glossary

Though epistolary relationships have managed to flourish for thousands of years without them, for some reason emoticons are a necessary part of keeping chat rooms, postings to newsgroups, and email civil. Maybe it's because online interaction is so fast (sometimes real-time) and people send before they think, or maybe the online community is just ultra-sensitive. Whatever the reason, emoticons, or smileys, are a big part of avoiding the squashed toes of misinterpretation. To ensure readers know that you're "just kidding," drop a :) at the end of riskier sentences. If you're still seeing a colon and parenthesis, then tilt your head to the left ... there! see it? Now see it wink:

;)

And this is but one example. Emoticons can run the gambit from basic cuterrific to absurd:

C=2>;*{))

(A drunk, devilish chef with a toupee in an updraft, a moustache, and a double chin.)

Occupying another part of e-life are abbreviations. When there's no time for words, fire off one of these common short-cuts:

btw = by the way
brb = be right back
f2f = face to face
fwiw = for what it's worth
iae = in any event
imo = in my opinion
lol = laughing out loud
nrn = no reply necessary
otoh = on the other hand
rotfl = rolling on the floor laughing
tia = thanks in advance
tyvm = thank you very much
wymm = will you marry me
wysiwyg = what you see is what you get

Related Terms: email, newsgroup, chat

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Smiley, Emoticon, Common Abbreviations
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