How to Understand Text Message Shorthand
So, you want to understand text message shorthand, but instead you feel like an OL. You're not alone. But help is here: No longer are YOYO.
BTW, that's text messaging lingo for "old lady" and "you're on your own." And BTW is text message shorthand for "by the way." If your vast knowledge of text messaging lingo is limited to a few phrases like LOL and PU (say the letters out loud: "PU" means stinky), here's a quick guide to understanding at least some text message shorthand.
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Instructions
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Face it, you are a 4NR (foreigner). OOTL (out of the loop), a stranger in a strange land. If you want a D&M (deep and meaningful) relationship with your child or hipper friends, you're in the right place. Wanting to know how to read text messages is a step in the right direction
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Treat the text as a puzzle. Not everyone knows every acronym, but a lot of text messaging shorthand is more like a word puzzle. Read the text lingo in context and see if the phrase you expect to see matches the abbreviation. Expect a message to end "talk to you later" and you'll quickly figure out what "TTYL" means.
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Consider letter and number sounds. Text messages have strict character limits -- 160 and you're done. Normally, it doesn't seem like a hardship to spell out a short word like "great," but "GR8" ("Gr" plus "eight"; say it out loud) saves three characters. Try pronouncing the nonword various ways, speaking the names of numbers or out-of-place letters: "UR" becomes "you are"; "L8R" becomes "l-aight-er," or "later"; "some1" becomes "someone"; "B4" becomes "bee four," or "before"; "CYA" becomes "See ya."
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When logic and pronunciation fail, visit a website with text abbreviation lists. As with learning any new language, a dictionary can't hurt. Go to NetLingo and skim through the massive list of text message lingo listed there. For a quick and dirty list, go to Text Lingo. Or check out SMS Dictionary.
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Tips & Warnings
Learn a few new text message acronyms each day. Encourage people to text you. OK, CYA (BTW, that can mean See Ya).
Set a good example: Don't text while driving or writing a check or licking a stamp.
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Resources
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