Texting Shorthands and Abbreviations

I tend to use these in CommunicationProtocols, in particular, texting (SMS), IM, Foursquare shouts, and of course, Twitter.

This is not a definitive nor thorough/complete list. Rather, I've only documented shorthands after actual usage, no theoretical shorthands. Many are adopted from existing IM/txting conventions.

Feel free to copy/paste and start a TxtShorthands page on your own wiki. Let me know and I'll link to it below.

shorthandization

• e-schwa dropping, e.g. Flickr. Others:
• chrgr = charger
• filterd = filtered
• orderd = ordered
• trvl = travel
• "ing" to "n" shortening, e.g.
• dancn = dancing
• rippn = ripping
• twittn = twitting
• uploadn = uploading

prefixes

• ++- = doubleplus, e.g. ++good = doubleplusgood. see also NewSpeak.
• ~- = approximately, e.g. ~10 = approximately 10.
• @- = username- on the system, e.g. on twitter, @t refers to user t, i.e. http://twitter.com/t . also in common use in comments (to refer/reply to previous commenters) on items posted on content hosting sites, e.g. Flickr, blogs.

suffixes

• -++ = agree with or props to (when added to a person/alias), add a vote for (when added to an issue or choice), recommend/approve (when added to an item/product idea).
• -a = am typically to indicate a point in time in the 12 hours before noon. e.g. 1030a = 10:30am.
• #m, #min = time in minutes, e.g. 15m or 15min = 15minutes.
• -p = pm typically to indicate a point in time in the 12 hours after noon. e.g. 137p = 1:37pm = 13:37.

specific shorthands

key: shorthand(pluralization) = likely expansion 1(pluralization), likely expansion 2 etc. use context to pick specific expansion where more than one is possible.

punctuation

Punctuation is frequently used even in normal unabbreviated prose to replace/shorten written expressions, thus it's useful to call them out in particular. In practice only a few of these have been seen outside of IM/txting contexts.

• _ = ... a savings of 2 characters per ellipsis, an underscore (with space on both sides) serves as a suitable replacement.
• != = ≠, does not equal
• + = plus, in addition, and ('&' takes up an extra 4 bytes/characters in Twitter due to HTML escaping and so '+' is more efficient)
• > = more than
• @ = at
• a:b::c:d, a : b :: c : d = a is to b in the same way as c is to d. commonly used to abbreviate analogies. See Verbal Analogy Questions for more details/examples.

