There was the simple LOL . First officially recorded in May 1989, this cute phrase might only mean "Laughing Out Loud" but it has spawned an army of abbreviations. From there it was a quick jump to the early slang of chatrooms, like LMAO (Laughing My A$$ Off) to BRB (Be Right Back) or TTYL (Talk To You Later) or the overused OMG (Oh My God).
And now with texting and Tweeting and Snapchatting and Gchats, internet abbreviations are on overload. Luckily, those of us at StepFeed are in the know, and have compiled a list of the trendiest in Internet slang. You'll be chatting like a fifteen year old in no time.
1) YOLO - "You Only Live Once"
Dubbed the "Battle Cry of a Generation" in Saturday Night Live's parody video below, this phrase went from being a " dangerous youth motto " in 2012 to being an overused expression in less than a year .
And although rapper Drake has tried to claim it as his own, the term has been popularized by many including Grateful Dead drummer, Mickey Hart over 22 years ago.
2) IRL - "In Real Life"
Originating in the 1990s, IRL was used as a way to transfer online conversations over to the real world, as well as differentiate between online and real life. And as the line between the two becomes blurrier, the phrase's popularity is poised to increase.
3) SMH - "Smack My Head"
If the Internet is good at one thing in particular, it would be sass. And this phrase, if you take it mean "Smack My Head" is definitely that . However, some also use it for"So Much Hate" as well as "Shake My Head."
Whatever your definition, this acronym can definitely come in handy.
4) IDGAF - "I Don't Give A F#*%"
Taking sass to the next level, this phrase is reserved for some serious smack downs. And while it hasn't inspired any T-shirt lines of late, it is fairly popular on the Interwebs and responsible for some choice music videos including this one .
5) FOMO - "Fear Of Missing Out"
The twenty-something version of YOLO, this acronym has the honor of being pronounced exactly as it reads. Stemming from anxiety that an exciting or interesting event is happening elsewhere, this phrase has led to Twitter accounts, hats and was officially incorporated into the Oxford English Dictionary in 2013 . And while it originally was used online, it is used IRL as well. Al-hamdulillah.
6) LYLAS - "Love You Like A Sister"
A classic sign-off for conversations between girls, this phrase will soon be ubiquitous thanks to new reality show named Lylas, staring Bruno Mars' three sisters and one cousin. You heard it here first people.
What's your favorite internet slang? Share and link below...