What Does Pff Stand for in Texting

Ngureco is a researcher with a background in math and natural sciences and an interest in Internet culture.

Need an FAQ for some common slang terms you see online? We've got you covered, FWIW.

Photo by Kirill Shavlo on Unsplash; Canva

BRB, LMAO, THX, NP: What Do They Stand For?

I was very curious about the meaning of all the acronyms and slang terms that I kept seeing on the Internet, like the ones above. I got answers from many people, and I thank them for their input. Now I understand what tons of these terms mean, and I would like to share my list here with new Internet users who may find themselves with the same problem I experienced.

List of Internet Slang and Acronyms

Below, I have included a list of Internet slang that covers everything from AFK to YMMV (and beyond). These terms are commonly used by many people online and in texts. Feel free to comment on any other slang that you may have used/noticed and that has not been included in this list. TY and YW!

Term	Meaning
1	One or exclamation mark (as in "!!1!!")
2	To, too, or two
4	For or four
A3	Anywhere, Anytime, Anyplace
AA	Alcoholics Anonymous
AAB	Average At Best
AAF or A&F	Always And Forever
AAK	Alive And Kicking
AAMOF	As A Matter Of Fact
AAP	Always A Pleasure
AAR	At Any Rate
AAYF	As Always, Your Friend
ABD	Already Been Done
ABH	Actual Bodily Harm
ABN	*sshole By Nature
ABT	Absolutely
ABT	About
ADM	All Day Long
ADMIN	Administrator
ADN	Any Day Now
AEAE	And Ever And Ever
AEAP	As Early As Possible
AFAIAC	As Far As I Am Concerned
AFAIC	As Far As I'm Concerned
AFAICS	As Far As I Can See
AFAICT	As Far As I Can Tell
AFAIK	As Far As I Know
AFAIR	As Far As I Remember
AFAP	As Far As Possible
AFC	Away From Computer
AFD	All F***ing Day
AFK	Away From Keyboard
AFT	About F***ing Time
AGW	All Going Well
Aight	Are you alright?
Aight	Yo
ALOL	Actually Laughing Out Loud
ANY1	Anyone
AYSOS	Are You Stupid Or Something?
B	Be
B4	Before
BB	Bye Bye
BB	Baby
BBIAB	Be Back In A Bit
BBL	Be Back Later
BBS	Be Back Soon
BD	Big Deal
BRB	Be Right Back
BRB	Bathroom Break
BRT	Be Right There
BTW	By The Way
C	See
CSWS	Can't Stop, Won't Stop
CU	See you.
CUL	See you later.
Cuz	Because
CYA	See you.
CYS	Check Your Settings
Da	The
Dat	That
Der	There
DIAF	Die In A Fire
Dunno	Don't know
FAQ	Frequently Asked Questions
FOAD	F*** Off And Die
FTL	For The Loss
FTL	For The LOLs
FTUW	For The Uber Win
FTW	For The Win
FWIW	For What It's Worth
FYI	For Your Information
G2G or GTG	Got To Go
GAL	Get A Life
GFY	Good For You
GG	Good Game
GG	Good Going
GIYF	Google Is Your Friend
Gonna	Going to
HAND	Have A Nice Day
HS	Holy Sh*t!
HTH	Hope This Helps
IACL	I Am Currently Laughing
IANAL	I Am Not A Lawyer
IANARS	I Am Not A Rocket Scientist
IC	I see.
ICYDK	In Case You Didn't Know
IDGI	I Don't Get It
IDK	I Don't Know
Iggy	Igloo
IIRC	If I Recall Correctly
ILY or ILU	I Love You
IMHO	In My Honest/Humble Opinion
IMNSHO	In My Not-So-Honest/Humble Opinion
IMO	In My Opinion

If you get a message like this, your chat is probably over for a while.

