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Instant Messaging lingo, a way of shortening words, a lifestyle, or just plain out being lazy? Most people will tell you that in lack of better spelling skills they use it to shorten words so they can get their point across a lot faster than normal people can who type out entire words.

Since I've spent about 8-10 years on MMORPGs (Massively Multi-Player Online Role Playing Games), such as World of Warcraft, Ragnarok Online, Silkroad Online, 9Dragons, Grando Espada, Knight Online, And many many more. Spending all this time on these type of games, you hear a lot of people using the lingo, and if your not familiar with it, you can get lost in a sea of letters they consider words. Here is a list of what you might encounter online talking to some of those "hip" teens;

Common:
Lol = Laugh(ing) out loud
Lmao = Laughing my a* off
Lmfao = Laughing my f*king a* off
Rofl = Rolling on the floor Laughing
Roflmao = Rolling on the floor laughing my a* off
bbl = Be Back Later
bbs = Be back soon
bbq = Be back quick
Noob/Newb/N00b/Newbie (Or any other variation) = Name used for a new person in a game, or someone acting stupid; "Quit being such a noob".
Nub = Same as Noob, but mostly used as a bigger insult.
Wtf = What the F*k
Omg = Oh my god(Goodness)
Omfg = Oh my F*cking God(Goodness)
G2G = Got to go
TTYL = Talk to you later
Late = Just shortened from Later (a way to say bye)
Sup = Whats up
Nm = Nothing much
TY = Thank you
YW = Your welcome
Thx = Thanks
Plz = Please
eet = It (why they would use MORE letters who knows.)
Kno/No = Know
Kay/k = OK
Bai = Bye
Hai = Hey/Hi
Keke/Jaja = Haha, Usually used by foreigners to English.
CUL = See you later
POS = Parent over shoulder (Used by those with over protective parents)
PIR = Parent in room
PBM = Parent behind me
ASL = Age, Sex, location.
Kewl/c00l/Cewl/Xewl = Cool, loads of variations for that.
1337 = Leet, This is an entire language spelt in numbers. It would take too long to name them all.
411 = Information
2Nite = Tonight
L8r = Later
4Ever = Forever
AFK = Away from Keyboard
AFC = Away from Computer
AFR = Away from Room
AFH = Away from House
AAK = Away at Keyboard
IDK = I don't know
AKA = Also Known as (Used before this whole lingo started)
ATM = At the moment
ASAP = As soon as possible (also used before the lingo)
NSAW = Not safe at work (Classifying a video or some content)
B/C = Because
W/E = Whatever
B/F = Boyfriend/Best friend (Depending on context)
B4 = Before
B4N = Bye for now
Bk/Bak = Back
BFD = Big F*king deal
FYI = For your information
BRT = Be right there
BTW = By the way
Cmon/Kmon/Cumon = Come on
DL = Download
UL = Upload
EZ/EZY = Easy

Letters that make the sound of the word:
U = You
C = See
CU = See you
Y = Why
O = Oh
B = Be
A = Sometimes used as "Hey" by the extremely lazy. :]

There are tons of variations that come up everyday. And there are very few that have the time to write them all down. Theres a very extensive list here: http://www2.state.id.us/AG/pro tecteens/InternetLingoDictiona ry.pdf If you want to continue your knowledge on the lingo.

Learn more about this author, Dwight Lackmann.
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