LMAO LOL OMG

[kags]

Where did these abbreviations originate, and is it polite to use them? Are there any others?

[sft42]

There are loads of others of varying degrees of rudeness. BTW = By The Way.....IM(H)O = In My (Humble) Opinion.....FYI = For Your Information.

Here are some links with listings of some more:

http://www.macmillandictionary.com/resourcetexting
terms.htm

http://www.lingo2word.com/lists/acronym_listA.html

and http://mind-brain.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=40
43

[SavageMonkey]

These sorts of abbreviations should be limited to Instant Messages, avoid using them in emails unless you know the person well.

Also in Instant Messages (MSN, ICQ etc), try to avoid sticking "lol" onto the end of your sentences. It happens more often nowadays, and for people like myself who are particularly picky it gets annoying. If the sentence isn't funny, don't put "lol" on the end. "lol" means "Laughing Out Loud", and if you are not doing this there is really no need to say it. I think however though saying "brb" in Instant Messages is perfectly polite as you're telling the person you're leaving briefy, and if you need to leave quickly it can be very handy.

[David H]

From bitter experience, I will say the only place it's impolite to use them is on all internet forums, where no one is in a hurry to type, and many readers don't understand them. How many people would understand q & as here if ppl, gr8, rotflmao etc were used instead of words, especially for those with a different first language. They drive me mad as well wherever I see them, and one reason was before predictive mobile phone texting to save multiple pressing. This reason has now gone, but they keep doing it...

[poppyj]

LOL is the most annoying one in MSN as savagemonkey points out, because quite often you're not laughing out loud. So now people have to write 'I actually am LOL' because no one would think you were genuinely laughing if you just put lol. I think when you get to the crazier abbreviations, the TCBMBFBA (telephone, could be my boyfriend better answer) then they're best left to the 13 year olds who got texting dictionaries in their christmas stockings.

[SavageMonkey]

LOL good point poppyj (I would have no idea what the TCBMBFDA meant :D)

[Tat]

me neither! i hate it when people don't use predictive text as it takes me ages to decode. my 13 year old cousin sent me one which was just about understandable til right at the end when he put 'tb'. i asked him what it meant and he looked at me as if i was really stupid and said' it means text back. duh'. but he'd asked me a question so of course i was going to text back. duh! sorry, ranting...

[Caladon]

Savage Monkey, i don't suppose you are the same savage monkey who plays battlefield 1942 Desert Storm?