Photo by Daria Shatova on Unsplash; Canva

More Terms and Their Full Forms

Term	Meaning
IRL	In Real Life
ITT	In This Thread
IYDMMA	If You Don't Mind Me Asking
JJ	Just Joking
JK	Just Kidding
JOOC	Just Out Of Curiosity
JP	Just Playing
K	Okay
KK	Okay, cool/kewl.
KL	Cool/kewl/kool
Kwl	Cool/kewl/kool
L8r	Later
LLAH	Laughing Like A Hyena
LMAO	Laughing My *ss Off
LMFAO	Laughing My F*cking *ss Off
LOL	Laughing Out Loud
LQTM	Laughing Quietly To Myself
M8	Mate
MYOB	Mind Your Own Business
NLS	Not Life Safe
NOYB	None Of Your Business
NP	No Problem
NSFW	Not Safe For Work
NVM	Never mind
NWS	Not Work Safe
O	Oh
O3	Out Of Office
OGC	Man j*cking off (look at it sideways)
OIC	Oh, I see.
OJ	Only Joking
OMG	Oh My God/Goodness!
OOC	Out Of Character
OP	Original Poster/Post
OT	Off Topic
PEBKAC	Problem Exists Between Keyboard And Chair
Pic	Picture
PITA	Pain In The *ss
Pix	Pictures
Plz or pls	Please
PMSL	Pissed/Pissing Myself Laughing
POS	Piece Of Sh*t
PPL	People
PTTL	Pop To The Loo
RL	Real Life
ROFL	Rolling On the Floor Laughing
ROFLMAO	Rolling On the Floor Laughing My *ss Off
ROFLMAOL	Rolling On the Floor Laughing My *ss Out Loud
Shudda	Should have
SMH	Shaking My Head
SMH	So Much Hate
SO	Significant Other
SOS	Same Old Sh*t
Soz or srry	Sorry
SSDD	Same Sh*t, Different Day
STFW	Search The F*cking Web
Sup	What's up?
Sup homes	What's up, friend?
SWW	Sorry, Wrong Window (means you were typing in the wrong box)
Thnx	Thanks
Tho	Though
TIA	Thanks In Advance
TTFN	Ta Ta For Now
TTYL	Talk To You Later
TTYT	Talk To You Tomorrow
TY	Thank You
TYT	Take Your Time
U	You
W8	Wait
Wanna	Want to
WB	Welcome Back
WD	Well Done
WDUWTA?	What do you want to talk about?
Wile	While
WOOT	We Own the Other Team
WTH?	What The Hell?
WURSC	Wow, you are so cool.
Wut	What
YCM	You Copied Me
Ye	Yeah/yes
YMMV	Your Mileage May Vary
Yo	Hey or your
YSVW	You're So Very Welcome
YW	You're Welcome
ZZZ	Sleeping or bored

Why Do People Use Internet Slang?

I learned that these terms were coined and popularized to save time on keystrokes. The acronyms are also used in text messages, emails, blogs, forums, imageboards, and instant messages, as well as on social networking sites such as Facebook.

Memes Evolve by Natural Selection

Some Internet slang will also develop not just for the sake of saving time, but also to identify members of various social internet groups. Members will repeatedly use an acronym (a common typing error that is eventually turned into slang, for example), and then it will catch on in the World Wide Web as slang. When usage develops this way, the memes are evolving by natural selection, much like in biological evolution.

Internet Slang Is a New Language Developing

While the use of these terms saves time for the writer, it may take more than twice as much time for the reader to understand what the writer is trying to say. However, that may be changing: Today, young people are using this slang not only in written communication, but also in spoken communication. This is a sure sign of the development of a brand new language.

More About Internet Language

• What LMAO Means! OMG, ROFL, BRB, AFAIK, BFF, SMH, NP, IMO, & More!
  LMAO stands for "laughing my ass off", but did you know there are other acronyms and abbreviations that mean other things? Learn the meaning of LMAO, other internet slang, and acronyms used in text messaging.
• Dictionary of Internet Slang Phrases and Abbreviations
  Get the latest news on words that are used and broken down to communicate on text and messenger apps so that you can fit in with all your friends

Amelia on July 04, 2020:

Thx.Now, I understand that what my friends are saying!!!

Lol doll on April 23, 2020:

Lmao means laughing my **s off

Lol= laughing out loud

M8= mate

ʀᴏsᴇ on April 10, 2020:

This site was so amazing!

Now I know lots of slang that I can use on my friends. Thanks a lot

mads on April 05, 2020:

what is a HTML??? just wanna know

Kim on January 11, 2020:

This really helped my friends understand what I was saying better cuz They didn't know how to abbreviate every word

Riza on December 08, 2019:

ty- thankyou

jazmine on August 13, 2019:

thx this is helpng me a lot

nou on June 24, 2019:

thx now ik what does lmao stand for

slitamya on April 18, 2019:

For thank you or thanks alot of people use thx

Amber on January 14, 2019:

thank you!

Tierny on December 24, 2018:

@Nadiella tysm means "thank you so much" jsyn

apg13\ on December 03, 2018:

LIB= Link In Bio

Jason Phúc Rey on October 22, 2018:

FYM - YMSMD

echo on October 06, 2018:

cool

dem derps on September 04, 2018:

there are tons more thats just like a quarter of them

appollo on August 14, 2018:

IMHO - in my humble opinion

Romaric Azongbetterboy on July 03, 2018:

I Like Dis Slangs But Many Ppl Aight Aware Of It Yet.

tristan on June 20, 2018:

@radman pff does not stand for anything it means "I don't believe you"

Ash on May 07, 2018:

Philip, STFU is Shut The F*ck Up

johnny on May 05, 2018:

what is lmao

Philip on April 23, 2018:

what is STFU?

