Based on recent comments and observations, I’ve come to realize that many of the acronyms encountered in the online world aren’t as well known as as many authors might wish. Herewith is a list of commonly encountered shortcuts, including some that are whimsical, obscure, and even a couple of historical interest:
aob: Any Other Business?
brb: Be Right Back
btdt: Been There, Done That
btdtgts: btdt, Got The Shirt
btw: By The Way
eom: End Of Message
fwiw: For What It’s Worth
hth: Hope That Helps
ianal: I Am Not A Lawyer
imo: In My Opinion
imho: In My Humble Opinion
imnsho: In My Not So Humble Opinion
istr: I Seem To Recall
lol: Laugh(ing) Out Loud
ot: Off Topic
omg: Oh My Gawd! (think Valley Girl)
rotfl: Rolling On The Floor Laughing
rotflmao: rotfl My Arse Off
vbg: Very Big Grin
Given the relationship between Berkeley and unix, you sometimes see this one:
walstib: What A Long Strange Trip It’s Been
Here’s the grandaddy of techno-shortcuts, from Robert Heinlein’s “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress“:
tanstaafl: There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch