If you’re new to the wonderful world of chatting online, there are a few things you should know. In addition to following safety and etiquette rules, there is some fun lingo you can use as shorthand when talking with other folks in the chat room. Here are just a few to get your started.

LOL. You’ve probably seen this before, even in an email. This stands for "laugh out loud" – something someone might write if you made them laugh or if they’ve found something else funny.

FOCL. If you’ve found something absolutely hysterical, you might write that you’ve "fallen off your chair laughing".

AFK – This lets people know that you’re "away from the keyboard" and usually means you’ll be back fairly quickly because you’ve just run to the refrigerator or had to take a phone call.

BAK. Once you’ve gotten your sandwich or have hung up the phone, this indicates that you’re "back at the keyboard".

BTW. Also popular in emails, this means "by the way"…when you want to give just a little more information than what you’ve already provided.

CUL8R. Just what it sounds like: see you later!

DIKY? If someone has approached you and you’re not sure if you’ve met, this asks them, "do I know you?"

FYI. Also recognizable in our vernacular, you probably already know this means "For Your Information".

GA. Need to encourage someone to ask or answer a question? Tell them to "go ahead".

B/F or G/F. Short for "boyfriend" or "girlfriend".

HAGD. It’s always nice to tell someone to "have a good day".

IDK. With this shorthand, you’re admitting, "I don’t know".

JK. If you’ve made a joke at someone else’s expense, make sure they know you’re "just kidding"!

NP. Did someone thank you for giving them some advice? Tell them "no problem".

OMG. Sometimes there’s just nothing else to say but "oh my gosh".

PMJI. This term really comes in handy when you don’t know how else to enter a conversation that’s already going on. You’re saying, "pardon me for jumping in". Very polite!

TYVM. Want to tell someone you really appreciate something they said? Tell them, "thank you very much".

WTGP? Sometimes you want to speak to someone in a private chat room so that you can talk without everyone else seeing your conversation. With this phrase you’re asking them, "want to go private?"

As you can see, there are plenty of shorthand terms that are used in chat rooms. The more you visit, the more you’ll learn. They come in handy; it helps keep responses short and to the point and keeps conversation flowing smoothly. It may seem overwhelming right now, but actually shorthand is really fun and you’ll get the hang of it in no time. Chat away!