# Can I get a list of abbreviations **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 31, 2000, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-get-a-list-of-abbreviations/31459 "2000-08-31T05:49:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![steeljaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aca169/32.png) [@steeljaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steeljaw)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2000, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-get-a-list-of-abbreviations/31459/1 "2000-08-31T05:49:33Z")
What are all the common abbreviations used on the SDMB? I got ROTFL, but what is IRC, BTW, etc? I could probably figure them out if I thought really hard, but that would take a lot of effort now, wouldn’t it? I know WAG too. What are the rest? All I’m looking for here is a comprehensive list of the abbreviations, with complete word histories, latin translations, and MLA citations for any historical or other references. Is that too much to ask? ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2000, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-get-a-list-of-abbreviations/31459/2 "2000-08-31T05:51:37Z")
IIRC-if I recall correctly FWIW-for what it’s worth BTW-by the way FYI–you can get most of this in the ATMB forum, IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2000, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-get-a-list-of-abbreviations/31459/3 "2000-08-31T05:53:21Z")
IIRC, this has been covered in this thread: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=32636](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=32636) ---
**Author:** ![dylan\_73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecccb3/32.png) [@dylan\_73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dylan_73)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2000, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-get-a-list-of-abbreviations/31459/4 "2000-08-31T10:12:02Z")
Before I looked it up, I used to think WAG meant “Wild Accurate Guess” and was a kind of ironic “I’m pretty sure this is right but I can’t back it up or remember where I saw it” type thing. I think my version is better 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Phobos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Phobos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phobos)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2000, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-get-a-list-of-abbreviations/31459/5 "2000-08-31T12:24:52Z")
I got this a while ago _somewhere_ on the 'net. Abbreviation Meaning ADN Any day now AFAIK As far as I know AFK Away from keyboard ARE Acronym-rich environment A/S/L? Age/sex/location? B4N Bye for now BAK Back at the keyboard BBIAB Be back in a bit BBL Be back later BEG Big evil grin BFD Big f_**ing deal BFN Bye for now BG Big grin BIOYIOP Blow it out your I/O port BL Belly laughing BOTEC Back-of-the-envelope calculation BRB Be right back BTA But then again… BTW By the way BWTHDIK But what the heck do I know…? CU See you CUL See you later CUL8ER See you later CYA Cover your ass CYO See you online DBA Doing business as DFLA Disenhanced four-letter acronym (that is, a TLA) DIKU Do I know you? DITYID Did I tell you I’m distressed? DNFTT do not feed the trolls DQMOT Don’t quote me on this EG Evil grin EMFBI Excuse me for butting in EOM End of message EOT End of thread (meaning: end of discussion) ETLA Extended three-letter acronym (that is, an FLA) F2F Face to face FAQ Frequently-ask question(s) FISH First in, still here FLA Four-letter acronym FMTYEWTK Far more than you ever wanted to know FOAD F**_ off and die FOMCL Falling off my chair laughing FUBAR F_**ed up beyond all repair or recognition FUD Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt FWIW For what it’s worth FYI For your information G Grin GA Go ahead GAL Get a life GD&R Grinning, ducking, and running GIWIST Gee, I wish I’d said that GMTA Great minds think alike GOL Giggling out loud GTRM Going to read mail HAND Have a nice day HTH Hope this helps