How-To Understand Internet Slang

Have you ever received an e-mail containing a series of letters you're embarrassed to admit you don't understand? TTFN, YFA. Huh? By its nature, the Web makes communicating faster and easier. Because of this, a kind of Web language has emerged, using symbols and acronyms to express larger phrases and feelings - on cyber time. Unless you live in a chat room, you probably don’t know what they all stand for. Use this guide to decipher what surfers are saying, and express yourself in cyberspeak.

Types of Internet Slang:

1. Emoticons. Emoticons are facial expressions created by punctuation symbols. They are used to quickly express an emotion without words, or clarify the tone of text messages. For example:

Please come see me in my office.

A note like this would probably send shivers down the spine of a typical worker. While it really shouldn't, this type of e-mail can instill the equivalent foreboding of being called to the principle's office in fifth grade. Now try this:

Please come see me in my office. :)

A world of difference! Just that little symbol turned a message that could have brought on nausea and fear of being fired into a much less ominous request. The emoticon acts as a signal of sorts that there's nothing to worry about - unless your boss is really twisted and just toying with your emotions. While we don't advocate using these symbols to communicate with your boss or staff on a regular basis, when used at the appropriate moment they can help transform the entire tone of a message. Click below to see some of the most common smiley emoticons out there.

Ironically, the origin of the smiley face is a highly controversial debate. The most accepted belief is that graphic artist Howard Ball of Worcester, MA, created the smiley when asked to design a morale boosting campaign. He started with just the smile, but soon realized disgruntled employees might turn it upside down to a frown, so he added eyes.

Other Emoticons:

:)	The classic smile. "I'm happy" or "my meaning is positive." Some Word programs will automatically turn this into a graphic after hitting return.
;)	The wink. "Just kidding," sarcasm, etc.
:-)	Smiley with a nose.
:-D	Laughing. A slightly goofier version of the smiley, this one signifies a particularly happy mood or a laughing response.
8)	Glasses or sunglasses. The cool smiley.
:p	Tongue hanging out. Self-explanatory.
:(	The frown. Disappointed or sad.
>:	Angry face.
:x	Sick face.
:O	Embarassed or shocked.
0:-)	Angel with halo. "Who, me?"
>:-)	Evil grin.

2. Chat Acronyms.

These abbreviations of commonly used chat phrases are often used in e-mail too. Although they can be great timesavers, it's easy to lose people if you overuse them.

ASAP	As Soon As Possible
BFN	Bye For Now
BTW	By The Way
DIY	Do It Yourself
FAQ	Frequently Asked Questions
FYA	For Your Amusement
FYI	For Your Information
K	Okay
KISS	Keep It Simple, Stupid
LMHO	Laughing My Head Off
LOL	Laughing Out Loud
OBO	Or Best Offer
OTL	Out To Lunch
OTFL	On The Floor Laughing
THX	Thanks
TIA	Thanks In Advance
TTFN	Ta Ta For Now

General Rule of Thumb: Use emoticons and chat acronyms sparingly. They work in the world of chat rooms (which to the uninitiated can look like hieroglyphics), but can be annoying and unprofessional in business. Used conservatively and in the right setting, they can save time, clarify your meaning, and generally lighten the mood of business communications. TTFN!