It’s come to my attention that the younger generations don’t always understand early Internet vernacular. I’ve had multiple members of Gen Z and even some younger millennials ask me what abbreviations I post mean recently. As an Internet grandpa at this point, I feel it’s my duty to teach the youngins the vernacular.

This is the code us first Internet users used to communicate more quickly and efficiently. It also partially developed out of text culture and having to type out everything on our flip phones!

So, let’s get to it.

LOL – this one is easy since it is still used – it means laugh out loud

Variants include:

LMAO – laughing my ass off
ROFL/ROTFL- rolling on the floor laughing
ROTFLMAO – rolling on the floor laughing my ass off

Or the more chaste variety:

ROTFLMBO – rolling on the floor laughing my butt off

Here is a list of more Internet vernacular:

JK – just kidding

FYI – For Your Information

BRB – be right back

BBL – be back later

IRL – in real life – we would often post this if we had to go AFK

FFS – for fuck’s sake

JSYK – just so you know

OMG – oh my God/Gosh

ILY – I love you

A/S/L – age sex location

DTF – down to fuck

WTF – what the fuck

WTG – way to go

GTG – got to go

WYD – What you doing?

THX – Thanks

POS – parent over shoulder

MYOB – mind your own business

TTYL – talk to you later

OTW/OMW – on the way, on my way

IMO/IMHO – in my opinion or in my humble opinion

LYLAS – love you like a sister/love you like a sibling

SMH/SMDH – shake my head – shake my damn head

IKR – I know, right?!

NP – no problem

STFU – shut the fuck up

WTH – what the hell

IDK – I don’t know

GG – good going or good game

WYA – where you at?

OOC – out of character, especially prevalent in online role-play

SMD – suck my dick

AFK – away from keyboard

TMI – Too Much Information

AFAIK – as far as I know

NVM – nevermind

WDYM – what do you mean?

ASAP – as soon as possible

FTW – for the win

IDC – I don’t care

PLS – please

CU – see you

So, fellow Internet elders, how’d I do? What did I forget? Leave a comment letting me know.

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