E-mail messages often contain abbreviations and acronyms in an attempt to save time, shorten messages or conserve bandwidth. Here are some common ones and their meanings:

BFN--bye for now

BTW--by the way

CUA--commonly used acronyms, common user access

FAQ--frequently asked question

FUD--(spreading) fear, uncertainty and disinformation

FWIW--for what it's worth

FYI--for your information

GR&D--grinning, running and ducking

HTH--hope this helps

IAE--in any event

IANAL--i am not a lawyer

IMCO--in my considered opinion

IMHO--in my humble opinion

IMNSHO--in my not so humble opinion

IMO--in my opinion

IOW--in other words

JAGR--just a gentle reminder

LOL--lots of luck, laughing out loud

MHOTY--my hat's off to you

NRN--no reply necessary

OIC--oh, i see

OOTB--out of the box (brand new)

OTOH--on the other hand

OTTH--on the third hand

PMFJI--pardon me for jumping in

RFTM--read the funny manual

ROTFL--roll(ing) on the floor laughing (also ROF, L, ROFL)

RSN--real soon now (which may be a long time
coming)

SITD--still in the dark

TANSTAAF--there ain't no such thing as a free
lunch

TIA--thanks in advance

TIC--tongue in cheek

TLA--three-letter acronym

TTFN--ta-ta for now

TTYL--talk to you later

TYVM--thank you very much

WYSIWYG--what you see is what you get

Commonly Used Emoticons:

:-) smiley face

;-) wink (light sarcasm)

:-| indifference

:-> devilish grin (heavy sarcasm)

8-) eye-glasses

:-D shock or surprise

:-/ perplexed

:-( frown (anger or displeasure)

:-P wry smile

;-} leer

:-Q smoker

:-e disappointment

:-@ scream

:-O yell

:-* drunk

:-{} wears lipstick

:- male

>- female

The above abbreviations and emoticons were presented for your knowledge and enjoyment only. I highly recommend you use these sparingly, if at all, since not everyone knows what they mean.

There are hundreds of these things and their translations are by no means universal (a mis-interpreted smiley could lead to a flame).

Ooops, sorry! Here's the definition of flame: name- calling, personal insults, verbal attacks, trying to start a fight with someone, to criticize harhly in an e- mail.

About the Author

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