In a recent Mental Floss article, Paul Anthony Jones lists 20 commonly used internet words. He explains that language changes quickly online, where people communicate often and prefer short forms to share feelings and reactions quickly. Abbreviations like LOL and IMHO have become so common that people even say them out loud. Along with these familiar terms, there are many newer or less obvious ones that are worth understanding.
Below are simple definitions of the acronyms from the article:
- AFAIK: “as far as I know,” used to share information while showing you may not be fully certain.
- AFAIC: “as far as I’m concerned,” used to give your opinion and show your personal stance on a topic.
- DKDC: “don’t know, don’t care,” used to show indifference or lack of interest in a subject or conversation.
- FAFO: “f*** around and find out,” used to warn someone that their actions may lead to consequences.
- FWIW: “for what it’s worth,” used to share an opinion or fact that may or may not be useful.
- HMU : “hit me up,” used to invite someone to contact you, message you, or start a conversation later.
- ICYMI : “in case you missed it,” used when sharing information that others may not have seen before online.
- GOAT: “greatest of all time,” used to praise someone or something as the best in a category.
- IKR: “I know, right,” used to agree strongly with someone or show shared understanding in a conversation.
- ISTG : “I swear to God,” used to show strong emotion, frustration, or seriousness in what you are saying.
- JK: “just kidding,” used to clarify that a previous statement was a joke and not meant seriously.
- NBD: “no big deal,” used to downplay something and show it is not important or worth worrying about.
- NGL: “not gonna lie,” used to introduce an honest opinion or admit something truthfully in a casual tone.
- OOMF: “one of my followers,” used on social media to refer to someone without naming them directly.
- OOTD: “outfit of the day,” used when sharing what someone is wearing, often in photos on social media.
- SMH: “shaking my head,” used to show disappointment, disbelief, or disapproval toward something that happened.
- TTYL: “talk to you later,” used to end a conversation politely while suggesting you will speak again soon.
- SYBAU: “shut your b**** a** up,” a rude phrase used to tell someone to stop talking.
Acknowledgement: This summary was generated using AI writing tools as part of my AI Exploration process. For more information, please refer to the original article listed below.