Express yourself with emoticons
When you communicate with friends and family face-to-face, your voice, your face, and your hands are all part of your message. When you're using e-mail or instant messaging, some of your meaning can be lost along the way, limiting your ability to express yourself and potentially creating misunderstandings. When you communicate online, you don't need to be limited to mere words on a screen. You can add personality, humor, and more to your messages by using emoticons (literally, "icons of emotion").
On This Page
Windows Messenger makes it easy for you to add emoticons to your messages. In fact, there is a huge collection of emoticons you can choose from to enhance the feeling of your messages.
How to add emoticons
Adding emoticons to your messages is simple:
1. | In the Conversation window, click the Emoticon button to display the menu of choices.
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2. | Click the emoticon you want to add at the cursor position. |
That's all there is to it! And remember: an emoticon is a character, so you can delete an emoticon you don't want to use by simply pressing the BACKSPACE key before you send the message.
Windows Messenger emoticons
Windows Messenger contains a huge library of emoticons you can draw from as you send instant messages. Use them to indicate when you're feeling happy, sad, or just plain silly.
Emotags
If you'd rather not insert images in your message, you might want to use an emotag. Emotags were first used in e-mail and newsgroups to clarify a message for the reader. Typically, emotags consist of a word or words in brackets or parentheses, such as <joke>, and appear right after, or both before and after, the text they refer to.
Smileys
The most common emoticons are faces and expressions created using standard keyboard punctuation marks and symbols, which are viewed sideways. These emoticons are known as "smileys" in reference to the first emoticons, which represented a smiley face, such as: :-). As with emoticons and emotags, you can add emotion and personality to your messages by using smileys.
Message shorthand
In addition to adding emotion to your messages, you can simplify your communication style—and reduce the amount of typing you need to do—by using abbreviations (or tags) that are commonly used by people who frequently use e-mail or instant messaging. Shorthand gives you a way to continue to communicate your point quickly and easily with a minimum of keystrokes. Here's a list of shorthand tags you can use in your own messages:
AAMOF | as a matter of fact |
AAR | at any rate |
ADN | any day now |
AFAIK | as far as I know |
AFK | away from keyboard |
AFKBRB | away from keyboard, be right back |
ASAP | as soon as possible |
A/S/L | age/sex/location |
B2W | back to work |
B4N (or BFN) | bye for now |
BAK | back at keyboard |
BBL | be back later |
BBS | be back soon |
BCNU | be seeing you |
BF (or B/F) | boyfriend |
BMN | but maybe not |
BRB | be right back |
BTDT | been there, done that |
BTDTBTT | been there, done that, bought the tape |
BTDTGTTS | been there, done that, got the t-shirt |
BTDTGTTSAWIO | been there, done that, got the t-shirt, and wore it out |
BTW | by the way |
BYKT | but you knew that |
CIO | cut it out |
CMIIW | correct me if I'm wrong |
CU (or CYA) | see you |
CUL (or CUL8R) | see you later |
DIY | do it yourself |
DYJHIW | don't you just hate it when |
EAK | eating at keyboard |
EOL | end of lecture |
EOM | end of message |
F2F (or FTF) | face to face |
FAPP | for all practical purposes |
FOFL (or FOTFL) | falling on the floor laughing |
FTR | for the record |
FWIW | for what it's worth |
FYA | for your amusement |
FYEO | for your eyes only |
FYI | for your information |
g (or <g>) | grin |
G (or <G>) | big grin |
G2G (or GTG) | got to go |
GAL | get a life |
GD&H | grinning, ducking, and hiding |
GD&R | grinning, ducking, and running |
GD&RVVF | grinning, ducking, and running, very, very fast |
GF (or G/F) | girlfriend |
GG | gotta go (or good game) |
GIWIST | gee, I wish I said that |
GMTA | great minds think alike |
GoAT | go away, troll |
HAK | hugs and kisses |
HAGD | have a great day |
HAND | have a nice day |
HEH | a courtesy laugh |
HHOS | ha-ha, only serious |
HTH | hope this helps (or hope that helps) |
IAE | in any event |
HW | homework (or hardware) |
IANAL | I am not a lawyer |
IC | I see |
ICBW | I could be wrong (or it could be worse) |
IDTS | I don't think so |
IINM | if I'm not mistaken |
IIRC | if I recall correctly |
IIUC | if I understand correctly |
IMCO | in my considered opinion |
IME | in my experience |
IMHO | in my humble opinion |
IMNSHO | in my not-so-humble opinion |
IMO | in my opinion |
IOW | in other words |
IRL | in real life |
ISTM | it seems to me |
ISWYM | I see what you mean |
ITRW | in the real world |
J (or <J>) | joking |
JC | just chillin' |
JIC | just in case |
JK (or J/K) | just kidding (or that was a joke) |
JTYWTK | just thought you wanted to know |
JW | just wondering |
K | okay |
KWIM | know what I mean? |
L (or <L>) | laughing |
L8R | later |
LJBF | let's just be friends |
LOL | laughing out loud |
LTNS | long time no see |
MHBFY | my heart bleeds for you |
MHOTY | my hat's off to you |
MOTAS | member of the appropriate sex |
MOTD | message of the day |
MYOB | mind your own business |
NBD | no big deal |
NBIF | no basis in fact |
NOYB | none of your business |
NP | no problem |
NRN | no response necessary (or no reply necessary) |
OIC | oh, I see |
OM | oh my (or old man, as in husband) |
OOI | out of interest |
OOTB | out of the box |
OTL | out to lunch |
OTOH | on the other hand |
OTTH | on the third hand |
PAW | parents are watching |
PC | politically correct |
PDA | public display of affection |
PEST | please excuse slow typing |
PI (or PIC) | politically incorrect |
PKB (or P/ K/B) | pot, kettle, black (or pot calling the kettle black) |
PMBI | pardon my butting in |
PMFJI | pardon me for jumping in |
POS | parent over shoulder (or parents over shoulder) |
POV | point of view |
PPL | people |
PTB | powers that be |
R (or r) | are |
REHI | re-hello (following a short time away) (or hi again) |
RFC | request for comment |
RL | real life |
ROTFL | rolling on the floor laughing |
ROTFLOL | rolling on the floor laughing out loud |
S (or <S>) | smile |
SCNR | sorry, could not resist |
SITD | still in the dark |
SOP | standard operating procedure |
SPMD | some people may differ |
SUP | what's up? |
TBE | to be expected |
THX (or TX) | thanks |
TIA | thanks in advance |
TANJ | there ain't no justice |
TIC | tongue-in-cheek |
TPHB | the pointy-haired boss |
TPTB | the powers that be |
TTBOMK | to the best of my knowledge |
TTFN | ta-ta for now |
TTYL | talk to you later |
TVM | thanks very much |
TVMIA | thanks very much in advance |
TYVMIA | thank you very much in advance |
U | you |
UW | you're welcome |
VBG (or <VBG>) | very big grin |
WB | welcome back |
WCD | what's cookin' doc? |
WHBT | we have been trolled |
WOA | work of art |
WRT | with regard to (or with respect to) |
WTG | way to go |
WTH | what the heck? |
Y (or <Y>) | yawning |
YHBT | you have been told (or you have been trolled) |
YHBW | you have been warned |
YHGMTPOTG | you have greatly misinterpreted the purpose of this group |
YHM | you have mail |
YMMV | your mileage may vary |
YOYO | you're on your own |
YWSYLS | you win some, you lose some |