IAC In any case IANAL I am not a lawyer (but) IC I see IHA I hate acronyms IIRC If I recall/remember/recollect correctly ILU or ILY I love you IM Immediate message IMHO In my humble opinion IMing Chatting with someone online usually while doing other things IMNSHO In my not so humble opinion IMO In my opinion IOW In other words IPN I’m posting naked IRL In real life (that is, when not chatting) IYSWIM If you see what I mean JBOD Just a bunch of disks JIC Just in case JK Just kidding KOTC Kiss on the cheek KWIM? Know what I mean? L8R Later LD Later, dude LDR Long-distance relationship LLTA Lots and lots of thunderous applause LOL Laughing out loud LRF Little Rubber Feet (the little pads on the bottom of displays and other equipment) LTM Laugh to myself LTNS Long time no see LTR Long-term relationship LULAB Love you like a brother LULAS Love you like a sister MorF Male or female MOSS Member of the same sex MOTOS Member of the opposite sex MUSM Miss you so much NFG No f **_** g good NFW No feasible way or no f **_** g way NIFOC Naked in front of computer NP or N/P No problem NRN No response necessary OIC Oh, I see OLL Online love OTF Off the floor OTOH On the other hand OTTOMH Off the top of my head PANS Pretty awesome new stuff (as opposed to “POTS”) PCMCIA People can’t master computer industry acronyms PDA Public display of affection PEBCAK Problem exists between chair and keyboard PIBKAC Problem is between keyboard and chair PITA Pain in the ass PMFJIB Pardon me for jumping in but… ::POOF:: Goodbye (leaving the room) POS Piece of s**t POTS Plain old telephone service PU That stinks! RL Real life (that is, when not chatting) ROR Raffing out roud (Engrish for “laughing out loud”) ROTFL (or ROFL) Rolling on the floor laughing ROTFLMAO Rolling on the floor laughing my a_\* off ROTFLMAOWPIMP Rolling on the floor laughing my a\*\* off while peeing in my pants ROTFLMBO Rolling on the floor laughing my butt off RPG Role-playing games RSN Real soon now RTFM Read the f_**ing manual RYO Roll your own (write your own program; derived from cigarettes rolled yourself ) S4L Spam for life (what you may get when you become someone’s customer or client) SEG S**_-eating grin SF Surfer-friendly (low-graphics Web site) SNAFU Situation normal, all f**_ed up SO Significant other SOL Smilling out loud or sh_t out of luck SOMY Sick of me yet? STFW Search the f **_** g Web STW Search the Web SWAG Stupid wild-a** guess TAFN That’s all for now TANSTAAFL There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch TFH Thread from hell THX Thanks TIA Thanks in advance (used if you post a question and are expecting a helpful reply) TLA Three-letter acronym TLK2UL8R Talk to you later TMI Too much information TOPCA Til our paths cross again (early Celtic chat term) TPTB The powers that be TTFN Ta-Ta for now TTT Thought that, too (when someone types in what you were about to type) TTYL Talk to you later TU Thank you UAPITA You’re a pain in the ass UW You’re welcome VBG Very big grin VBSEG Very big s_\*\*-eating grin WDALYIC Who died and left you in charge? WFM Works for me WIBNI Wouldn’t it be nice if WT? What/who the ? WTFO What the F\*\*\*! Over! WTG Way to go! WTGP? Want to go private? WU? What’s up? WUF? Where are you from? WYSIWYG What you see is what you get YGBSM You gotta be s_**tin’ me! YMMV Your mileage may vary. Abbreviation Meaning ADN Any day now AFAIK As far as I know AFK Away from keyboard ARE Acronym-rich environment A/S/L? Age/sex/location? B4N Bye for now BAK Back at the keyboard BBIAB Be back in a bit BBL Be back later BEG Big evil grin BFD Big f**_ing deal BFN Bye for now BG Big grin BIOYIOP Blow it out your I/O port BL Belly laughing BOTEC Back-of-the-envelope calculation BRB Be right back BTA But then again… BTW By the way BWTHDIK But what the heck do I know…? CU See you CUL See you later CUL8ER See you later CYA Cover your ass CYO See you online DBA Doing business as DFLA Disenhanced four-letter acronym (that is, a TLA) DIKU Do I know you? DITYID Did I tell you I’m distressed? DNFTT do not feed the trolls DQMOT Don’t quote me on this