Comfort Reads discussion

Hey Guys,

My boyfriend is taking a morphology class at the university and one of his assignments is to gather data on so-called text speak, new words etc. from texting. Since neither he nor I text message, I am asking anyone (especially anyone who has children and/or contact with teenagers etc.) for input, for any new words (or even older words, we are both complete newbies), so any specific texting acronyms etc., any text speak that you can think of and about, would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much, but also, please do not drive yourself crazy, ha, ha, ha (but any help and input would be wonderful). I'm glad this is not my assignment.

orly (oh, really)
hbu (how about you?)
brb (be right back)
gtg (gotta go)
lulz (lol or laughing out loud) This is a second-generation text speak, evolved from a first-generation text-speak
ttyl (talk to you later)
yarly (yes, really)
irl (in real life)
wth (what the hell?)
wtf (what the f**k)
tl;dr (too long, didn't read)

That's all we can think of for now. :)

[scary, but I know most of these...]

Jeannette wrote: "orly (oh, really)
hbu (how about you?)
brb (be right back)
gtg (gotta go)
lulz (lol or laughing out loud) This is a second-generation text speak, evolved from a first-generation text-speak
ttyl (ta..."

Thanks, that's a good beginning :-)

rothlmao (rolling on the floor laughing my a** off)
btw (by the way)

btw, I'll ask my daughter tomorrow-she lives to text, :)

And my son offers this one:

gtfo (get the f**k out)

Ellie wrote: "btw, I'll ask my daughter tomorrow-she lives to text, :)

And my son offers this one:

gtfo (get the f**k out)"

Thanks, I might not use that one, lol.

imo (in my opinion)
imho (in my humble opinion)
k (okay)
idk (I don't know)
idc (I don't care)
l8r (later)
np (no problem)
ooc (out of context)

Jeannette wrote: "imo (in my opinion)
imho (in my humble opinion)"

I actually remembered those and have used both of them, ha.

One funny thing about text speak: It carries over into the spoken language, too. Lea will actually say "idk" or "lulz" (rhymes with lulls).

Jeannette wrote: "One funny thing about text speak: It carries over into the spoken language, too. Lea will actually say "idk" or "lulz" (rhymes with lulls)."

Language is constantly changing and evolving (or maybe devolving, according to some critics).

Gundula, I asked my son if he had anything to add to the list. He said that he couldn't think of anything else offhand and that he "doesn't use text speak". Could he be the only 26 year old in the Western world who doesn't?

I feel like such a fuddy duddy. I hate it when people write emails with this text speak in it.

Lee wrote: "I feel like such a fuddy duddy. I hate it when people write emails with this text speak in it."

So do I and so does my boyfriend, but he's got to do the assignment anyhow (when I was at university, text speak was thankfully almost non-existent, but some linguists actually believe that it has changed or permanently will change the world's languages, sigh).

Kim wrote: "Gundula, I asked my son if he had anything to add to the list. He said that he couldn't think of anything else offhand and that he "doesn't use text speak". Could he be the only 26 year old in the ..."

I think it's great he does not use text speak!!

I hate to admit it but I find text speak kind of fun. My son also apologetically (at 18) admitted he doesn't use much text speak & we both are inferior to my daughter. I do actually say lol when talking now.

Also omg.

OMG! I forgot OMG! XP

There are plenty of text emoticons, 2! 8D

And, hey all you oldies: Don't we all use XOXO, and SWAK? These are certainly the pre-cursors to textspeak.

Who are you calling an oldie!

Are there any specific text things in German? In Italian there are lots, but the only one that is coming to mind now is "ke" instead of "che" ("that" or "what" depending), but that's more of an abbreviation than true text speech. I will ask the Beast when he comes home.

ETA: and the emoticons are different. We use the sideways ones :-) but Italians use the right side up ones: o_o

The Japanese make the best, and they are slipping in to English use:

^^; (embarrassed)
^.^
@_@ (like your example)
OTL (works best sans serif - a person on hands and knees)

Lea could give me more of these....

