Age / Sex / Location? |
ATM | At the moment |
B3 | Blah, Blah, Blah |
B4 | Before |
B4YKI | Before You Know it |
BA3 | Battery |
BB | Bye Bye |
BBS | Be Back Soon |
Bc or B/C | Because |
BD | Big Deal |
BF | Boyfriend or Best Friend |
BFN | Bye For Now |
BG | Big Green |
BFF | Best Friends, Forever |
BM&Y | Between Me and You |
BOT | Back On Topic |
BRB | Be right Back |
BRT | Be right There |
BTAM | Be that as it May |
BTW | By The Way |
B/W | Between |
C-P | Sleepy |
CTN | Cannot talk now |
CTS | Changing The Subject |
CUA | See You Again |
CU | See You |
CUL | See You Later |
Cuz/Coz/Cause | Because |
CUS | See You Soon |
CWOT | Complete Waste of Time |
CYA | See You Again |
CYL | Call You Later |
CYT | See You Tomorrow |
DIY | Do It Yourself |
Dunno | Don’t Know |
E123 | Easy as 1, 2, 3 |
EM | |
EM? | Excuse Me? |
EOD | End of Day |
F2F | Face to Face |
FB | |
FC | Fingers Crossed |
FOAF | Friend of a Friend |
FWD | Forward |
FWIW | For What Is Worth |
FYEO | For Your Eyes Only |
G2B | Going To Bed |
GBTW | Get Back To Work |
GF | Girlfriend |
GFY | Good For You |
GM | Good Morning |
GTG | Got To Go |
GTH | Go To Hell |
GN | Good Night |
GR8 | Great |
HAK | Hugs and Kisses |
HBY | How about you |
HF | Have Fun |
HU | Hugh You |
IC | I See |
ICYDK | In Case You Didn’t Know |
IDGI | I don’t Get It |
ILY | I Love You |
IYDMMA | If You Don’t Mind Me Asking |
IS | I’m Sorry |
IACL | I Am Currently Laughing |
IDC | I Don’t Care |
IDK | I Don’t Know |
ILU / ILY | I Love You |
IMU | I Miss You |
IMO | In My Opinion |
IRL | In Real Life |
J/K | Just Kidding |
JC | Just Checking |
JIC | Just In Case |
JJ | Just Joking |
JK | Just Kidding |
JOOC | Just Out Of Curiosity |
JTLYK | Just to Let You Know |
KFY | Kiss for You |
KMP | Keep Me Posted |
KMN | Kill Me Now |
KPC | Keeping Parents Clueless |
KU | Kiss You |
KYP | Keep You Posted |
LAM | Leave A Message |
L8 | Late |
L8R | Later |
LMHO | Laughing My Head Off |
LMK | Let Me Know |
LMAO | Laughing my a*s off |
LNG | Long |
LOL | Laughing out loud |
LTNS | Long Time No See |
LU | Love You |
M8 | Mate |
MoF | Male or Female |
MSG | Message |
MTFBWY | May the Force be with You |
MU | Miss You |
MYOB | Mind Your Own Business |
N-A-Y-L | In a While |
NAZ | Name, Address, ZIP |
NC | No Comment |
NE1 | Anyone |
NIMBY | Not in my Backyard |
NOYB | None of Your Business |
NM | Never Mind / Nothing Much |
NP | No Problem |
NSFW | Not Safe for Work |
NTIM | Not that it Matters |
NVM | Never Mind |
OATUS | On a totally Unrelated Subject |
OIC | Oh, I See |
OMG | Oh My God |
OMW | On My Way |
ORLY | Oh, Really? |
OTL | Out to Lunch |
OTP | On the Phone |
P911 | Parent Alert |
PAL | Parents are Listening |
PAW | Parents are Watching |
Pic | Pîcture |
PIR | Parent in Room |
PLZ | Please |
PMSL | Pi*song myself laughing |
POS | Parent over Shoulder |
PPL | People |
PROP(S) | Proper Respect / Proper Recognition |
Q4Y | Question For You |
QT | Cutie |
R8 | Right |
RN | Right Now |
RU | Are You |
Sec | Second |
SEP | Someone else’s Problem |
SITD | Still in the Dark |
SLAP | Sounds like a Plan |
SMIM | Send Me an Instant Message |
SO | Significant Other |
SS | So Sorry |
SRY | Sorry |
SUP | What’s Up |
SWW | Sorry Wrong Window |
TC | Take Care |
TG | That’s Great |
Tho | Though |
THX | Thanks |
TMI | Too Much Information |
TTYL | Talk To You Later |
TTYS | Talk To You Soon |
TU | Thank You |
TXT | Text |
TYT | Take Your Time |
UR | Your / You are |
W8 | Wait |
WB | Welcome Back |
WTF | What The Fuck |
WTH | What The Hell |
WYCM | Will You Call Me? |
WYWH | Wish You Were Here |
XOXOXOX | Hugs, Kisses, … |
YT | Youtube |
YW | You’re Welcome |
W8AM | Wait A Minute |
WAPP | |
WD | Well Done |
WP | Word Perfect |
Recommended Posts:
- Etymolpgy of “Translation”
- Business idioms Illustrated
- What is a back translation?
- What is a reconciliation?
- Word of the Year 2017
- Word of the Year 2016
- Word of the Year 2015
- 10 most “useful” languages
- Most expensive and cheapest cities in Europe
- Most expensive and cheapest countries in Europe
- Second languages by country
- Most important English sayings translated to Spanish I
- Most important English sayings translated to Spanish II
- Most Important English Sayings translated to Spanish III
- Memes, funny videos and jokes for translators
- The English language in 30 accents
- Translations with highest rates
- The European debt crisis: fiscal union or breakup