Philip Morgan on April 10, 2018:

Twaz of gr8 help

radman on March 15, 2018:

any one know what the meaning of pff??

pagx on March 14, 2018:

whats FSK

wat on March 09, 2018:

afk is away from keyboard, lol is laugh out loud

Vanessa on January 30, 2018:

I love this app i love the meanings thank you so much for the person who made this

mahi jacqui queen on December 18, 2017:

Thanks ppl

Maruko on November 30, 2017:

Please help me!!

What's the meaning of "AFK"?

Nadiella on November 16, 2017:

Dis rlly help me out! So now i can understand what are the mean of the word tysm for it!

vishesh singh on October 23, 2017:

What is meaning of Missed AF

ngureco (author) on October 11, 2017:

'AFK' is 'Away from Keyboard'.

Iqra on October 11, 2017:

What is the meaning of Afk

Nester on October 10, 2017:

What does Cruz mean. Help me guys

Mrs40sHistoryBuff on August 29, 2017:

Either this was added since I saw this list several months ago, or I missed it the first time, but how in the world does "OGC" become "man j*cking off"??

There's only one letter common to both, and they are at opposite ends of their respective placement!

Anybody have any ideas?

June on August 21, 2017:

What's tbo

sly on August 20, 2017:

What is ndo

sheena on August 18, 2017:

hah thx

Oscar on August 16, 2017:

OP means overpowered

Noyonika on August 13, 2017:

What's the meaning of thr

mr Adesanoye damilola on August 02, 2017:

thanx

iiiStarShooter on July 25, 2017:

Wow, Thank You!

Only Some I Knew..

Like..

(Ooc: Out Of Character)

(Lmao: Laughing My A** Off)]

(And Some Others, Etc)

Greg on May 30, 2017:

DOM - Don't Come Monday

TGIF - Thank God It's Friday

A3 - AnyTime, AnyPlace AnyWhere is from a British advert for Martini - So the order has meaning in the UK

IMHO - In My 'Humble' Opinion

Guillaum on May 21, 2017:

Wow so cute.... Thanks so much.... Thumps up

Melanie Palen from Midwest, USA on May 17, 2017:

Awww, I had answered your question with a brand new hub, but it appears to have been deleted as an answer. Was wondering if you know what happened?

random person on May 13, 2017:

useful :)))

Christian on March 24, 2017:

Thanks a lot for this meanings haha

Allan Kashoro on March 22, 2017:

Terrific explanations

NEINHITER1942 on March 10, 2017:

Where is OOL? (Out Of Level)?

Or NFS (Need For Speed)

or FM (Forza Motorsport)

or other things that only X group might said

Neus on February 18, 2017:

Great job. Thank you so much!

Random on February 10, 2017:

XD COOL DOG 4 Realz All slang today! I cant do no party without this slang dictionary

ngureco (author) on January 03, 2017:

PFF: Playing For Fun

PFF: Prioritize, Focus and Follow-up

SSS on January 02, 2017:

What's the meaning of "PFF"

it might be "Perfect full f**k" ?

nr55 on December 08, 2016:

Gr8 listing - like it lots, many many I have never heard off - and some I will definitely use.

Cunning - you put Afk in the header but didn't define it?

One you missed - similar to PEBKAC - PICNIC - Problem In Chair Not In Computer

and confusingly LOL is also used for Lots of Love - can be dangerous if user and or reader don't know the other meaning.

TTFN

ngureco (author) on December 01, 2016:

Let It Be.

Gladys on December 01, 2016:

What does lib stand for?

once on October 01, 2016:

you forgot TBH which stands for to be honest.

DB on July 07, 2016:

Many of these predate the internet.

John Mickel Almeñe on July 06, 2016:

Amazing just like a wiki. thanks a lot

Mrs40sHistoryBuff on June 13, 2016:

I'm not going to read through several hundred posts to see if these things have already been addressed, so apologies to whomever may be annoyed if this duplicates their concerns....

You listed "AFK" on the headline and the lead-in to your Hub, but in your dictionary it's never addressed. In my 16 years of keyboarding experience online - yes, since 1999 and all the Y2K hubbub - AFK has always meant "Away From Keyboard." Usually indicating an anticipated absence longer than would be covered by a simple "BRB."