I imagine in German they use the English shorthand, as well as some German-specific. I don't chat with many German teens.

:/
^o^
<3 (a heart)
^o^b (thumbs up)

But, now I digress from the original task......

What a cool thread! I'm copying and pasting these text language terms, so I can communicate better with the few people I text.

Also :# (embarrassed)
;) (wink)

Someone in GR told me about a whole website of text talk & I'm trying to find it!

NetSpeak May 31, 2011

:p~~ I'm drooling
:-O Open-mouthed, surprised
:-o Surprised look, or yawn
%') Finished off a fifth for lunch
%) Cross-eyed; Artistic face; Picasso
%*@:-( Hung Over
%*} Very drunk %+\ Messed up; Spaced out; Effected; Scrambled; Out-to-lunch
%+{ Lost a fight
%+| Beaten up
%- Drunk with laughter
%-( Glasses broken; Sad confused; Practical joker who got beat up
%-() Monkey face
%-(I) Laughing out loud
%-(|) Laughing out loud
%-) Stared too long at monitor; Confused; Cross-eyed;
%-/ Brain dead; Hung over
%-6 Brain dead
%- Drunk with laughter
%-<|> Drunk with laughter
%-\ Hung over
%-^) Pablo Picasso
%-{ Sad; Not amused
%-| Been working all night
%-} Amused
%-~ Pablo Picasso
^5 High five
`:-) Raised eyebrow
{{ }} Hug; the one whose name is in the brackets is being hugged; Example: {{MJ}}
{} No comment
|( Sleepy (on late night email message)
|-<> Puckered up for a kiss
|-( Sleepy, struggling to stay awake, or sleeping badly
|-D Big laugh
|-O Yawn
|-{ Good grief!
|-| Asleep
|I Asleep
|^o Snoring
}-) Wry smile
}: [ Angry, frustrated
}{ Face to face
~ :-( Steaming mad
~:-( Flame message
~:-\ Elvis
~:o Baby
~:\ Elvis
~= Lit candle, indicating a flame (inflammatory message)
~== Begins a flame (inflammatory message)
~~:-( Especially hot flame message
~~:[ Net flame
~~~~8} Snake
!-( Black eye
!-) Proud of black eye
#-) Wiped out, partied all night
#:-o Shocked
$-) Won the lottery, or money on the brain
%(|:-) Propeller-head
:-, Smirk
:-/ Wry face
:-6 Exhausted
:-9 Licking lips
:-? Licking lips, or tongue in cheek
:-@ Screaming
:-C Astonished
:-c Very unhappy
:-D Laughing
:-d~ Heavy smoker
:-e Disappointed
:-f Sticking out tongue
:-I Pondering, or impartial
:-i Wry smile or half-smile
:-J Tongue in cheek
:-j One-sided smile
:-k Puzzlement
:-l One-sided smile
:-M Speak no evil
%*} Inebriated
%+{ Got beat up
%-( Confused
%-) Dazed or silly
%-6 Brain-dead
%-\ Hung over
%-{ Ironic
%-| Worked all night
%-} Humorous or ironic
%\ Hangover
>>:-<< Furious
>- Female
>-> Winking devil
>-< Furious
>-) Devilish wink
>:) Little devil
>:-> Very mischievous devil
>:-< Angry
>:-< Mad
>:-( Annoyed
>:-) Mischievous devil
>=^ P Yuck
<:> Devilish expression
<:-> Devilish expression
<:-( Dunce
<:-) Innocently asking dumb question
<:-| Dunce
<:| Dunce
( 8(|) Homer
( <> .. <> ) alienated
(( )):** Hugs and kisses
((())) Lots of hugging (initials or a name can be put in the middle of the one being hugged)
() Hugging
(-: Left-handed smile, or smiley from the southern hemisphere
(:& Angry
(:- Unsmiley
(:-& Angry
(:-( Unsmiley
(:-) Smiley variation
(:-* Kiss
(:-\ Very sad
(::()::) Bandaid, meaning comfort
(:| Egghead
* Kiss
*<:-) Santa Claus
*<|:-) Santa Claus, or a clown
*-) Shot to death
+<:-) Religious leader
+<:-| Monk or nun
