What do BTW, FAQ, FYI, IMHO, RTFM, and other acronyms mean? (2024)

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These are all abbreviations for specific phrases commonly used ininformal written computer correspondence, online forums and boards,and online gaming. Following are some common acronyms and theirmeanings:

AFAIC As far as I'm concerned
AFAIK As far as I know
AFK Away from keyboard
BRB Be right back
BTDT Been there, done that
BTW By the way
BUAG Butt-ugly ASCII graphic
C/C Comments and criticism
EOM End of message
FAQ

Frequently Asked Question(s). When people say "the FAQ", they are generally referring to a list of answers to Frequently Asked Questions.

FTFY

Fixed that for you; often accompanied by a correction

FTW For the win
FWIW For what it's worth
FYI For your information
HTH Hope this helps
IANAL I am not a lawyer
IIRC If I recall correctly
IMHO In my humble opinion
IMNSHO In my not so humble opinion
IMO In my opinion
IOW In other words
l33t or 1337

From "elite". This has become a term used to describe the informal communication of Internet gaming. L33t speak is easily identified by the substitution of number and other characters for regular letters; e.g., hackers becomes h4XX0rz.

LFG

Looking for group, usually used in MMORPGs

LMAO Laughing my butt off
LMGTFYLet me Google that for you
LOL Laughing out loud
MMORPG

Massive multiplayer online role-playing game (e.g., World of Warcraft or Star Wars Galaxies); sometimes shortened to MMO

MOTAS Member of the appropriate sex
MOTOS Member of the opposite sex
MOTSS Member of the same sex
NG Newsgroup
n00b

From "newbie", meaning a newcomer not yet familiar with the rules

NT

No text; usually in the subject line of a message with no body

OMG Oh my God
OTOH On the other hand
PWN

Usage of the term "own", as in "I PWNed you!"

QQ

Cry more, noob (representation of eyes crying, often found in MMORPGs)

RL

Real life, as opposed to the Internet

ROFL Rolling on the floor laughing
ROFLMAO

Rolling on the floor laughing my butt off

RTFM

Read the fine manual. This may be interpreted as: "You have asked a question which would best be answered by consulting the manual (or FAQ, or other help files), a copy of which should be in your possession. The question you have asked is clearly answered in the manual and you are wasting time asking people to read it to you." It's good netiquette to mail this type of answer to another user rather than post it in public messages.

SO

Significant other; used to refer to someone's romantic partner

TBH To be honest
TLA Three letter acronym
TTFN Ta ta for now
TTYL Talk to you later
W/E Whatever
w00t An expression of joy
WFN Wrong forum, noob
WTF What the heck
WYSIWYG

ARCHIVED: What you see is what you get, pronounced as "wizzywig".

YMMH You might mean here
YMMV Your mileage may vary
{g} Grin
{BG} Big grin

This is document adkc in the Knowledge Base.
Last modified on 2023-09-22 17:53:42.

What do BTW, FAQ, FYI, IMHO, RTFM, and other acronyms mean? (2024)

FAQs

What does the acronym btw mean? ›

by the way: used esp in e-mails, text messages, etc.

What does imho mean? ›

written abbreviation for in my humble opinion: used when you tell someone your opinion, for example in an email.

What does FYI or FYI mean? ›

The Meaning of Fyi

Fyi is an abbreviation for the phrase “for your information.” The term can be traced back to the 1930s, when it was used by journalists to indicate that the messages they sent by wire—or parts of the messages—were for the eyes of the person receiving the message, not for further publication.

What does FAQ stand for in texting? ›

End of message. FAQ. Frequently Asked Question(s). When people say "the FAQ", they are generally referring to a list of answers to Frequently Asked Questions. FTFY.

What does rtf mean? ›

Rich Text Format (RTF) is a file Format that lets you exchange text files between different word processors in different operating systems (OSes). For example, you can create a file in Microsoft Word and then open it in another word processor, such as Apple Pages or Google Docs.

What does IDC mean? ›

"I don't care", in Internet/chat slang.

What FTW mean? ›

FTW is an abbreviation of the phrase for the win. For the win is a slang expression that enthusiastically conveys something is excellent or will succeed—it's awesome, the greatest, the best ever.

What does FF's mean in texting? ›

In an email, FF is used to mean friends forever when sending a friendly email to your bosom friend. It's an internet slang you both use to communicate. On Facebook, people use FF to mean “Flashback Friday”, follow Friday just like in the Twitter case, or friends forever.

What is the meaning of FYI & a? ›

Author has 21.2K answers and 33.9M answer views. · 1y. FYI and FYA are acronyms that stand for "For Your Information" and "For Your Attention", respectively. They are both used in business to provide information or request attention to specific points.

What does 46 mean in texting? ›

CU46 means see you for sex. CU46 is an internet slang code that conveys plans to have sexual relations.

What does PS mean in texting? ›

What Is the Meaning of PS? PS means postscript, which is derived from the Latin word, Postscriptum. The word postscript means “written after”. The term postscript or the abbreviation PS is written when an additional message or information is added after the script of the letter or email is written.

What does "ofc" mean in text? ›

OFC = of course. Many of these abbreviations, while often used in text, are also used in casual conversation in person. All of these abbreviations, however, are only used in casual situations, and are not used in conversations or emails with Professors, in interviews, or professional situations.

What is the meaning of btw? ›

written abbreviation for by the way: used, for example in emails, when you are writing something that relates to the subject you are discussing, but is not the main point of the discussion: I hope you enjoyed your holiday in Florida - btw, can you recommend a good hotel?

What does >>> mean in chat? ›

It's often used to express an opinion about a situation or habit, like “skipping class to study>>>” or “iced coffee>>>”, which could mean “I like skipping class to study” or “I like iced coffee”. Theoretically, you could also use <<< to mean the opposite, something that you don't like, but I haven't actually seen that.

What does WWWW mean in a text? ›

The use of wwww to represent laughing comes from the Japanese wara (笑), “to laugh.” With the rise of text-messaging and the internet in the 1990s–2000s, Japanese users adapted the kanji 笑 to denote laughter, similar to LOL.

What does BWT mean in texting? ›

BWT = but why tho.

What does just btw means? ›

BTW stands for "by the way." It's used to insert a new idea into a conversation or to bring something up (like a reminder). It can also be used to change the subject of a discussion quickly. Even compared to other slang terms, BTW is one of the most popular acronyms on the internet.

What is BT dubs mean? ›

A spoken slang for BTW, meaning "by the way", which. originated on the internet. Rather than say "bee-tee- double-u" out loud, people began saying "bee-tee-dubs", which became "btdubs" when translated back to the.

What is BTW in Snapchat? ›

BTW in Snapchat text slang means "By The Way." This slang is generally used to indicate that a person is going to bring up something new to chat or confront something with the other person in the chat. Also Read | What does a 'Yellow heart' mean on Snapchat?

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