12 Web Acronyms You've Never Heard Of

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By Max Knoblauch2013-12-13 12:03:48 UTC

If you thought you were just getting the hang of web acronyms — LMAO, FTW, TTYL — think again. The Internet, as widespread and boundless as it is, has an entirely new batch for you to learn just in time for them to go out of style.

Ever heard of FTFY? How about GOMB, DIAF or GLHF? If these new Internetisms don't seem worth your time, you can just FGDAI (Fuhgedaboudit).

See also: The Complete Guide to Twitter Lingo

Check out this list of acronyms, abbreviations and initialisms, and see how many you didn't already know.

TL;DR: Acronyms are getting weirder.

1. FTFY: Fixed That for You

FTFY is appropriate in situations when you're correcting a grammatical or factual error in another web user's post or comment. It's often used jokingly to change the meaning of a previously popular meme or phrase.

2. DIAF: Die in a Fire

Use DIAF when you'd like the target of your acronym to die in a fire (hopefully in only a playfully dark way).

3. TL;DR: Too Long; Didn't Read

Often seen on Reddit, TL;DR is used primarily to summarize a lengthy text post, comment or video. It can also be used as a snarky and dismissive criticism of a post's length.

4. SMEXI: Smart + Sexy

Popular back in the days of MSN messenger, SMEXI has seen a rebirth of late, often used sarcastically alongside a less than flattering photo. However, as seen in the above tweet, some still take it pretty seriously.

5. GOMB: Get Off My Back

As in:

6. GLHF: Good Luck, Have Fun

Popular within the online gaming community, GLHF is a sign of sportsmanship used before a match.

7. FWIW: For What It's Worth

FWIW is usually used in tweets to indicate a personal opinion or an arbitrary bit of incoming information.

8. IWN: I Would Never

Use IWN when you want to make your dissenting opinions known.

9. SO: Significant Other

This gender neutral term is typically used on social sites (especially Reddit) when a user wants to maintain some level of anonymity.

10. MFW: My Face When

This phrase, commonly used sarcastically in bad situations, is typically followed by a funny meme or a frowning selfie.

11. DM;HS: Doesn't Matter; Had Sex

You're likely to find DM;HS in a Reddit post's comments as a response to any story involving a sexual encounter or relationship.

12. IIRC: If I Remember Correctly

This phrase is used to denote an unconfirmed but relatively certain memory.

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Image: Flickr, seeminglee

Topics: Conversations, internet acronyms, internet slang, Memes, Mobile, Social Media, texting