99 texting acronyms and phrases that every parent should know

By now, texting acronyms like LOL and OMG are pretty pervasive in pop culture; my daughter knew them in preschool, you hear them from the least hip anchors on TV morning shows, and heck, your own parents probably have texted you an LOL at some point. But when you're the parent of a tween or teen, and you're keeping careful track of who - and what - they're texting, it's good to be able dig a little deeper. Here, 99 texting acronyms and expressions that every parent should know. It's not complete by any means, but it's a start. Of course, lots of text speak will vary by region or even school or peer group. This is really just to help you understand that this kind of language exists in the first place. And yes, there will be completely new ones by the time you have these memorized. Wily kids.  

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GENERAL TEXTING ACRONYMS BEYOND THE VERY BASICS

143          I love you 1432        I love you too ATM        At The moment gerd          Abbreviation for ermagerd (Oh my God) GR8          Great CMB         Call Me Back CUNS       See You In School F2F          Face to Face FOAF       Friend Of A Friend FML          F*** My Life FTW          For The Win GTG           Got to Go GTFO       Get the F* Out HAK        Hugs and Kisses HMU       Hit Me Up IKR         I Know, Right? IDC          I Don't Care IDK         I don't Know ITA/D     I Totally Agree/Disagree IRL         In real life J/K         Just Kidding KK          Okay KWIM    Know what I mean? L&R        Love and respect mmk       Mmm...okay MEGO     My Eyes are Glazing Over MYT        Meet You There NAGI       Not A Good Idea NBD        No Big Deal NGH       Not Gonna Happen NMP        Not My Problem NSFW      Not Safe for Work NSFL       Not Safe for Life NTIM       Not That It Matters N00B      Newbie OATUS   On a totally unrelated subject O RLY    Oh, really? P&C         Private and Confidential PITA        Pain in the A** REHI       Hi, again RUOK      Are You OK? QQ            Crying (often humorously) SFSG       So Far So Good SLT         Something Like That SOL         Sh** Out of Luck SUP        What's up? UOK        Are you okay? 4Q             F*** You VCDA      Vaya Con Dios, Amigo VSF         Very Sad Face WDYM  What Do You Mean? WFM     Works For Me WRUD    What Are You Doing? WTG        Way To Go! W00T      Hooray! WTH        What The Hell? XOXOZZZ Hugs, kisses, sweet dreams ZOMG       Oh my God  

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TEXTING ACRONYMS ABOUT THOSE PESKY PARENTS

AITR       Adult in the Room 303          Mom M/POS    Mom/Parents over shoulder PIR          Parent in Room PAL         Parents are Listening PAW       Parents are Watching CD9         Parents around/Code 9 PA / PA911    Parent Alert 9                Parent Watching 99             Parent Gone  

Related: How to talk to teens and tweens about using tech safely

 

TEXTING ACRONYMS ABOUT SEX AND RELATIONSHIPS

53X          Sex ?^              Want to Hook Up? ASLP       (What is your) Age/Sex/Location/Picture? (Also ASL) CU46         See You For Sex DYHAB/G    Do You Have A Boyfriend/Girlfriend? DTH          Down To Hang (I'm up for getting together) FWB           Friends With Benefits GNOC         Get Naked on Camera I&I              Intercourse & Inebriation IPN            I'm Posting Naked LH6           Let's Have Sex LJBF        Let's just be friends LMIRL    Let's Meet In Real Life LYLAB/S Love You Like A Brother/Sister NSA        No Strings Attached RU/18      Are You Over 18? WTTP      Want To Trade Pictures?  *Note that most sexual Internet abbreviations  are derived from dating sites and message boards. You're more likely to see them on apps like Tinder than on texts to friends.   

Related: 8 shocking statistics about kids and online behavior that will make you want to have another tech talk, now.

   

TEXTING ACRONYMS: THE SECRET  LIFE OF TEENS

1174        The meeting place for  a party 420          Marijuana BYAM     Between You and Me 4YEO      For Your Eyes Only CRAFT    Can't Remember a F'ing Thing CICYHW  Can I Copy Your Homework? DADT      Don't Ask Don't Tell DOC          Drug Of Choice SOBT       Stressed Out Big Time TWD        Texting While Driving WTPA      Where's The Party At? %\            Hangover #-)         Exhausted, partied all night %*}      Inebriated