# What are the most common acronyms in POSTS? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [December 24, 2003, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-most-common-acronyms-in-posts/220870 "2003-12-24T17:22:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Red\_Matrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/34f0e0/32.png) [@Red\_Matrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Matrix)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-most-common-acronyms-in-posts/220870/1 "2003-12-24T17:22:37Z")
Hello. I’ve been a chatter and/or poster online since 1997 and I’ve seen many different acronyms, and some variations. I’ve come accross some of them here that I still can’t figure out. Could it be because this message board is truly international? Perhaps other cultures have local/regional sayings that residents just shorten to first letters? Here are a couple i’ve yet to figure out: IIRC CO Here are some I already knew: IMHO / IMO BTW FYI TTYL ASAP …etc What are some other ones I should be familiar with? Thanks. -Dave ---
**Author:** ![Chimpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@Chimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimpy)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-most-common-acronyms-in-posts/220870/2 "2003-12-24T17:25:51Z")
IIRC: if i remember correctly ---
**Author:** ![Chimpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@Chimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimpy)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-most-common-acronyms-in-posts/220870/3 "2003-12-24T17:33:11Z")
also see [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=103503](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=103503) ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-most-common-acronyms-in-posts/220870/4 "2003-12-24T18:56:40Z")
Common usage: AFAIK = As far as I know, with variations like AFAIAC (…am concerned) YMMV = “Your mileage may vary” (as at the end of automotive or gasoline/petrol commercials) – with a significance of “My experience has been… or My beliefs in this matter are … but you may (and are entitled to) hold different views, or may experience a different result.” IANAL = “I am not a lawyer” meaning “I have this bit of knowledge/experience regarding the (legal) question you pose, but do not take my response as a professional legal opinion in the strict sense.” This has variations also; e.g., as an Anglican with knowledge of various faith traditions, I might respond to a question about Roman Catholic doctrine with IANARC. I do not recall anyone using chat-room abbreviations like TTFN, AFK, BRB, etc., on this board. ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-most-common-acronyms-in-posts/220870/5 "2003-12-24T19:28:23Z")
This is more suited for ATMB. **[FDISK.COM](http://FDISK.COM)**, if you have any further questions relating to this board (e.g. its people, functions, etc.) please post them in ATMB. I’ll move this for you. - **xash** General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-most-common-acronyms-in-posts/220870/6 "2003-12-24T19:31:51Z")
There _was_ a bout of TTFNs at one point, **Polycarp**. I think when modern day Dopers found out it originally came from ITMA (_It’s That Man Again_) and World War II Britain. Some smartarses use it from time to time. Sometimes, I have to resort to using [Acronym Finder](http://www.acronymfinder.com/) and go by context. Last resort: ask. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2003, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-most-common-acronyms-in-posts/220870/7 "2003-12-25T01:13:54Z")
Ever notice how you can’t spell anything _but_ acronyms when eating alphabet soup? ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2003, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-most-common-acronyms-in-posts/220870/8 "2003-12-25T17:20:46Z")
Heck, I can’t even spell “acronym” without spell-checker. Let’s see, is it y before m except after n?