EG Evil grin EMFBI Excuse me for butting in EOM End of message EOT End of thread (meaning: end of discussion) ETLA Extended three-letter acronym (that is, an FLA) F2F Face to face FAQ Frequently-ask question(s) FISH First in, still here FLA Four-letter acronym FMTYEWTK Far more than you ever wanted to know FOAD F\*\*\* off and die FOMCL Falling off my chair laughing FUBAR F_**ed up beyond all repair or recognition FUD Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt FWIW For what it’s worth FYI For your information G Grin GA Go ahead GAL Get a life GD&R Grinning, ducking, and running GIWIST Gee, I wish I’d said that GMTA Great minds think alike GOL Giggling out loud GTRM Going to read mail HAND Have a nice day HTH Hope this helps IAC In any case IANAL I am not a lawyer (but) IC I see IHA I hate acronyms IIRC If I recall/remember/recollect correctly ILU or ILY I love you IM Immediate message IMHO In my humble opinion IMing Chatting with someone online usually while doing other things IMNSHO In my not so humble opinion IMO In my opinion IOW In other words IPN I’m posting naked IRL In real life (that is, when not chatting) IYSWIM If you see what I mean JBOD Just a bunch of disks JIC Just in case JK Just kidding KOTC Kiss on the cheek KWIM? Know what I mean? L8R Later LD Later, dude LDR Long-distance relationship LLTA Lots and lots of thunderous applause LOL Laughing out loud LRF Little Rubber Feet (the little pads on the bottom of displays and other equipment) LTM Laugh to myself LTNS Long time no see LTR Long-term relationship LULAB Love you like a brother LULAS Love you like a sister MorF Male or female MOSS Member of the same sex MOTOS Member of the opposite sex MUSM Miss you so much NFG No f **_** g good NFW No feasible way or no f **_** g way NIFOC Naked in front of computer NP or N/P No problem NRN No response necessary OIC Oh, I see OLL Online love OTF Off the floor OTOH On the other hand OTTOMH Off the top of my head PANS Pretty awesome new stuff (as opposed to “POTS”) PCMCIA People can’t master computer industry acronyms PDA Public display of affection PEBCAK Problem exists between chair and keyboard PIBKAC Problem is between keyboard and chair PITA Pain in the ass PMFJIB Pardon me for jumping in but… ::POOF:: Goodbye (leaving the room) POS Piece of s**t POTS Plain old telephone service PU That stinks! RL Real life (that is, when not chatting) ROR Raffing out roud (Engrish for “laughing out loud”) ROTFL (or ROFL) Rolling on the floor laughing ROTFLMAO Rolling on the floor laughing my a_\* off ROTFLMAOWPIMP Rolling on the floor laughing my a\*\* off while peeing in my pants ROTFLMBO Rolling on the floor laughing my butt off RPG Role-playing games RSN Real soon now RTFM Read the f_**ing manual RYO Roll your own (write your own program; derived from cigarettes rolled yourself ) S4L Spam for life (what you may get when you become someone’s customer or client) SEG S**_-eating grin SF Surfer-friendly (low-graphics Web site) SNAFU Situation normal, all f**_ed up SO Significant other SOL Smilling out loud or sh_t out of luck SOMY Sick of me yet? STFW Search the f **_** g Web STW Search the Web SWAG Stupid wild-a** guess TAFN That’s all for now TANSTAAFL There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch TFH Thread from hell THX Thanks TIA Thanks in advance (used if you post a question and are expecting a helpful reply) TLA Three-letter acronym TLK2UL8R Talk to you later TMI Too much information TOPCA Til our paths cross again (early Celtic chat term) TPTB The powers that be TTFN Ta-Ta for now TTT Thought that, too (when someone types in what you were about to type) TTYL Talk to you later TU Thank you UAPITA You’re a pain in the ass UW You’re welcome VBG Very big grin VBSEG Very big s_\*\*-eating grin WDALYIC Who died and left you in charge? WFM Works for me WIBNI Wouldn’t it be nice if WT? What/who the ? WTFO What the F\*\*\*! Over! WTG Way to go! WTGP? Want to go private? WU? What’s up? WUF? Where are you from? WYSIWYG What you see is what you get YGBSM You gotta be s\*\*\*tin’ me! YMMV Your mileage may vary.