10 Trending Internet English Slang Acronyms
As American as apple pie. As American as blue jeans. As American as . . . abbreviation?
Americans love to abbreviate
things and create acronyms. This is not new; for instance, back in World War 2,
there were WACs and WAVES: Women’s Army Corps and Women Accepted for Volunteer
Emergency Service. The war itself is referred to as WW2 or WWII, and the United
States of America is regularly written as USA. In text messaging and online
chatting, countless acronyms have cropped up to keep conversations hurrying
along. This article and infographic will help to sort some of them out.
1 IDK: I Don’t Know
This first acronym is
straightforward and simply shows a lack of knowledge.
“What time are you leaving?”
“IDK.” “I know what time we’re supposed to be there but IDK who is meeting us.”
2
This can indicate frustration
or any other emotion that the shake of a head can imply.
“This snow will never melt.
SMH” “Dad is making me stay home! SMH” “I’m just SMH over these algebra
problems.”
3 IKR: I Know, Right?
IKR shows agreement.
Below is a sample conversation; keep in mind that this is a written discussion,
or else it will seem strange. (Well, more strange than it already is.)
“We were supposed to
have cheeseburgers tonight!” “IKR! I am sick of casseroles!”
4 IMMD: “It Made My Day”
Used to show
happiness, this generally follows the mention of an event that was the
highlight of the texter’s day.
“There was a birthday
card in my mailbox and IMMD.” “IMMD when Brad asked me out for a steak.”
5 SNH: Sarcasm Noted Here
If you are in the
northeastern United States, SNH is most likely Southern New Hampshire, but in a
chat room, it indicates sarcasm. “I have tickets to the basketball game on
Friday.” “Are you taking me?” “No, I’m taking my OTHER wife. SNH”
6 AMA: Ask Me Anything
Often seen on Reddit
in the title of posts that invite users to ask questions, AMA is now frequently
spotted in other social media networks.
“I was a special
agent in Lower Scambolia during the Speckled Goat Revolution. AMA” “I have been
studying for that exam all day. AMA”
7 TL;DR: Too Long; Didn’t Read
In the spirit of our
love for abbreviation, the best way to guarantee that nobody is going to read
your social media post is to write too much. Seeing TL;DR in comments could
suggest that the reader was on the way to work, about to go shopping, heading
out to feed the cows . . . but probably not. Many times, we’ve started reading
a friend’s post, clicked the “read more” link, then fallen off our chairs when
the text shot down to the bottom of the screen.
“I’m sorry your cat
is sick, but I need to catch up later. TL;DR” “TL;DR. Wow.”
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8 ICYMI: In Case You Missed It
This is probably most
often used by those who post huge messages in social media. It is also used
humorously to emphasize something that is already quite obvious.
“ICYMI, my cat is
sick and ruined half my wardrobe.” As a caption on a photo featuring palm
trees, bikinis, and the ocean: “ICYMI, I am at the beach!”
9 DR: Double Rainbow
This is used to
convey extreme happiness and awe. It originates from a 2010 viral video in
which a man becomes quite emotional over filming a double rainbow in Yosemite
National Park.
“Frank and I are
getting back together! DR!” “I got a promotion at work and have been seeing DRs
all day!”
10 MFW: My Face When
Often accompanied by
a smiley, emoticon, or photo, MFW shows some sort of reaction. Famous people
and viral images are popular with this meme.
😮 “MFW Mom said I could go out Thursday night!” >:-(
“MFW the dog licked my ice cream.”
Many of these have
other uses (and not all are kid-friendly), so reading everything in context is
always helpful. Can you think of any alternate uses for these acronyms? Are
there any other text or Internet acronyms that you find confusing?
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