As much time as I spend on the internet, I still haven't figured out the internet slang. It seems that there's always something new to learn, whether it's from a YouTube personality or a celebrity throwing out some new terms, or that girl from Vine, Peaches Monroe, that coined "on fleek."
If you're new to the social media scene or if you just can't seem to hang with all of the new internet slang, here's a collective list of the newest and most important acronyms you should know if you frequent the web. From the basics to the more complex, here are the top 36 most important internet language you should know about.
1. LOL.
If you don't know by now, LOL is "Laugh Out Loud," but some older parents believe it's "Lots of Love."
2. Bae.
It's "before anyone else" but it's also a nickname to give your crush and/or significant other... if you're into that.
3. LMAO.
"Laugh my ass off," just like LOL, has lost its meaning since the internet has become desensitized. If it's all in lower case, chances are the user isn't really laughing that hard, if at all.
4. OMFG.
It's either really shocking, like "Oh My Gosh" or it's used in a sarcastic manner, but "Oh My F**king Gosh" is a bigger deal.
5. FOH.
"F**k Out of Here" is used when someone's argument is invalid and you're just done with it.
6. WTF.
"What the F**k" is a classic move for when you're completely in shock, disgusted, or just downright confused.
7. IDK.
Interchangeable with IDFK, "I don't know" is everyone's favorite response for the "what's the move" text.
8. RT.
Often used on Twitter, "RT" is "retweet," for when a tweet is just too accurate and relatable.
9. Stan.
"I stan" or "we stan" used as a verb means supporting a celebrity in an overzealous manner. Being a "stan" means being an obsessive fan of a celebrity. Remember when Slim Shady wrote a whole song about an obsessed fan, whose name was... Stan?? Exactly.
10. AF.
When someone is "cute AF" or "wack AF" it means they are "cute as f**k" or "wack as f**k." Just another way to use the f-word as a unit of measurement.
11. BDE.
"Big Dick Energy" is the newest saying to hit the internet, with people claiming it to be bold moves made by celebrities, or standing up for what you believe in, therefore radiating BDE. Rihanna is everyone's favorite example of a woman that has BDE.
12. #ikyk
"I know you know" but half the time people really don't know.
13. ICYMI.
"In Case You Missed It" really pulls people in, since everyone is so disconnected from the internet and they never know what's happening...
14. IOW.
"In Other Words" is used when you go a little too into your explanation, then realize you need to dumb it down for some people.
15. SMH.
"Shake my Head," "Shaking my Head," or "Shake my Damn Head," when someone is saying something really dumb, not doing their job, or you're just done with how things are going.
16. TL;DR
"Too long; didn't read" often applies to articles or long texts, or when people choose to just glance at a long post and skim it.
17. TBH.
Middle school Facebook posts live on through "To be Honest," which just sounds good at the end of a brutally honest message, tbh.
18. IMO.
"In my Opinion" can vary from "In my Humble Opinion" below, although they are interchangeable.
19. IMHO.
"In my Humble Opinion," as if your opinion really matters.
20. LMK.
"Let me know," used in making plans, often gone unnoticed when plans are finally made and no one is notified.
21. FTW.
"For the Win" can often be confused with "F**k the World" as I once found out when I so boldly claimed the latter.
22. DM.
A DM is a direct message, as in a private message sent via Twitter. If you were to slide into someone's DMs, you're going to send them a private message, in a flirtatious manner.
23. IRL.
"In Real Life" used to be used for those late night RuneScape times, when referring to something happening in the real world.
24. NSFW.
"Not Safe for Work" meaning you probably shouldn't open this message or be on this website while at your job.
25. BFD
"Big F**king Deal" can be used sarcastically or to be more matter-of-fact. Way more serious than just a "big deal."
26. FB.
Just an acronym for FaceBook. Just like Zuckerberg intended.
27. IG.
An acronym for Instagram, not to be confused with anything political.
28. FT.
"FT" is FaceTime, but "ft" is featuring.
29. FOMO
"Fear of Missing Out" when it comes to parties, holiday events, or even inside jokes happening at the office.
31. NVM.
"Never mind" because you can't keep explaining yourself a hundred times.
32. OMW.
"on my way" or, as autocorrect likes to put it, "On my Way!"
33. OOTD.
"Outfit of the Day" for the IG bloggers, or that one cute Snapchat post you put on your story.
34. It's canceled.
Coined by Joanne the Scammer, "It's canceled" is fitting for when something popular (like a trend) becomes really weird or people ruin it, you just have to cancel it. It's over.
35. Literally shaking rn.
When you're just so full of rage, you're "literally shaking right now."
36. TW.
"Trigger Warning" is often used for content that may trigger negative reactions when discussing sexual assault, rape, suicide, and other topics.