The other point I wanted to make is that a few of these have histories that go way back before the internet. Most especially, the entry you have of "MYOB" or "Mind Your Own Business." That's been a "verbal" shortcut for ALAIR! I remember hearing adults use that amongst themselves when I was a kid. And since that was about FIVE decades ago, plus a little, that should give you some idea of its longevity.

Otherwise, pretty good resource for those new to the craft! HAGD!

paulr6453 on May 31, 2016:

you forgot WYSIWYG.... what you see is what you get

Eileen from Western Cape , South Africa on May 16, 2016:

I use these sometimes but good to know the meaning .... has to bookmark this!

Arpit.. on January 02, 2016:

Good one ...

Complete the demand of social need..

#ROFLMAO...

dimple on December 15, 2015:

F off is more comfortable word i guess for f**k off..

Thanusha on December 15, 2015:

Thankyouu So Much

zachary on December 07, 2015:

right now i will understand about internet slang

Johnf618 on October 01, 2015:

Hi there! I could have sworn I've been to this blog before but after checking through some of the post I realized it's new to me. Nonetheless, I'm definitely happy I found it and I'll be bookmarking and checking back frequently! agefecaddekf

evelina on September 03, 2015:

great texting I know some of these ! :D

ngureco (author) on August 28, 2015:

That's right, Sher.

"ktxbi" is used in slang texting meaning = okay thanks bye.

Akeem on July 03, 2015:

Seriously This Make Me Beta Thnx!

shanu on May 21, 2015:

i was searching for ROFL........finally got it............its really amazing to know these words

Dynalyn on May 16, 2015:

Wow it really helps tnkxczs ;)

geraldine on April 22, 2015:

So a lot! I just want to know what is lmao is. And i saw this site. So useful and knowlegable. Thank.

Kim on April 19, 2015:

Wow it really helps Thx

Raza on April 07, 2015:

Thanks for all the stuff. It really helps a lot...

567 on March 25, 2015:

fyi...for your information

fyki....for your kind information

myb...mind your business

RoCkStAr on March 12, 2015:

I was searching for imao,rofl and sup....... finally got it

suganya on March 11, 2015:

Super ji thx

Guest on March 10, 2015:

Awesome it help me

Natasha on February 24, 2015:

This is great,

thanks for helping my fingers instead of typing alot

Anand on February 18, 2015:

thanq -thank you

saisil on February 04, 2015:

It's cool

The Geek on February 01, 2015:

I have some more to add:

L8R-Later

CUL8R- See you later

KIT- Keep in touch

Zaya Firdaus on December 25, 2014:

Thanks for this great help

anonymous on December 14, 2014:

Why is there no WTF ? It is like the 2nd most commonly used in the world since LOL is the first...

WTF - What The Fuck

Chandni singer on December 07, 2014:

Graat help for me thanxx LOL

Alanna Fox Starks from Detroit, Michigan on October 22, 2014:

Thank you so much for this, bookmarking it! I have seen several of these and had no idea what the person was saying... I responded with random letters back until they could type in English. ALOL!!! =^..^=

ADU on October 11, 2014:

superurb

Johnf151 on August 12, 2014:

I just like the valuable info you provide in your articles. I will bookmark your weblog and check once more here frequently. I am moderately sure I will be told lots of new stuff right right here! Best of luck for the following! cfdkdbkcedke

Aadi on July 31, 2014:

Its good....

gm on July 08, 2014:

HERE'S ONE FOR YOU GUYS!

4Q2

jeffi Junaid on June 30, 2014:

Ohhh well!its g8 it vll help me a lot.Basically the thing people don't hv the tym to type full word...so this gud for me well!nw i can understand wot they intend to say...Tblu:thanx buddy love you.....mention it....asap...

just somebody on March 13, 2014:

i dont feel dumb on the internet anymore

mahesh pant(me ! mahesh) on January 03, 2014:

thanx .!!!

this symbol help e tooo uch..!!

Tina on December 11, 2013:

Good

rajesh on November 07, 2013:

very nice yr

holly on June 26, 2013:

nice some did something for me so I can understand what other ppl are saying

Tosif on June 18, 2013:

good work..this is new kind of dictionary ;)

Romit patel on May 03, 2013:

Awsum stuff

Koggy on March 25, 2013:

what then does mdll and kdll means?

Rando on February 25, 2013:

Where is BYBF ? Bang Your Best Friend

What Does Pff Stand for in Texting

Source: https://turbofuture.com/internet/Whats-The-Meaning-of-Lol-Lmao-Rofl-Brb-Afk-Ty-Thx-Np-and-Listing-of-Internet-Slang-and-Acronyms

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