My favourite IM abbr 

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Live Love LOL on a clipboard

In my daily chats or tweets, I often get asked the question «What does XXX mean?» or receive the bare question mark suite «???» following the use of an abbreviation.

A side effect of today's prevalence of text messaging, instant messaging and especially Twitter as means of communicating is the increased usage of acronyms and abbreviations in the content we broadcast, which's length is slimmed down by choice or by constraint.

I live in Geneva where the main language remains French. Most people I communicate with have some fluency in English, but most lack the geeky online culture in which these abbreviations are the most common. Even though a number of them have been translated into French (e.g. LOL becomes Mdr), their English counterpart still prevails and bewilder a number of people I know.

There is a generation gap which adds to what precedes, as the younger people tend to embrace the web and its culture as ubiquitous.

All this isn't without reminding me of the days when CB radioham») was popular and how the slang used by aficionados fascinated me. Secrets and double meanings in ordinary words. I loved it.

If wonder if there are any CB fans/users left out there…

There are loads of web sites out there that give you lists of the common abbreviations used in text messages of instant messages, but if I had to pick two, I would suggest:

BOT: this entry is getting far too long. All I wanted to do this morning was to share my favourite 30 with you.

73Best Regards
88Love and Kisses
8318 letters, 3 words, 1 meaning, I love you
100Nature Calls/Pit Stop
AFAICAs Far As I'm Concerned
AFAIKAs Far As I Know
AKAAlso Known As
BOTBack On Topic
BRBBe Right Back
DAMHIKDon't Ask Me How I Know
DWDon't Worry
EGEvil Grin
EODEnd Of Discussion
ETAEstimated Time of Arrival
FYAFor Your Amusement
FYIFor Your Information
GALGet A Life
GBTWGet Back To Work
LOLLaughing Out Loud
ROFLRolling On Floor Laughing
ROTFRolling On The Floor
SSSo Sorry
SWAKSealed With A Kiss
SWLScreaming With Laughter
SYSSee You Soon
YMMVYour Mileage May Vary
YWIAYou're Welcome In Advance
ZZZSleeping

Have a great weekend!
88

Currently playing in iTunes: If You Knew by Mélanie Pain

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