Latest Texting Slang Every Parent Needs to Know

At least once a year we update our texting chat acronyms (slang) list. This year the app Ask.Fm made that job a little easier and published the top acronyms teens use every day on their chat site. There are some we’ve never seen that are pretty clever. Thanks, Ask.fm for publishing this fresh list (1-20).

We’ve also included a huge list of terms (some new some previously published) your teen may also be using via text (Or hey, even the adults you know!). Keep your eye out for some of the riskier terms.

Thanks to all the readers (including teens) who continue to comment on our posts and send us notes on the acronyms we include on our lists. Your input keeps us on our toes and keeps our list fun and up-to-date. Happy texting to all and remember to be kind and keep it clean!

1. PAP: Post a picture
2. Bad: You’re hot.
3. Ship: Short for relationship
4. :3: A symbol meant to represent the cat face made by anime characters when they say something clever, sarcastic, or comment on something cute.
5. IDEK: I don’t even know
6. IKR: I know, right?
7. OOTD: Outfit of the day
8. SMH: Shaking my head
9. Dime: The highest rating on a scale of 1-10; used to share approval or express how good something is
10. THOT: That ho over there
11. Netflix and chill: Code for hooking up
12. Savage: Used to describe something that is hardcore or extreme, in a good way
13. AF: As f***
14. TBR: To be rude
15. Peep: Can refer either to friends (your people), or to look at/listen to (e.g. peep this)
16. Slept: Can refer to hitting someone hard enough to knock them out, missing out on something awesome, or to be extremely high
17. GOAT: Greatest of all time
18. No chill: Used to describe someone who is being irrational
19. Likers get rate: A phrase that implies the original poster will rank anyone that likes/comments/answers a post, typically around how cool they are perceived to be or how they look; also used to incent followers to like posts to get something (usually indicated in the post) in return. (For more on the “like for rate” or “like for HDM” trend, see our blog post, #HDM: Decoding the Latest Wave of Teen Cyber Slang.)
20. Frog emoji + coffee cup emoji: Based off a popular meme of Kermit the Frog drinking a cup of tea, teens use this emoji combo to sarcastically imply ‘but that’s none of my business’ or ‘I’m just saying’.

More Terms that You Need to Know:

TBH: To Be Honest
HDM: Honest Direct Message
SorryNotSorry (SNS): I meant what I said
F/U: Follow Up
2d4: To die for
511: Too Much Information
9: Parent is watching
99: Parent is no longer watching
CD9: Code 9; parents around
PLUR: Peace, Love, Unity, Respect
SNL: Same Night Lay or Slang for a one night stand
Youie: a selfie of another person
Belfie: A butt selfie.
4Q: F*** You
AF: As F***
DAFUQ: What the F***
AFU: All F***ed Up
Welfie: A workout selfie.
gotta dip: I’ve got to leave
werubn: where have you been?
DFTBA: Don’t Forget To Be Awesome
Nsfw: not safe for work (post will include nudity, etc.)
Pron: porn
thinspro, #secretsociety123 & #ana: anorexia
lmirl: let’s meet in real life
420: marijuana
CU46: see you soon for sex
YRIK: Yeah, Right, I Know; “I’m in agreement with you.”
YOLO: You Only Live Once. Often a term used for an unwise decision such as cutting class.
Dougie: To have a cool or hip style.
TBH: To Be Honest
YW: You’re Welcome
IGS: I Guess So
Born Stunna: Someone born with a lot of material things and flaunts it.
Fo’ Shizzle: For sure!
Inked Up: To have tattoos.
Screepy: A blend of “Scary” and “Creepy.”
BRB:  Be Right Back
SMH: Shaking My Head
POD: Passed out Drunk
4YEO: For Your Eyes Only (a sexting term).
MOS: Mom Over Shoulder
F2F: Face to Face
PRW: Parents Are Watching
PIR: Parents In Room
TDTM: Talk Dirty To Me
HATER: Person who expresses anger or jealously towards another person or group.
JBH: Just Being Honest
LBH: Let’s Be Honest or Loser Back Home
TBBH: To Be Brutally Honest
SMEXI: Smart and Sexy
IMO: In My Opinion
GOMB: Get Off My Back
KOTL: Kiss On The Lips
KOS: Kill On Sight. This is a term that originated with online war games such as World of Warcraft. It means marked for death just by showing your face. However, it can also be used as a threat by a cyber bully.
S&D: Search and Destroy (also could be a threat)
Ug: Ugly
CID: Acid (as in, the drug)
WAW: What a Waste
CNBU: Can Not Be Unseen
Gomer: Geek, weirdo, nerd
Ratchet: Ugly, nasty, awful
Broken: Hungover from alcohol
Beep face: A general insult
Butter face: Person with a pretty body but ugly face
420: =This means marijuana (also look for words like 420 4life, boo, blunt, and Buddha)
ASLP: Age, Sex, Location, Picture (if someone is asking this of your child, pay attention)
FYEO: For Your Eyes Only
POS: Parents Over Shoulder
FUBAR: F***ed Up Beyond All Recognition (inebriated or stoned)
Sugarpic: Suggestive or erotic photo
53x: Sex

Need to find a word that’s not on this list? No problem, just type it into this awesome data base, NetSlang.

Have any additions to our list? Please comment, we’d love to add your acronym to our list . . . Fo’ Shizzle! 

Toni Birdsong is a Family Safety Evangelist to McAfee. You can find her on Twitter @McAfee_Family. 

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