+<||-) Knight
+:-) Priest
+O:-) The Pope
-) Tongue in cheek
-= Snuffed candle to end a flame message
-=#:-) Wizard
/\/\/\ Laughter
0:-) Angel
12x@>--->--- A dozen roses
2B|^2B To be or not to be
5:-) Elvis
7:) Ronald Reagan
7:^) Ronald Reagan
8 Infinity
8 :-) Wizard
8) Wide-eyed, or wearing glasses
8-# Death
8-) Wide-eyed, or wearing glasses
8-o Shocked
8-O Astonished
8-P Yuck!
8-[ Frayed nerves; overwrought
8-] Wow!
8-| Wide-eyed surprise
: ( Sad
: ) Smile
: [ Bored, sad
: | Bored, sad
:( ) Loudmouth, talks all the time; or shouting
:* Kiss
:*) Clowning
:**: Returning kiss
:+( Got punched in the nose
:,( Crying
:- Male
:-# My lips are sealed; or someone wearing braces
:-& Tongue-tied
:-> Smile of happiness or sarcasm
:->< Puckered up to kiss
:-< Very sad
:-( Frown
:-) Classic smiley
:-* Kiss
:-(0) Yelling
$-) Yuppie


Note: Emoticon faces are shown sideways - you must tilt your head to the left to view them properly. Also note that most of these faces can be created with or without a nose (see smiling and frowning examples).

:) or :-) = Smiling
:^) = Smiling, side view
:-D = Grinning
:-)=) = Big grin
:-} = Wry smile
;-) = Winking
:-))) = Laughing or double chin
:.-) = Laughing tears
:( or :-( = Frowning
:^( = Unhappy, looking away
:-< = Sad
:'-( = Crying
:-c = Bummed out
:-[ = Real downer
:-II = Angry
>:-( = Angry, annoyed
:-@ = Angry or cursing
:-P = Disgusted
:-/ = Frustrated
:-> = Sarcastic
:-o = Surprised
:-O = Shocked
:-() = Talking
(y):-p Donald Trump
O:-) Angel
0;-) Angel wink - male
:-{{ Angry Very
~:o Baby
d:-) Baseball
:-{0 Basic Mustache
:-){ Beard
: = Beaver
:-)^< Big Boy
:-)8< Big Girl
:-X Big Wet Kiss
(:-D Blabber Mouth
(:- Blank Expression
:-] Blockhead
:-}X Bow Tie-Wearing
:-(=) Bucktoothed
:-F Bucktoothed Vampire with One Tooth Missing
}|{ Butterfly
}:-X Cat
C=:-) Chef
*<<<<+ Christmas Tree
*<):o) Clown
%) Confused
:`-( Crying
&:-) Curly Hair
>:-> Devilish
:3-] Dog
:-B Drooling out of Both Sides of Mouth
<:-l Dunce
(:-| Egghead
:-} Embarrassed Smile
>:) Evil
G(-'.'G) Fighting Kid - it's a straight-on smiley
:-! Foot in Mouth
:-W Forked Tongue
%*@:-) Freaking Out
8) Frog
*:*} Fuzzy With a Mustache
8*) Glasses and a Half Mustache
}:-) Hair Parted in the Middle Sticking up on Sides
:-' Has a Dimple
:(#) Has Braces variation
/;-) Heavy Eyebrows - Slanted
(_8(|) Homer Simpson
(^~^~^) Hot Ass Walking Away
%*@:-( Hungover with headache
o[-<]: I am a skater or I like to skate
(|):-)=II= Jewish Blonde
@:-} Just Back From Hairdresser
>^,,^< Kitty Cat - it's a straight-on smiley
~*= Kitty running away from you
>:-l Klingon
%OD Laughing like crazy
?-: Left Handed Tongue Touching Nose
:-9 Licking Lips
8:-) Little Girl
|-( Lost Contact Lenses
&-l Makes Me Cry
:-S Makes No Sense
@|-) Meditating Smiley
8(:-) Mickey Mouse
:-{ Mustache
{:-{)} Mustache and Beard
(-) Needs Haircut
:/) Not Amused
:=) Orangutan
:^) Personality
:8) Pig
P-( Pirate
}:^#) Pointy Nosed
:-t Pouting
X:-) Propeller Head
=:-) Punk
<(-'.'-)> Puppy dog - it's a straight-on smiley
(((((:-{= Rave Dude
~:-( Really Bummed Out
([( Robocop
@};--- Rose
:-( Sad
:-d Said with a smile
M:-) Saluting
:-> Sarcastic
)8-) Scuba Diver with Hair
:-i Semi-Smile
+-( Shot Between the Eyes
:O Singing
:-/ Skeptical
