In a globalization scenario, the culture of the United States is very present in our routine, including language. It is not uncommon to find expressions in English, or even abbreviations and acronyms. They are present in instant messaging services, on social networks, in movies, serials, among others.
Some are well known and even easy to assimilate for those who already have contact with the language, such as OMG, ASAP and LOL. However, others can be a little “confusing”. Therefore, we decided to prepare a glossary with the meaning of the most popular and used acronyms in English on the web.
Acronyms of the web and their meanings
ASAP: Originating from the expression “As Soon As Possible”, which means “as soon as possible”, the acronym is used for something urgent and which, as the translation itself says, should be resolved as soon as possible.
BRB: Abbreviation for the phrase “Be Right Back” which, in the Portuguese language, means “I’ll be back soon”.
BTW: It is the acronym for the phrase “By the Way”, used to say “By the way”, “Before I forget”, “By the way”, or something like that.
FTW: Refers to the phrase “For The Win” which, in literal translation, means “For the victory”. It is worth noting that the acronym FTW is used at the end of sentences to indicate enthusiasm. In general, it means “I recommend”. But, depending on the context, it can also indicate sarcasm.
FYI: In the corporate email universe, this is the most famous abbreviation. It is an acronym for “For Your Information” which, in good old Portuguese, means “For your information”. In other words, it indicates that the content of that message is a novelty or something of interest to the recipient.
LMAO: This is a reference to the phrase “Laughing My Ass Off” which means something like “I was laughing so hard”.
LOL: Cousin of LMAO, the acronym LOL is also very famous and has its origins in the already “deceased” MSN. In English, it means “Laughing Out Loud”, which can be translated as “Laughing out loud”. In practical terms, this acronym is used in reaction to something very funny.
NSFW: Less well-known, this is an abbreviation for “Not Safe for Work” or “Not safe for work” and is often associated with messages with inappropriate content to be seen in public places or work environments, usually with a sexual content.
OMG: It means “Oh My God” or “Oh my God” and is one of the most well-known acronyms in this glossary, generally used to show surprise or astonishment.
RLY: This abbreviation comes from the English “Really” and was best known for the owl meme with the words “O RLY?”. In general, it is used to express sarcasm or irony and it means something like “Oh, really?”.
ROFL: Another acronym used to react to funny content, ROFL stands for “Rolling On The Floor Laughing” or “rolling on the floor with laughter”, in Portuguese.
TKS: This is a short and quick way to say “Thanks” or “Thank you”.
RSVP: This expression, unlike the others, does not come from English, but from the French language. We decided to add it to the list because it is also well known. It is the abbreviation of the phrase “Répondez S’il Vous Plaît” which, translated into our language, means “Please answer”. It usually appears at the end of messages with invitations to an event, for example, and indicates that you must respond by confirming your presence or not.
