LOL. OMG. WTF. All of the usual suspects. But there are some new text acronyms you may not know growing in popularity.
The Internet is ever-changing. Every day, people think of new and inventive ways to shorten the time it takes to type things out. Love it or hate it, it’s a thing. And you don’t want to get caught scratching your head when someone sends you a text with “IMO,” at the end of it. That means “in my opinion,” by the way.
Did you get the one in the title of this blog? That one means, “In case you missed it.”
There are new acronyms popping up more commonly in the internet zeitgeist recently. Now, it’s not enough to just know that LOL means “laughing out loud.” There are probably a dozen more acronyms to use to express laughter over text now. It’s getting to a point where you can’t not know them.
Don’t fret, though. We’re on your side here. It’s okay to not be totally up-to-date on these. That’s why we’ve made this list – for your benefit. And if you already knew some of these, good for you! It’s important to be able to decipher texts from others without having to search the internet for an answer.
Here are 13 popular text acronyms you may not know:
HMU
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“Hit me up.”
Someone may send this to you when they want you to message them. For example, you may want more information about something. Say you post on facebook, “anyone know a good landscaper?” Someone may comment back, “yeah, HMU.” You would then privately message them for the details.
LMK
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“Let me know.”
In context, the conversation would go like like this. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to get this done by tomorrow.” “That’s okay, LMK.” The person wants you to keep them updated on whether or not you’ll get the thing done.
OOTD
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“Outfit of the day.”
A teenager or young person may post a selfie of their outfit on social media with the caption, “OOTD.” It’s sometimes accompanied by a hashtag, too. It’s basically just a way of saying, “I really like my outfit today so the world needs to see it.”
FTW
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“For the win.”
A person will say this when they feel passionate about something and how much they like it. An example conversation would be: “What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?” “Chocolate FTW!” They want chocolate ice cream to win the ice cream flavor debate. You can also use this in support of your favorite sports team For example, sending “Sixers FTW!” at tip off of a playoff game.
NPC
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“Non-player character.”
If you have a youngster, like middle-school-aged, in your life, you may have heard this said. “Dude, you’re such an NPC.” They’re basically saying you’re basic, like a background character. NPC’s are the background characters in video games. You can’t play as them, and they kinda just repeat the same phrases over and over and walk around aimlessly.
RN
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“Right now.”
It can also be mistaken for “registered nurse,” we know. But if someone sends you “call me rn,” they likely mean “right now.” It’s tacked onto the end of texts to convey urgency.
TLDR
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“Too long, didn’t read.”
Someone may provide you with a “TLDR” of a story, meaning a quick summary. Or, someone being a troll may comment “TLDR” under a post of yours with a long caption.
OMW
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“On my way.”
This may get texted to you while the person coming to you is driving. It’s a super quick way to let someone know you’re on your way to them. Don’t text and drive, but three letters are likely the easiest to send at the wheel. That’s why people do it!
ATM
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“At the moment.”
No, not the thing you get cash out of. This is put at the end of texts where someone is telling you what they’re doing. For example, “what are you doing?” “Eating ATM.” That person isn’t eating a cash withdrawal machine. They are eating in that moment.
AF
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“As f*#$.’
This is a way of emphasizing what you’re saying. Saying “I’m tired,” and saying “I’m tired AF” mean two different things. In one, you’re just sleepy. In the other, you’re effing EXHAUSTED.
FOMO
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“Fear of missing out.”
“FOMO” is something you have. A feeling you get. It translates to “fear of missing out,” yes. But you use it like: “I have FOMO.” If your friends all go out to dinner without you and post about it on social media, you can comment “FOMO!” That tells them you wish you were there with them.
IYKYK
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“If you know, you know.”
This is used when referring to inside jokes, or things just a few people would know. An example would be a post on social media where someone has taken a photo of a really yummy hoagie. They caption it “IYKYK.” Only people that recognize the hoagie or the paper its wrapped in will know. It’s conveying exclusivity.
TBF
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“To be fair/frank.”
You may be familiar with “TBH” which is “to be honest.” “TBF” is just another way of saying that, when you’re saying it in the “to be frank,” context. You can also use it like “he is 65, TBF (to be fair)” when jumping to the defense of your friend when a younger person is making fun of them for not getting text acronyms.
WYD
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“What are you doing?”
Its just another way of saying what’s up. It’s another alternative to “sup?” essentially.