:-7 Skeptical variation
):-) Smiley with Hair
;^) Smirking
:-? Smoking a pipe
~~~~8} Snake
=%-O Stared at Computer Way Too Long
(8-{)} Sunglasses, Mustache, Beard
:0 Surprised
,:-) Sweating on the Other Side
&-| Tearful
:-)--- Thin as a Pin
:-& Tongue Tied
*!#*!^*&:- Total Head Case
<:>== Turkey
=):-) Uncle Sam
|:-) Unibrow
:-[ Vampire
%') Very Tired
:-< Walrus
{(:-) Wearing a Toupee
8-) Wearing Contacts
:-{} Wearing Lipstick
{:-) Wears a Toupee
:-" Whistling
'-) Winking
;-) Winking variation
:-)8 : Woman
,-} Wry and Winking
|^o Yawning or Snoring variation
=8-0 Yikes!
@>--;-- A rose
0*-) Angel wink - female
:-Z Angry face
>:-( Annoyed
~~8-O Bad-Hair Day
:-) Basic
:~-( Bawling
(:-{~ Beard - long
%-| Been up All Night
(:-) Big Face
(((H))) Big Hug
=|:o} Bill Clinton smiley
?-( Black Eye
#-) Blinking
I:( Botox smiley
%-6 Brain Dead
:-E Bucktoothed Vampire
:-#| Bushy Mustache
})i({ Butterfly - an even prettier one
q:-) Catcher
;-( Chin up
:-.) Cindy Crawford
:-8( Condescending Stare
H-) Cross-Eyed
:*( Crying softly
:-@! Cursing
%-} Dizzy
:*) Drinking every night
:#) Drunk
:-6 Eating Something Spicy
5:-) Elvis
0|-) Enjoying the Sun
>-) Evil Grin
l:-O FlatTop Loudmouth
=:-H Football player
:^{= Frank Zappa
/:-) Frenchman with a beret
*:* Fuzzy
~~:-( Getting Rained On
:oÞ Grinning and sticking tongue out (type ALT+0222 on right hand number keypad)
:-}) Handlebar Mustache
:%)% Has Acne
:-`| Have a Cold
l^o Hepcat
(_8^(|) Homer Simpson
*^_^* Huge Dazzling Grin - it's a straight-on smiley
:0 Hungry
%*} Inebriated
(8 { John Lennon
:-* Kiss on the cheek
>* Kitty doesn't like taking its pill
:p Kitty with tongue hanging out
@(*0*)@ Koala - it's a straight-on smiley
(-: Left Hand
>;-> Lewd Remark
;-, Like, Duh
%+{ Lost a Fight
X-( Mad
:-(*) Makes Me Sick
@@@@:-) Marge Simpson
#:-) Messy Hair
:) Midget
:-3 Mustache (Handlebar Type)
:-# My Lips Are Sealed
):-( Nordic
8-O Omigod!
8> Penguin
3:] Pet Dog
:---) Pinnochio
3:[ Pitbull
+<:-) Pope
+:-) Priest
?-) Proud of black eye
=:-( Punk Not Smiling
:-r Rasberry
:-C Real Unhappy
:-)) Really Happy
[:] Robot
3:*> Rudolph the red nose reindeer
:( Sad Turtle
:-y Said with a Smile variation
*<|:-) Santa Claus
:-@ Screaming
$__$ Sees Money
8-0 Shocked
:-V Shouting
~:-P Single Hair
':-/ Skeptical again
O-) Smiley After Smoking a Banana
:-, Smirk
:- i Smoking a cig
:-Q Smoking while talking
:-( <| Standing Firm
%-) Staring at a Screen for 15 hours
/8^{~ Sunglasses, Mustache, Goatee
`:-) Sweating
:-0 Talkative
-(:)(0)=8 Teletubby
:- ? Tongue Sticking Out
:-a Tongue Touching Nose
}(:-( Toupee Blowing in Wind
x:-/ Uncertain
:-| Unfazed
|:-| Unyielding
:-))) Very Happy
(:-( Very Unhappy
@:-) Wavy Hair
[:-) Wearing a Walkman
B-) Wearing Glasses
]-I Wearing Sunglasses
:-1 Whatever
;^? Wigged Out
,-) Winking Happy
8<:-) Wizard
:~) Wondering
l-O Yawning
:-P = Tongue out
:-! = Foot in mouth
:-I = Not talking
:-X = Mute
:-$ = Mouth wired shut
:-& = Tongue-tied
:-x = Kissing
{ } = Hug
:-*) = Kiss
:-6 = Eating something sour
:-Q = Smoking
?-( = Black eye
:-Z = Sleeping
X-) = Unconscious
#-) = Dead
8-) = Wearing glasses
B-) = Wearing shades
B:-) = Wearing sunglasses on head
[:-) = Wearing a Walkman
}:-> = Devil
0:-) = Angel
*:o) = Clown
5:-) = Elvis


