A lot of hardcore wordy people really hate internet-speak, but guys, I am not one of them! I’m all for language evolution mostly because there’s really no way to stop it, is there? Also, considering that Twitter only allows 140 characters, we now have an excuse besides laziness for our Internet acronyms. Chances are, you’ll run into someone online who’s moved beyond LOL or BRB and you’ll want to know what the heck they’re talking about. So here’s a handy guide for all y’all that weren’t rocking the BBS back in ’94 when all these things got carved in stone.

IAWYC I Agree With You Completely

IMO/IMHO In My Opinion or In My Humble Opinion

\o/ the visual representation of a person raising arms triumphantly in the air. As in, “I just got a raise \o/”

:3 kitty-ish smiley face meant to denote mischief

-.- the face of someone who is disappointed in you and the world in general; the long-suffering sigh of emoticons

>.< the face of someone who is aggravated to the point of snapping; that’s eyes scrunched shut

;.; tears of sadness, most likely wide-eyed tears of sadness

Am I silly and immature for using these in private online conversations? Oh heck yeah. But sometimes ;.; can say more than words ever could. There are probably tons of geeky emoticons and acronyms I’m forgetting, so feel free to checkmate me in the comments.

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