Text abbreviations and acronyms every parent should know
Say what? Find out what your tweens and teens are really saying over text and on social media with this list of common acronyms and slang.
In the early days of texting, I learned to keep my messages short. Dropping vowels and using text abbreviations became essential as character limits on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) kept things around 140 characters. “See you later” became “cu l8r.”
But today, I’m lost in the new slang and abbreviations my kids use. What do teens mean when they say things like “Ngl ong that song is so sus no cap smh this lunch is bussin frfr.”
The good news for parents is that there are resources available to help decode this evolving language—like this one, which was developed with some Gen Z and Gen Alpha editors, too.
Bookmark this page of text abbreviations for a handy reference when you need it most!
What are the most common social media and text abbreviations?
Note that all of these text abbreviations can be in either CAPS or lowercase letters, but teens and tweens now typically opt for lowercase UNLESS THEY’RE SHOUTING. Also, they’re usually in normal font, not bold.
Affection and romantic rejection
11:11 — make a wish
143 — I love you (derives from the number of letters used to spell each word)
bae — before anyone else (refers to a favorite person), also a shortened form of babe or baby
bff — best friends forever
curve (someone) — reject someone’s romantic interest or advances in a subtle or kind way
fimh — forever in my heart
ghost — when someone disappears, stops calling or stops texting
ick — a feeling of disgust toward a romantic partner’s actions or possessions
ily — I love you
imu — I miss you
pookie — term of endearment, similar to “boo”
rizz — charisma, the ability to flirt or attract romantic interest
ship — rooting for two people to be together romantically
thirsty — seeking attention, usually romantic
wywh — wish you were here
Achievements and actions
ate — did something perfectly or with style
left no crumbs — complements “ate,” meaning flawless performance
goat/goated — they both mean “greatest of all time,” though goated is the newest iteration
let him cook — encouraging someone to continue, often to prove a point
lock in or locked in — focusing or staying dedicated to a task
savage — bold, daring or unapologetic behavior
slay — doing something exceptionally well
full send — committing to something without looking back
Fashion and appearances
bop — originally for catchy music, can also mean someone dating around
drip — describes high-fashion style
fit check — showing off or checking out an outfit
glow up — positive transformation in style or confidence
serving — bringing a strong look or attitude
slaps — used for excellent music or appearance
snatched — looking stylish or fit
Food and lifestyle
bussin’ — describes something exceptionally good, often food
fanum tax — playfully taking food from someone else
glhf — good luck, have fun
IG — I guess, or could potentially be used to reference Instagram
lit — describing something cool, fun or exciting
main character energy — someone who gives off energy like they are the main character of a story
snack — someone who is attractive
yktv — you know the vibes
Gaming terms
noob — someone inexperienced, especially in a game, skill or activity
afk — away from keyboard, indicating someone is temporarily unavailable
buff — strengthening a character or skill in a game
camping — staying in one spot to gain an advantage, often in shooter games
gg — good game, shows sportsmanship at the end of a match
l — loss or failure
nerf — Reducing power or ability, often in updates
npc — non-player character, can refer to someone who seems scripted or unoriginal
op — overpowered, describes something overly strong or unfair in a game
pog/poggers — expression of excitement or amazement
sweaty — playing intensely or trying hard to win
w — win, success
Humor, sarcasm and casual conversations
big facts — strong agreement with a statement
can’t relate — used when something isn’t relatable
caught in 4K — being caught red-handed with undeniable evidence
cringe — embarrassing or awkward
dead — finding something hilarious
delulu — playfully calling someone delusional
gucci — all good, everything is fine
hits different — when something feels special or unique
it’s giving — describes the vibe or feel of something
just put the fries in the bag — a humorous way to tell someone to get to the point or stop overcomplicating thing
low-key — subtly important or downplayed
mid — describes something average, lower quality or unimpressive
ohio — used to describe something as weird or bizarre, often based on the “Only in Ohio” meme
skibidi — pronounced like skippity and usually is the start of a conversation filled with nonsense terms; comes from a popular video meme involving dancing and human-headed toilets
Miscellaneous reactions
awks — awkward
aymm — are you my mother?
bet — sure, yes
cap — lie
cwot — complete waste of time
f — my condolences; comes from a gaming meme: “press F to pay respects” after an unfortunate or tragic event
facts — I agree
fax — asserting the truth, similar to “facts, no lies”
flex — show off
fr — for real
ftw — for the win
gmta — great minds think alike
hundo p — 100% agree
idc — I don’t care
ifyp — I feel your pain
mood — I feel the same way, a relatable feeling
no cap — truth, or no lie
o7 — salute (emoticon, paying respect)
6-7 — sometimes said to express uncertainty; sometimes used as a rating system, as in somewhere around “6 - 7” on a scale of 1 to 10
omdb — over my dead body
ong — on God, a term used to express strong belief or emotions
oop — expression of shock, embarrassment or amusement
qq or q_q — crying (emoticon)
smh — shaking my head (meaning, that’s so dumb)
srsly — seriously
ssdd — same stuff, different day
sus — suspicious, suspect, questionable or dishonest
wth — what the heck/hell
Opinions, warnings and disclaimers
afaik — as far as I know
dm — direct message
fwiw — for what it’s worth
icymi — in case you missed it
idk — I don’t know
imho — in my humble opinion
imo — in my opinion
iykyk — if you know you know
jsyk — just so you know
nbd — no big deal
ngl — not gonna lie
nsfw — not safe or suitable for work (signals nudity, violence or other potentially offensive material)
rbtl — read between the lines
tbh — to be honest
tia — thanks in advance
tldr or tl;dr — too long (lazy), didn’t read
tw — trigger warning (indicates content that can possibly cause emotional harm)
ygtr — you got that right
ymmv — your mileage (experience) may vary
ynk — you never know
Warnings about parents being nearby
9 — parent around
99 — parent gone
aitr — adult in the room
back on silence — switching to silent mode with parents nearby
cd9 — parents around (also code 9)
kpc — keeping parents clueless
m/pos — mother/parent over shoulder
no cap, no parents — truthful with parents unaware
pa / pa911 — parent alert
pah — parent at home
pal — parents are listening
pal alert — warning that parents are nearby
paw — parents are watching
paw patrol — alerting friends that parents are around
pbb — parent behind back
pir — parent in the room
sneaky link — secret meeting or relationship
spy mode — staying discreet due to nearby parents
Notifications, wishes, greetings, closings
afk — away from keyboard
atm — at the moment
brb — be right back
g2g or gtg — got to go
gl — good luck
irl — in real life
l8 — late
lmk — let me know
omw — on my way
ruok — are you OK?
spill the tea — tell me the gossip
ttyl — talk to you later
w8 — wait
wya — where you at?
wyd — what you doing?
Signaling humor or sarcasm (followed by a situation, a gif or a meme)
hifw — how I feel when
mfw — my face when
mrw — my reaction when
tfw — that feeling when
til — today I learned
Want to try using these acronyms, text abbreviations and slang words?
Go for it! Your kids may think your text messages are cringy sometimes, but at least you’ll show that you’re curious about what’s important to them—and that you made an effort to learn.
Most of all, remember that it can be hard to decipher what your kids are trying to say on a screen—so check in with them regularly and keep talking with each other. Even though texting is entertaining, spending time with your kids irl is more fun.
We got you: You’re there for them with Verizon Family. Verizon’s there for you—including our 3-year price lock*.
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