Chat rooms, email and text messages share a language that is all there own. It's made up of abbreviations and symbols (emoticons). It can make typing faster, but it can also make it very difficult for parents to understand what their kids are saying.
Do you know what LOL means? ASL? PAW? NP? J/K? or what ;-) means? Check out our guide below or search the web for additional abbreviations and emoticons. Learn the lingo and know what your kids are saying!!!!
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Abbreviation
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Meaning
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404
|
I haven't a clue
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ADN
|
Any day now
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AFAIK
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As far as I know
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AFK
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Away from keyboard
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ARE
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Acronym-rich environment
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ASAP
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As soon as possible
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ASL or A/S/L?
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Age/sex/location?
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B4N
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Bye for now
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BAK
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Back at the keyboard
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BBIAB
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Be back in a bit
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BBL
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Be back later
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BBN
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Bye bye now
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BBS
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Be back soon
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BEG
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Big evil grin
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BF
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Boy friend
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BFN
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Bye for now
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BG
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Big grin
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BIBO
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Beer in, beer out
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BIOYIOP
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Blow it out your I/O port
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BL
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Belly laughing
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BMGWL
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Busting my gut with laughter
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BOTEC
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Back-of-the-envelope calculation
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BRB
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Be right back
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BTA
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But then again...
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BTDT
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Been there, done that
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BTW
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By the way
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BWL
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Bursting with laughter
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BWTHDIK
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But what the heck do I know...?
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CICO
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Coffee in, coffee out
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C&G
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Chuckle and grin
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CNP
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Continued in next post
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CRB
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Come right back
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CRBT
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Crying real big tears
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CU
|
See you
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CUL
|
See you later
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CUL8ER
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See you later
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CYA
|
See ya
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CYO
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See you online
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DBA
|
Doing business as
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DFLA
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Disenhanced four-letter acronym (that is, a TLA)
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DL
|
Dead link
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DLTBBB
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Don't let the bed bugs bite
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DIKU
|
Do I know you?
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DITYID
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Did I tell you I'm distressed?
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DOM
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Dirty old man
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DOS
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Dozing off soon
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DQMOT
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Don't quote me on this
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DTRT
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Do the right thing
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DWB
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Don't write back
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EG
|
Evil grin
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EMFBI
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Excuse me for butting in
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EMSG
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E-mail message
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EOM
|
End of message
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ETLA
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Extended three-letter acronym (that is, an FLA)
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F2F
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Face to face
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FAQ
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Frequently-ask question(s)
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FC
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Fingers crossed
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FISH
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First in, still here
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FLA
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Four-letter acronym
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FMTYEWTK
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Far more than you ever wanted to know
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FOMCL
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Falling off my chair laughing
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FTBOMH
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From the bottom of my heart
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FUD
|
Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt
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FWIW
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For what it's worth
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FYI
|
For your information
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G
|
Grin
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GA
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Go ahead
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GAL
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Get a life
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GIGO
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Garbage in, garbage out
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GD&R
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Grinning, ducking, and running
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GF
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Girlfriend
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GFN
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Gone for now
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GIWIST
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Gee, I wish I'd said that
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GL
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Good luck
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GMAB
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Give me a break
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GMTA
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Great minds think alike
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GOL
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Giggling out loud
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GTRM
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Going to read mail
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GTSY
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Glad to see you
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H&K
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Hug and kiss
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HAGN
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Have a good night
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HAND
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Have a nice day
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HHIS
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Hanging head in shame
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HIG
|
How's it going
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HT
|
Hi there
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HTH
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Hope this helps
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IAC
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In any case
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IAE
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In any event
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IANAL
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I am not a lawyer (but)
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IC
|
I see
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IHA
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I hate acronyms
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IHU
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I hear you
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IIRC
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If I recall/remember/recollect correctly
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ILU or ILY
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I love you
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IM
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Immediate message
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IMCO
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In my considered opinion
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IMHO
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In my humble opinion
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IMing
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Chatting with someone online usually while doing other things such as playing trivia or other interactive game
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IMNSHO
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In my not so humble opinion
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IMO
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In my opinion
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IMS
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I am sorry
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IOW
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In other words
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IRL
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In real life (that is, when not chatting)
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ITIGBS
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I think I'm going to be sick
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IWALU
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I will always love you
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IYSWIM
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If you see what I mean
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J4G
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Just for grins
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JBOD
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Just a bunch of disks (like redundant array of independent disks, etc.)
