What’s your teen texting about? Lauren Candito went on Fox 35 WOFL news to help you understand what your teen is saying and how to protect them from inappropriate or dangerous communications.
Text messages are a popular way to communicate using a cell phone. Since it can take too much time to type a complete sentence, a form of shorthand known as “text lingo” or “chat lingo” has emerged. For parents who are unfamiliar with this new language, how to understand your kids’ text messages will help you learn the basics.
Understanding Text Message Tips
- Words are rarely spelled out in text messages.
- Vowels are often removed from words.
- Numbers and symbols can replace words or sounds.
- Popular phrases often become acronyms.
- Phrases such as “G2G” and “GFY” can mean more than one thing.
Step 1: Getting Down the Basics
When teens text message, their goal is to say as much as possible in as few letters as possible. Words are rarely typed out. If you are good at deciphering vanity plates, you will probably be good at deciphering text messages. Here is how basic phrases are determined:
- Acronyms: Acronyms are often used for common phrases. Examples are LOL for “laughing out loud” and OMG for “oh my god.”
- Abbreviated words: Words are often abbreviated, such as GF for girlfriend and PPL for people. Sometimes silent letters and vowels are removed, such as PLS for please and XLNT for excellent.
- Numbers, letters and symbols for sounds: In such cases as 121 for “one to one,” CUL for “see you later” and B4 for before, sounds are shortened to single letters/numbers.
- Popular and random phrases: Some phrases have become popular for various reasons. Common terms include 420 for “marijuana”, 143 for “I love you” (the number of letters in each word) and 459 for “I love you” (the corresponding numbers for the letters I, L and Y).
- Known abbreviations: Terms such as @ for at are frequently used.
- Combination of any of the above.
In order to understand some phrases, you need to look at the context. Otherwise, the results could be disastrous. For example:
- U can mean “How are you?” or “You do it.”
- G2G can mean “Get together” or “Got to go”
- GFY can mean “Good for you” or “Go f— yourself”
- BF can mean “boyfriend” or “best friend”
- WB can mean “Welcome back” or “Write back”
It may seem confusing, but you’ll start to get the hang of it soon enough. Even normal English has homographs, or words that are spelled the same, yet have different meanings (e.g. “desert,” “lead” and “refuse”).
Step 2: Most Popular Phrases
Let’s start with some of the most popular phrases used. This will help give you some of the basics before we move on to phrases you might want to use and phrases you need to watch out for in your kids’ text messages.
- 1 – One/Won/Want
- 2 – To/Too
- 2day – Today
- 2moro – Tomorrow
- 2nite – Tonight
- 4 – For
- 4evr – Forever
- 8 – ate or oral sex
- C – See
- cos – Because/Cousin
- cuz – Because/Cousin
- ez – Easy
Online Text Message Dictionaries
Since text lingo has become almost a second language, it would be impossible to list all the terms on one page. However, there are a number of online resources available to help you translate a message. Here are a few of them:
- Abbreviations.com
- WebWasp: Text Messaging Dictionary
- Netlingo: The Largest List of Text Message Shorthand
- Netlingo: The Top 50 Acronyms Every Parent Needs to Know
- Dictionary of English slang and colloquialisms of the UK
- ComputerUser: High-Tech Dictionary
- Lingo2Word: Texting Lingo
- National Center for Missing & Exploited Children Chat Abbreviations
- Tech Dictionary
Step 3: Emoticons
Emoticons, or the use of a combination of symbols to represent a word, phrase or emotion, are common in emails, instant messages and chat conversations. They also show up in text messages. Sometimes they are quite simple, such as the basic smile 
, while others are more complex. Here are a few of the basic emoticons you might see or want to use:
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Sad, depressed
Wink
Big grin or laugh
Sticking tongue out
Waiting, indifferent
ConfusedFor a larger list of emoticons, you can check out some of the following sources:
- Wikipedia: List of Common Emoticons
- ComputerUser: High-Tech Dictionary: Emoticons
- Emoticons & Smilies: Emoticons Explained
- Lingo2Word: Emoticon List
Step 4: Things You’ll Want to Say
The best way to learn “text lingo” is to start using it yourself. Texting your kids can be a great way to pass along messages. Here are a few text phrases that you might find useful.
- 143 – I love you
- 459 – I love you
- AEAP – As early as possible
- ASAP – As soon as possible
- AWGTHTGTTA – Are we going to have to go through this again?
- CYR MA – Call your mother
- CYR PA – Call your father
- CYT or SYT – See you tomorrow
- DBL84DNR – Don’t be late for dinner
- Dnt b L8 – Don’t be late
Step 5: Warning Signs
These codes are used by strangers to gain information about people they don’t know or to arrange a first meeting. They can be used between friends, but most are more commonly used in other circumstances.
Of course, one of the things parents need to be aware of is if sexually explicit conversations are occurring. Here are some (explicit) examples:
- 8 – Oral sex (or ate)
- banana – Penis
- DUM – Do you masturbate?
- DUSL – Do you scream loud?
- FB – F— buddy
- FMLTWIA – F— me like the whore I am
- FOL – Fond of leather
- GNOC – Get naked on webcam
- GYPO – Get your pants off
- IAYM – I am your master
- IF/IB – In the front or in the back
- IIT – Is it tight?
Drug Terms
Drug terms change with the seasons, and it would be impossible to list them all here. The Office of National Drug Control Policy has a more complete list of street terms for drugs on its website. Parents can also get more information by checking out Parents: The Anti-Drug.
Other Terms
These terms are ones you need to be aware of as well.
- (( )):** – Hugs and kisses
- BF – Boyfriend/ Best Friend
- GF – Girlfriend
- IWYWH – I wish you were here
- LDR – Long distance relationship
- LTR – Long-term relationship
- MOOS – Member(s) of the opposite sex
- MOSS or MOTSS – Member(s) of the same sex
- NALOPKT – Not a lot of people know that
- PCM – Please call me
- SMEM – Send me an email
- SMIM – Send me an instant message
- SO – Significant other
Protect Your Children: My Mobile Watchdog
Sexting has become a national epidemic among children and early teens. Thirty-nine percent of teens have sent sexually suggestive text messages to other teens, and twenty percent have sent nude or semi-nude pictures or video of themselves. My Mobile Watchdog monitors your child’s cell phone use and instantly alerts you if he or she receives unapproved email, text messages or phone calls.
The My Mobile Watchdog system consists of two parts: software installed on the child’s phone, and a web page for parents to view their child’s activity and control functionality. Information edited on the web page syncs with the child’s phone instantly in the background, and alerts of unauthorized activities (including a copy of the actual text, photo or unauthorized and/or unknown phone number in question) are sent directly to the parent’s phone in real time. My Mobile Watchdog works on all approved networks and devices.
Conclusion
Also, take a look at 25 Slang Terms Every Parent Must Know: http://www.noslang.com/top20.php
Article: Texting Slang All Parents Must Know: http://www.wmbfnews.com/global/story.asp?s=9246221
*Press*, fox 35 news, lauren candito
Hi Lauren,
Thanks for mentioning Abbreviations.com as a resource for this article. We’ve linked to your article on our forum at: http://www.abbreviations.com/forum/ViewTopic.aspx?Topic=8&Forum=14
Have a great day!
The STANDS4 team