substitutions

• <3 = heart, love
• </3 = broken heart
• 1 = one
• 1337 = l33t
• 2 = two, to, too
• 2nt = tonight
• 4 = for, four
• 411 = info, information
• 5.9, 5.10A, 5.10AB, 5.10B, 5.10C, 5.10D, 5.11A, 5.11B ... top-rope climbing rating (see Wikipedia explanation of the Yosemite climbing scale).
• abbr(s) = abbreviation(s)
• ac = air conditioning
• afaict = as far as I can tell
• afaik = as far as I know
• any1 = anyone
• app = application
• asap = as soon as possible
• attn = attention
• b = be
• b4 = before
• bat(s) = battery(ies)
• bb = BlackBerry
• bbb = BlackBerry Bold
• bbiab = be back in a bit
• bc = because
• bday = birthday
• bot = bought
• brb = be right back
• brkfst = breakfast
• btn = button
• btw = by the way, between
• c = see
• cc = credit card
• cc: = carbon copy:
• CC = Creative Commons
• chg(s) = change(s)
• chk = check
• chkmate = checkmate
• cmd(s) = command(s)
• co(s) = company(s)
• comm(s) = communicate(s), communication(s)
• cont = continue, continuous
• CTTP = Coffee To The People
• d1 = day 1 (of a conference for example)
• d1.5 = second half of day 1
• d2 = day 2
• d2.5 = second half of day 2, etc.
• da = the
• dbag = douchebag
• dbl = double
• decl = declaration
• deet(s) = detail(s)
• def = definitely
• din,dinnr = dinner
• dir = direct, directory
• dl = download
• dm = direct message
• DM = Depeche Mode
• dld = downloaded
• eg = e.g.
• emb = embarrassing
• emo = emotion, emotional
• enc(s) = enclosure(s)
• eom = end of message (how "eom" makes your email more efficient)
• eta = estimated time of arrivial
• evt(s) = event(s)
• exp = experience
• f = fuck, often paired with "that" or "up", e.g. "f that", or with past tense: "f'd up", or abbreviated present: "f'ing".
• f2f = face to face
• fav = favorite
• ftl = for the loss
• ftw = for the win!
• fwiw = for what it's worth
• fyi = for your information
• g2g = got to go
• gol = giggling out loud
• govt = government
• gt = greater than - because > costs four characters on twitter
• gtd = getting things done (often a reference to GTD, see below)
• GTD = David Allen's Getting Things Done book
• hdr = header
• housewarm = housewarming
• html = hypertext markup language
• hw = hardware
• icymi = in case you missed it
• ident = identity
• i18n = internationalization
• ie = i.e.
• IE = Microsoft Internet Explorer
• iilwy = i'm in like with you
• iirc = if I recall correctly
• im = instant message, instant messaging, I'm
• imho = in my humble/honest opinion
• imo = in my opinion
• ims = instant messages
• in2 = into
• intl = international
• iqsl = iced quad soy latte. see also qisl.
• irl = in real life
• isl = iced soy latte
• jfgi = just f-ing google it
• jgi = just google it
• jic = just in case
• jit = just in time
• k = ok, kilo (1000x), kilobytes (1024 bytes)
• l = lol
• l33t = leet
• l8r = later
• LA = Los Angeles
• LAX = Los Angeles International Airport
• leet = elite
• loc = location
• lol = laugh out loud
• lolz = laughs out loud
• lt = less than - because < costs four characters on twitter
• m = am
• mag = magazine
• MC = Mission Cliffs
• mi = mile
• min = minute
• mktg = marketing
• mo = month, more
• MSFT = Microsoft
• msg(s) = message(s)
• mtg(s) = meeting(s)
• mv = move
• n = and (often fewer button presses to type than "&")
• ne1 = anyone
• nopa = North of Panhandle
• np = no problem
• nrg = energy
• nt = night
• nu = new
• ny = New York
• nye = new year's eve
• o = oh
• ob = obligatory (often used as a prefix), e.g. obSWref = obligatory Star Wars reference
• obhumb = obligatory humble/humbling statement/confession
• obv = obvious(ly)
• og = original, original gangster
• oh = overheard
• omfg = oh my f'ing goodness
• omfs = oh my f'ing science
• omg = oh my goodness
• omh = overmisheard
• oms = oh my science
• omw = on my way
• omwh = on my way home
• ONT = Ontario (California) international airport
• oot = out of touch
• ooto = out of the office
• opp = opportunity
• otoh = on the other hand
• OTC = On The Corner (cafe on Divisadero)
• otp = on the phone
• PDT = Pacific Daylight Timezone (Z-0700)
• PG = Planet Granite
• PPG = Presidio Planet Granite
• pic(s) = picture(s)
• pix = pictures
• pls,plz = please
• pov = point of view
• ppl = people
• pref(s) = preference(s)
• prob = problem
• prog = program
• prolly = probably
• psn = portable social networks - see also "snp".
• PST = Pacific Standard Timezone (Z-0800)
• PT = Pacific Time
• pt = point
• pw = password
• pwr = power
• pwrd = powered
• qisl = quad isl. see also iqsl.
• qt = quote
• r = are
• rcv(d) = receive(d)
• re = regarding
• ref = reference
• reg(d) = register(ed)
• RG = Real Genius (the movie)
• ritro = Ritual Coffee Roasters
• rly = really
• rm('d), rmv('d) = remove(d)
• roi = return on investment
• rufkm - are you f kidding me
• rvu = review
• scifi = science fiction
• sat = satellite
• sd = sd (secure digital) memory
• sd400 = Canon PowerShot SD400 camera
• sd1100 = Canon PowerShot SD1100is camera
• SEA = Seattle
• sf = San Francisco
• SFO = San Francisco International Airport
• shdh = SuperHappyDevHouse
• soma = South of Market
• some1 = someone
• sopa = South Park
• snp = social network portability
• srsly = seriously
• sub(s) = subscribe(rs), substitute(s)
• ST = Star Trek
• ST:TNG = Star Trek: The Next Generation
• stfu = shut the f up
• sw = software
• SW = Star Wars
• ther4,there4 = therefore
• thx = thanks
• tru = true
• ttfn = ta ta for now
• ttyl = talk to you later
• ttys = talk to you soon
• ttyt = talk to you then/tomorrow (disambiguate via context)
• txt = text
• tz = timezone
• u = you
• uf(s) = microformat(s)
• ui = user interface
• ur = your, you're
• url = universal resource locator
• urs = yours
• v = very
• V0, V1, V2, V3, V4, V5... - bouldering ratings (see Wikipedia explanation of the V scale).
• visn = vision
• vu = view
• VW = va11eywag - related: HouseRules
• w = with
• w1 = week 1 (e.g. of a workout routine, like OneHundredPushUps)
• w2 = week 2 (etc.)
• wfh = work from home
• whats = what's
• wo,w/o = without
• wt = weight
• wtf = what the f
• y = why, yes
• yester = yesterday
• yr(s) = year(s)
• yt = yours truly (no, this will never be interpreted as "you there", see CommunicationProtocols for why)
• y'all = you all
• zomg = z oh my goodness

apparently unused

Can't remember the last time I used these. Subject to deprecation. See below.

• 2it = to it
• bbl = be back later
• col = chuckles out loud
• ctfd = calm the f down
• ftmfw = for the mother f'ing win
• gma = grandma
• gmta = great minds think alike
• gpa = grandpa
• PEBKAC = problem exists between keyboard and chair
• smc = SocialMediaClub
• sow = scope of work
• tyvm = thank you very much
• wb = welcome back
• yw = you're welcome

deprecated

Used in the past. Subject to deletion.

• infl = iced non-fat latte. see isl for replacement as of 2008-02.
• nfl = non-fat latte. see qsl for effective usage replacement as of 2008-02.

Others TxtShorthands

• Rachel Popkin
• http://www.netlingo.com/emailsh.cfm

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