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JIC
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Just in case
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JK
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Just kidding
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JMO
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Just my opinion
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JTLYK
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Just to let you know
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KISS
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Keep it simple stupid
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KIT
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Keep in touch
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KOTC
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Kiss on the cheek
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KOTL
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Kiss on the lips
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KWIM?
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Know what I mean?
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L8R
|
Later
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L8R G8R
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Later gator
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LD
|
Later, dude
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LDR
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Long-distance relationship
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LHO
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Laughing head off
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LLTA
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Lots and lots of thunderous applause
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LMSO
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Laughing my socks off
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LOL
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Laughing out loud
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LRF
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Little Rubber Feet (the little pads on the bottom of displays and other equipment)
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LSHMBH
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Laughing so hard my belly hurts
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LTM
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Laugh to myself
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LTNS
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Long time no see
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LTR
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Long-term relationship
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LULAB
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Love you like a brother
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LULAS
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Love you like a sister
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LUWAMH
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Love you with all my heart
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LY
|
Love ya
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LY4E
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Love ya forever
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MorF
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Male or female
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MOSS
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Member of the same sex
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MOTOS
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Member of the opposite sex
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MTF
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More to follow
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MUSM
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Miss you so much
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NADT
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Not a darn thing
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NP or N/P
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No problem
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NRN
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No response necessary
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OIC
|
Oh, I see
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OLL
|
Online love
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OMG
|
Oh my God
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OTF
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Off the floor
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OTOH
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On the other hand
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OTTOMH
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Off the top of my head
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PANS
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Pretty awesome new stuff (as opposed to "POTS")
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PAW
|
Parents are watching
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PCMCIA
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People can't master computer industry acronyms
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PDA
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Public display of affection
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PEBCAK
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Problem exists between chair and keyboard
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PIBKAC
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Problem is between keyboard and chair
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PM
|
Private message
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PMFJIB
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Pardon me for jumping in but...
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POAHF
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Put on a happy face
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::POOF::
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Goodbye (leaving the room)
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POTS
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Plain old telephone service
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PU
|
That stinks!
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QT
|
Cutie
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RL
|
Real life (that is, when not chatting)
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ROTFL
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Rolling on the floor laughing
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ROTFLMBO
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Rolling on the floor laughing my butt off
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RPG
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Role-playing games
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RSN
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Real soon now
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RT
|
Real time
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RYO
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Roll your own (write your own program; derived from cigarettes rolled yourself with tobacco and paper)
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S^
|
S'up – what's up
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S4L
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Spam for life (what you may get when you become someone's customer or client)
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SETE
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Smiling ear to ear
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SF
|
Surfer-friendly (low-graphics website)
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SHID
|
Slaps head in disgust
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SO
|
Significant other
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SOMY
|
Sick of me yet?
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SOT
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Short on time
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SOTMG
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Short on time must go
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STW
|
Search the Web
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SU
|
Shut up
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SUAKM
|
Shut up and kiss me
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SUP
|
What's up
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SWAK
|
Sealed with a kiss
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SWL
|
Screaming with laughter
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SYS
|
See you soon
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TA
|
Thanks again
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TAFN
|
That's all for now
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TANSTAAFL
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There ain't no such thing as a free lunch
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TCOY
|
Take care of yourself
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TGIF
|
Thank God it's Friday
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THX
|
Thanks
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TIA
|
Thanks in advance (used if you post a question and are expecting a helpful reply)
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TILII
|
Tell it like it is
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TLA
|
Three-letter acronym
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TLK2UL8R
|
Talk to you later
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TMI
|
Too much information
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TNT
|
Till next time
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TNX
|
Thanks
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TOPCA
|
Til our paths cross again (early Celtic chat term)
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TOY
|
Thinking of you
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TPTB
|
The powers that be
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TTFN
|
Ta-Ta for now
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TTT
|
Thought that, too (when someone types in what you were about to type)
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TTYL
|
Talk to you later
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TU
|
Thank you
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TY
|
Thank you
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UW
|
You're welcome
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VBG
|
Very big grin
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WAYD
|
What are you doing
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WB
|
Welcome back
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WBS
|
Write back soon
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WDALYIC
|
Who died and left you in charge?
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WEG
|
Wicked evil grin
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WFM
|
Works for me
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WIBNI
|
Wouldn't it be nice if
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WT?
|
What/who the?
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WTG
|
Way to go!
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WTGP?
|
Want to go private?
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WU?
|
What's up?
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WUF?
|
Where are you from?
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WYSIWYG
|
What you see is what you get
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YBS
|
You'll be sorry
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YMMV
|
Your mileage may vary.
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YW
|
You're welcome
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