From JAPAN & ITALY to LOL, TMI, MoMa & other acronyms of the youth

LSS is for “Last Song Syndrome” and TBT is for “Throwback Thursday.” OMG is for “Oh my God!” and TC is for “Take care.” LOL is “Laughing out loud” and ROFL is “Rolling on the floor laughing.”

Those acronyms have made it to the Pinoy vocabulary, thanks to the fast-paced communication provided by the Internet in the millennial setup.

Before there were SMP for Samahang Malamig ang Pasko and NBSB or NGSB for No Boyfriend/Girlfriend Since Birth. Then PDA (public display of affection) became the synonyms of HHWW (holding hands while walking) and HHWWAT (holding hands while walking and talking).

In the late ‘70s, ehem, or maybe up to the early ‘80s, ehem-ehem, when the “slum book” predated the Internet, acronyms of some countries were a hit. Here are what some of my childhood friends and I distinctly remember:

JAPAN — Just always pray at night

HOLLAND — Hope our love lasts and never dies

INDIA — I nearly died in adoration

NEPAL — Never ever part as lovers

ITALY — I trust and love you

CHINA — Come here, I need affection

EGYPT — Everything’s great, you pretty thing

PERU — Porget everyone, remember us

LIBYA — Love is beautiful; you also

The youth of today may be aware of those “countries” but they cringe using them in their everyday conversation. Instead, they have their own set of acronyms. To the uninitiated, these abbreviations are incomprehensible, even unreadable; but to the youth who, maybe, is always in a hurry, these are words understood by their generation.

Over FB tutorials the other night, my nieces Gabby (Grade 9) and Paopao (third year college) taught me some of today’s acronyms. TMI is for “Too much information”; something they tell me if I go overboard explaining myself to them. IKR means “I know right” and IDK is “I don’t know.” RN is “Right now” while IS is “I’m sure.”

Though these words may be said in a verbal conversation, their chief usage is mainly in written form. In e-mail exchange, FB comments or SMS, these acronyms figure weightily.

“The use of acronyms among the youth is the fad,” says Allure columnist and psychiatrist Nina Halili-Jao. “Plus in this cellphone era, the use of acronyms is more convenient.”

“It has a degree of attention-calling,” says Fred Uriarte, a noted psychologist, of the action of the young generation to use acronyms like FTW for “For the win,” OMG, LOL and ROFL. 

To understand today’s acronym of the youth, consider these…

STL — Spread the love

TBH — To be honest

SML — So much love

SMH — So much hate

JWU — Just woke up

BBL — Be back later

GTG — Got to go

BRB — Be right back

GGWP — Good game. Well played.

GLHF — Good luck, have fun

MBL — Must be love

FTW — For the win

MIA — Missing in action

BAE — Before anyone else

HoHol — Hang out, hang out lang

MoMol — Move on, move on lang (Apparently, the younger set has given another meaning to the bleepable MoMol of the elder set. LOL!)

JGH — Just got home

JGL — Just got loaded

WDYM — What do you mean?

WRU — Where are you?

SYS — See you soon

MBTC — More birthdays to come

TCA — Take care always

MoMa — Movie marathon

LDR — Long distance relationship

ETA — Estimated time of arrival

OTW — On the way

FTW — For the win

KKLK — Kakaloka

NKKLK — Nakakaloka

MSHT — Make someone happy today

DGM — Don’t get mad

IFY — I feel you

GBU — God bless you

If you don’t understand your children’s vocabulary, DGM. IFY. If they’re having a MoMa, join them and have some quality time with them.

Oh, well, GTG.

MSHT!

GBU!

(For your new beginnings, e-mail me at bumbaki@yahoo.com. I’m also on Instagram @bumtenorio. Have a blessed Sunday!)