HMU Hit Me Up (contact me to follow up)
NVM Never Mind
NWOT New Without Tags
PMSL P*ssing myself laughing (a common UK expression)
POSSLQ Person of Opposite Sex, Sharing Living Quarters
FMV Fair Market Value
RL Real Life
RTFM Read The F*cking Manual
BISLY But I Still Love You
ITSFWI If The Shoe Fits, Wear It!
BFF Best friends, forever!
WIBAMU Well, I'll be a Monkey's Uncle!
BTAIM Be That As It May
TTYL Talk To You Later
IIRC If I Recall Correctly...
AFAIK As Far as I Know
WRT With Respect To
NSFW Not Safe for Workplace viewing (warning that there is sexual or repulsive content)
NWT New With Tags
OTOH On the Other Hand
AFK Away from Keyboard
ASL Age/Sex/Location?
TPTB The Powers that Be
ROFLMAO Roll On Floor Laughing My A** Off
JMHO Just My Humble Opinion
IMHO In My Humble Opinion
OATUS On a Totally Unrelated Subject
PMFJI Pardon Me for Jumping In
SFSG So Far, So Good
TC Take Care!
BTHOM Beats the Hell Out of Me
SGTM Sounds Good to Me!
O RLY Oh, Really (sarcasm)
OP The Original Poster (who started this discussion thread)
WB Welcome Back
IDK I Don't Know
OOAK One of a Kind
MEGO My Eyes Glaze Over
IBTL In Before the Lock!
BBIAB Be Back in a Bit
YMMV Your Mileage May Vary
MTFBWY May the Force Be With You
NIMBY Not in My Back Yard
MT Mistell (mistaken chat message, please disregard)
AMAIR As Much as I Recall
TTFN Ta Ta For Now
TTYL Talk To You Later
TTYT Talk To You Tomorrow.
TYCLO Turn Your CAPS LOCK Off
TYVM Thank You Very Much
UOK Are You OK?
WAEF When All Else Fails
WB Welcome Back
WDYMBT What Do You Mean By That?
WDYT What Do You Think?
WE Whatever
WIBAMU Well, I'll Be A Monkey's Uncle
WIBNI Wouldn’t It Be Nice If
WMMOWS Wash My Mouth Out With Soap
WNOHGB Where No One Has Gone Before
WOA Work Of Art
WOTAM Waste Of Time And Money
WRT With Regard To, or With Respect To
WT Without Thinking
WTB Want To Buy
WTF What The F***?
WTG Way To Go!
WTGP Want To Go Private?
WTH What the hell?
WTTM Without Thinking Too Much.
WYGISWYPF What You Get Is What You Pay For
XOXOXO Kisses and hugs
YABA Yet Another Bloody Acronym
YAOTM Yet Another Off-Topic Message
YAUN Yet Another Unix Nerd
YGLT You're Gonna Love This
YGTI You Get The Idea?
YGWYPF You Get What You Pay For
YIU Yes, I Understand
YIWGP Yes, I Will Go Private
YKYARW You Know You're A Redneck When
YMMV Your Mileage May Vary (or your experience could be different)

