Babs' Handy Guide to Internet Acronyms or BHGTIA

The internet is a culture all its own and when you enter it, you would do well to have an acronym translator. The AAAAA (American Association Against Acronym Abuse) is doing its best to discourage the ubiquitous acronym through its well-funded program, JSNTA. PWCSA (People Who Can't Stand Acronyms) are also taking donations, fearing that one day acronyms will replace words altogether. After all, why go to the trouble of uttering entire sentences full of words when everyone knows what you're talking about when you say OMGROTFLMAO?


With this handy guide, you'll get all you need to know about navigating the internet with ease and savvy. Let's start with the most common acronyms first.


LOL: Lost, Outcast, Lonely. LOL is a cry for help. When someone claims to be LOL they are usually lying, but just to make sure, you should ask them if they are okay.

BFF: Blasted Foul Fiend. User does not care for you.

FWIW: Frankly We're Infinitely Wise: Only the most arrogant and self-assured internet users will employ this acronym. Don't believe anything that begins with this egomaniacal phraseology.

TTYL: TeeTotalers, You Lose. This acronym is always followed by dead silence, presumably because its user has passed out cold. So who really loses, I ask?

WTF: Wow, That's Fantastic! This will often be used in the comments section of political blogs when you have just made a particularly astute statement.

FTW: Failure To Wean. This makes reference to men who are still afraid of their mothers.