The Pogo Player’s Guide to Netspeak!

Dear Readers,

This week we are going to dedicate this column to acronyms and “netspeak.”

Ms. Netiquette received so many letters regarding acronyms and netspeak that she had to indulge in three extra cups of strong British tea to wade through them all! Not to mention those biscuits she loves so much! Thanks to the many people who wrote in with comments, abbreviations, and acronyms.

Let us start with some of the more interesting comments that came from readers:

• “I am a nurse and we use symbols, such as a “dash” with a “c” under it, and abbreviations all the time in charting. It is something I had to adjust to. I am also a writer. The use of the short cuts in charting and in chatting on the internet has not had any effect on my writing skills.”
• “Netspeak is not nearly the same thing as leet speak. Leet speak replaces letters with numbers and symbols, such as leet (or 1337, l33t, l33+ ect, derived from the world “Elite”) and 5p34k for speak. Netspeak, such as “ne” for any and “y” for why and “u” for you, shortens words to make typing easier for the younger generation and those who are not as skilled in typing. Typing in leet speak actually takes much, much longer.”
• “I am sorry to say you are wrong. My daughter and step son both chat online and play on Pogo and they of course netspeak. Since they have started doing this they have both been having grammar issues in English class and their spelling has become dismal at best. The prevalence of netspeak is everywhere. I can understand it in a cellular text message (where you pay by the character) but nowhere else is it really appropriate.”
• “I am a fan of “Proper English” however, Pogo is about fun. Instead of being constantly offended, try using your wit…the first time I ran into GMTA (great minds think alike) – I typed in Gave My Tomatoes Away? Gravy Makes Terrible Adhesive?… the room cracked up and many more suggestions flew in- give it a try.”
• “A reminder to all, the British would say that American English really isn’t proper either. As times change and we grow as a society and so does our speech and writing. Besides, who are we trying to impress? No one will or should judge you here at Pogo; to do so is not proper! Netspeak not only is more convenient but helps build a good and friendly bond with those we play with. ‘It is not what you say but how you say it that counts!'”
• “People… people. I love Pogo, and I love to chat with friends. But, because of a spinal cord disease, I am disabled. I have no feeling in the fingers of my right hand. I have to use the mouse with my left. ( I am right handed). Needless to say, I don’t type like I used to. These are simply shortcuts for me. If I were to type a complete sentence, I would miss the game entirely.”
• “I agree with both sides, actually. I am appalled at the number of people who do not speak proper English (although I do make allowances for the fact that many of these people might be speaking English as a second language). I personally know two smart young men who couldn’t write a grammatically correct, proper English letter to save their lives – and they still graduated from high school. For shame (would someone get these kids a tutor?)!!However, I agree that Internet chat rooms are an exception. In a chat room you are dealing with limited space, several people trying to chat at once, and, in many games, a time restriction. Using netspeak is a quick and easy way to get a point across without missing out on your game or bogging down the chat room.”
• “I have fibromyalgia and Osteoarthritis the less typing I do the better and imagine my bliss when I found a place to be accepted for who and what I am, an otherwise intelligent individual who just happens to use netspeak to save my fingers the aggravation of further pain .
• “One suggestion I would have, for those who are having trouble with netspeak and not sure what something means, just ask the room “what does it mean?” In most cases, the room will tell you what it meant. Then you can thank them and no longer be in the dark about what is being said.”

And now I present to you a short and certainly not complete list of common and not so common abbreviations and acronyms:

afaik = as far as I know
afk = away from keyboard
ai = artificial intelligence (often in reference to computer players)
bbl = be back later
bf = boyfriend
blnt = better luck next time
brb = be right back
btw = by the way
cul = see you later
cya = see you
e1 = everyone
gf = girlfriend
gg= good game
gga = good game anyway
gmta = great minds think alike
gn = good night
gyb = got your back
hth = hope this helps
imho = in my humble opinion
irl = in real life
j/k = just kidding
kwim = know what I mean?
L8r = later
lol = laugh out loud
nbd = no big deal
ng = nice game
nh = nice hand
np = no problem
nt = nice try
pita = pain in the appendix (or perhaps another body part)
ptb = powers that be
rofl = rolling on floor laughing
sl = super lottso card
so = significant other
ttfn = ta ta for now
ttyl = talk to you later
ty = thank you
wb = welcome back
wtg = way to go
wth = what the heck?

And here are some that people didn’t know (me included in several instances!):

ejp = excellent job, partner
glng = good luck next game
icbidt = I can’t believe I did that
kotc = kiss on the cheek
lbalt = luck be a lady tonight
masoyp = may angels sleep on your pillow
nf = nice fold (in poker games)
v/r = virtual reality
ypmbtm = you play much better than me

And some fun ones that made me “lol:”

ibdiyh = I bow down in your honor
inw = I’m not worthy
iwiwiwimiwtwtgt = I wish I will I wish I might I wish to win this game tonight
ltalwdls = let’s twist again like we did last summer
lumcomn = laughed until milk came out of my nose
rofgmbo = rolling on floor giggling my butt off
ualhagnuheer = you all have a good night, you hear? (Southern talk)
witsoohc = what is the sound of one hand clapping?

And finally, my personal favorite:

grmn = go read ms. netiquette

Thanks again to the many, many readers who contributed to these lists! I’m sure there are others we’ve missed, so please send those along, and I’ll save them for a future article on more acronyms and abbreviations!