Reminder: 90% of the time, these expressions is typed in all lowercase letters. On selective occasions, you are welcome to use them in all capitals to express enthusiasm. Just remember not to type entire sentences in all caps, lest you be considered rude.

BRB be right back
BIO going for bio break (washroom break)
AFK

OK Gundula-I think I'm done!

Ellie wrote: "OK Gundula-I think I'm done!"

Thanks, I'll have to weed through these, but this is excellent, really excellent :-)

I'm glad I found it. :D

Wow Ellie, that's quite a list!

Ellie wrote: "NetSpeak May 31, 2011

:p~~ I'm drooling
:-O Open-mouthed, surprised
:-o Surprised look, or yawn
%') Finished off a fifth for lunch
%) Cross-eyed; Artistic face; Picasso
%*@:-( Hung Over..."

Amazing list. I should print it out.

I love the drooling one!

Yeah, some of them are very clever.

hahahah. i love this list.

T_T - crying
XD
D:
~_~ - thinking
^_^
^^;
9.9
:")
:* - kiss
#.#

@_@

@};--,-'--,-

I saw this somewhere and giggled:


"It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye!"
:) :) :) :) :) :) .O

And it's probably very wrong of me to think this is funny:

_/\____\0/__ (da dun ... da dun ...)

Butterfly: ƸӜƷ (There's a more elaborate one, but it didn't work here)

There are lots of fun ones here: http://www.chatslang.com/emoticons/an...

And the website has lots of all of this: as the site names says, chatslang: http://www.chatslang.com/

Tracey wrote: "@};--,-'--,-

I saw this somewhere and giggled:


"It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye!"
:) :) :) :) :) :) .O

And it's probably very wrong of me to think this i..."

I like the one about the eye (guilty as charged). When I was a teenager and there was no text-speak, the more elaborate saying went like this, "It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye. And then it's a sport."

That's a very German-sounding saying, for sure! lol

Jeannette wrote: "That's a very German-sounding saying, for sure! lol"

I actually learned this in high school, in Alberta (I think it has something to do with hockey enthusiasm).

Well, Andreas got a laugh out of it, even if it isn't a German saying! lol

Jeannette wrote: "Well, Andreas got a laugh out of it, even if it isn't a German saying! lol"

Cool!!

I can certainly see a connection to ice hockey -- those guys are crazy! lol

Wow! No wonder I can't understand 1/2 of what my kids are talking about! lol