# Teach me to speak SDMB **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [December 1, 2002, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-to-speak-sdmb/139732 "2002-12-01T04:10:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SandyHook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dec6dc/32.png) [@SandyHook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SandyHook)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-to-speak-sdmb/139732/1 "2002-12-01T04:10:39Z")
I’ve been reading a lot of the threads lately, and making some comments when the spirit moved me. But I need some help. What the bejeezers do all the acronyms (sp?) mean. I know a few, BTW - by the way, LOL - laugh out loud, and some others. But I’m in the dark on a lot of them (troll, IIRC to name a couple that come right to mind.) So help a guy that’s trying to boldly leap into the 90’s. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-to-speak-sdmb/139732/2 "2002-12-01T04:17:48Z")
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?postid=1959125#post1959125](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?postid=1959125#post1959125) For much useful information, read all the FAQ threads in the “About This Message Board” forum. And questions like this also belong in that forum. A mod will be along soon to move it. ---
**Author:** ![SandyHook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dec6dc/32.png) [@SandyHook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SandyHook)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-to-speak-sdmb/139732/3 "2002-12-01T04:27:20Z")
Cool, thanks for the site. ---
**Author:** ![SandyHook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dec6dc/32.png) [@SandyHook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SandyHook)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-to-speak-sdmb/139732/4 "2002-12-01T04:47:18Z")
Thanks again. I was just looking at a thread concerning the marriage of brothers and sisters when I ran across - IANAL. Ran right off to the site you gave me, now on my favorites, and came away a wiser, happier person. ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-to-speak-sdmb/139732/5 "2002-12-01T05:21:22Z")
Also, [www.acronymfinder.com](http://www.acronymfinder.com) is a pretty useful site. It has acronyms that are generally used, not just SDMB stuff, but there is a lot of overlap. Welcome to the boards. ---
**Author:** ![Tony\_Montana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Tony\_Montana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Montana)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-to-speak-sdmb/139732/6 "2002-12-01T06:46:00Z")
IIRC you can find it in ATMB,however YMMV . OTOH IMO OMVOTPS… 😃 er I got carried away and made that last one up… ---
**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-to-speak-sdmb/139732/7 "2002-12-01T06:56:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TJdude825 \* > \*\*Also, [www.acronymfinder.com](http://www.acronymfinder.com) is a pretty useful site. It has acronyms that are generally used, not just SDMB stuff, but there is a lot of overlap. Welcome to the boards. \*\* Cool site. It even had PFM listed, I remember when we used to use that in the tech department at tandy in the 80’s. Only, we didnt use the polite version listed there. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ccd318/32.png) [@John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Kentzel-Griffin)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-to-speak-sdmb/139732/8 "2002-12-01T08:09:19Z")
Off to ATMB (About This Message Board). **DrMatrix** GQ (General Questions) Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-to-speak-sdmb/139732/9 "2002-12-01T17:49:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TJdude825 \* > \*\*Also, [www.acronymfinder.com](http://www.acronymfinder.com) is a pretty useful site. It has acronyms that are generally used, not just SDMB stuff, but there is a lot of overlap. \*\* Very cool. Thanks! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![lazymexicanamerican](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecb155/32.png) [@lazymexicanamerican](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazymexicanamerican)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-to-speak-sdmb/139732/10 "2002-12-01T18:16:08Z")
Although speaking SDMB is difficult what can u do about all the inside jokes that go on and not knowing what anyone is talking about… i just reply and hope I know what i’m talking about. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-to-speak-sdmb/139732/11 "2002-12-01T18:44:22Z")
IANAL is “I am not a lawyer” – usually used in the context of “Don’t depend on this as accurate legal advice; it’s my best understanding as an educated layman.” Perhaps the funniest situation I’ve ever been in was my first exposure to “YMMV” (“Your mileage may vary” – meaning, more or less, “This is my experience on the subject under discussion, for what help it may be, but yours may differ based on the differences between us and between our situations.”) Not being aware of what it stood for, I questioned – my guess was “You Make Me Vomit,” and in the heated discussion where I saw it that was a reasonable hypothesis! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Jake2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/cab0a1/32.png) [@Jake2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake2)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-to-speak-sdmb/139732/12 "2002-12-01T21:24:01Z")
Poly, I read YMMV a " Yumvee"! Anyone else? ---
**Author:** ![mkl12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@mkl12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mkl12)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-to-speak-sdmb/139732/13 "2002-12-01T23:34:59Z")
If you want to learn about the history of the SDMB and all the inside jokes, you should read this: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=118749](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=118749)