Cuttings Things Down to Size

At ContentME, we are crazy about words, in all their forms. We love to make things quicker and easier in today’s busy world wherever possible, so take a peek at our ‘go-to’ shortcuts.

Texting has become the new norm. We must admit the thumb gets a bit of a workout at times. Solution? Abbreviate! It is important to know what works in a business environment, and what should be reserved for a quick chat with friends. 

Let’s take a look at some common shortcuts:

Business appropriate:

AEAP – as early as possible

AFAIK – as far as I know

  AFK – Away from keyboard

ALAP – as late as possible

ANI – age not important

ASAP – as soon as possible

B2K – back to keyboard

BTT – back to topic

BTW – by the way

C&P – copy and paste

CTN – cannot talk now

EOD – end of day

EOD – end of discussion

EOM – end of message

EOT – end of thread

F2F – face to face

FAQ – frequently asked questions

FKA – formerly known as

FWIW – for what it’s worth

FYI – for your information

HTH – hope this helps

IIRC – if I recall/remember correctly

IMHO – in my humble opinion

IMO – in my opinion

IOW – in other words

ITT – in this thread

N/A – not available or not applicable

NNTR – no need to reply

NP – no problem

NRN – no reply necessary

OP – original post

OT – off-topic

OTOH – on the other hand

POV – point of view

SFLR – sorry for late reply

SPOC – single point of contact

TBA – To be announced

TBC – To be confirmed, to be continued

TNX – thanks

WC – Wrong conversation

WFM – Works for me

WRT – With Regard to

Just remember that business communication is a reflection of not only who you are, but also the company or organization you represent.We suggest you stick to the full expression or wording until you are sure the other party will be comfortable with using the short version. Where did these abbreviations originate? They seem to have become universal, and every day new ones are popping up. Feel free to send us any we have missed; we love to be kept in the loop.

Test your friends’ knowledge with these fun abbreviations. If they get too confused, they could even pick up the phone and call!

2F4U – too fast for you

AAMOF – as a matter of fact

ACE – a cool experience

AD – awesome dude

BFF – best friends forever

BM&Y – between me and you

BRB – Be right back

BRT – be right there

CTN – cannot talk now

CUL – see you later

CWOT – complete waste of time

CWYL – chat with you later

CYS – check your settings

CYT – see you tomorrow

DIY – do it yourself

EM? – excuse me?

FOAF – friend of a friend

HF – have fun

IQ – ignorance quotient

LOL – laughing out loud

MMW – mark my words

NOYB – none of your business

OMG – oh my God

ROFL – Rolling on the floor laughing

TY – thank you

TYT – take your time

TTYL – Talk to you later

YMMD – you made my day  And…… have to go now, YAM. ( Yet another meeting!)