Smile for the acronym

Written by Larry Schneider
Thursday, 10 November 2011 01:00

Dear Larry,

For the second time now, I’ve received an e-mail containing the “word” IMHO. I’ve been too embarrassed to ask what this means. Can you fill me in? —R.S.

Dear R.S.,

All users of e-mail and the Internet eventually come to learn the language you’re referring to. This “secret” form of communication includes a number of acronyms (such as IMHO) representing common English expressions that ease the typing of many a messenger. There are some 50 or 60 of these that I’m familiar with, and I’m certain that there are plenty more that I’m not. Let’s see how many of these you can figure out on your own. (Answers follow.)

So what are these strange acronyms? No need to be embarrassed as this is a FAQ. BTW, B4 you dig out your Webster’s, you should know that most of these letter combinations won’t be found there. FYI, AFAIK most of these are very common expressions. FWIW, while they’re easy to spout when speaking F2F, it’s time consuming to constantly type them out — and time isn’t FOC, you know. If too many of these acronyms populate a message, you might think the missive is FUBAR, GIGO, SNAFU, and so forth. Now, IMHO (or IMNSHO, I suppose — maybe I should just stick with IMO), these shortcuts are a really good thing; IME, they keep my fingers from getting too tired. IOW, less typing equals more rest for the hands. Sure, you might be LOL by how strange this paragraph appears (perhaps you’re even ROTFL), but, hey, WYSIWYG. Remember, for me, these acronyms are old news — BTDT. OTOH, I figure many of you would say DYJHIW someone tries to write in such odd code. But, in response to that, I’d say TB4UB! BSF, realize that YMMV. If you go out and try these in an e-mail to a friend ASAP, best that you include a TIA and NRN at the end — else, expect a response with a wave of questions like “What the heck does that mean?” Anyway, HTH. TTYL, BCNU, CUL alligator, and TTFN!

OK, how many acronyms did you come up with without peeking? FAQ (frequently asked question), BTW (by the way), B4 (before), FYI (for your information), AFAIK (as far as I know), FWIW (for what it’s worth), F2F (face to face), FOC (free of charge), FUBAR (“messed” up beyond all recognition), GIGO (garbage in, garbage out), SNAFU (situation normal, all “messed” up), IMHO (in my humble opinion), IMNSHO (in my not so humble opinion), IMO (in my opinion), IME (in my experience), IOW (in other words), LOL (laughing out loud), ROTFL (rolling on the floor laughing), WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get), BTDT (been there done that), OTOH (on the other hand), DYJHIW (don’t you just hate it when), TB4UB (try before you buy), BSF (but seriously folks), YMMV (your mileage may vary), ASAP (as soon as possible), TIA (thanks in advance), NRN (no reply necessary), HTH (hope this helps), TTYL (talk to you later), BCNU (be seein’ you), CUL (see you later), TTFN (ta ta for now).

TILSLO

(This is Larry Schneider, logging off.)

Larry Schneider is the owner of Accent on Computers, a Greenwich-based consulting firm catering to individuals, businesses and professional offices. PC and Mac services include computer setup, training, troubleshooting, virus resolution, networking, Internet, database and programming. Call 203-625-7575, visit Accentoncomputers.com, or send e-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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