  Here's a list of some commonly used acronyms, expressions, and
"emoticons" on CIS.

  Much of it is based on a file called CISexp.doc, compiled by Josh 
Mandel and used by kind permission of the Gamers Forum (Thanks, 
Nightie). That file itself began as a compilation of earlier WPSG 
files, compiled by James Bach and Joan Friedman.

  Other contributors to the list are Sally Neuman, Neil Rubenking,
Orville Fudpucker, and Dave Konkel.
  Updated 03-13-93 by Axel Roschinski [100022,2647]


$0.02                   Throwing in your two cents' worth      
AFAIK                   As far as I know       
AWHFY                   Are we having fun yet? 
B4                      Before 
B4N                     Bye for Now
BAD                     Broken as Designed
BBR                     Burnt Beyond Repair
BBS                     Bulletin Board System
BCNU                    Be seein' you! (saying goodbye)        
BFN                     Bye For Now
BION                    Believe it or not      
BMTIPG                  Brilliant minds think in parallel gutters
BRB                     Be right back (typically used when leaving briefly 
                        during a COnference)
BRS                     Big Red Switch
BTA                     But then Again (in response to IOW)
BTAIM                   Be that as it may      
BTOBD                   Be there or be dead    
BTSOOM                  Beats the S**t Out Of Me
BTW                     By the way
BWQ                     Buzz Word Quotient
CADET                   Can't add, doesn't even try    
CIS                     Compuserve Information System (tm)
CI$                       (same as above)
CO                      Conference
CP                      Copy Protection
CRPG                    Character (or computer) Role Playing Game
CU                      See you
CUL8R                   See you later
DIIK                    Darn if I know
DL or D/L               Download (transmit to you)
DTRT                    Do The Right Thing
DWIMC                   Do What I Mean, Correctly
DWIMNWIS                Do What I Mean, Not What I Say
ESAD                    Eat S... and Die
ETLA                    Extended Three Letter Acronym
FB                      Files Busy
FCFS                    First come, first served       
FFRD                    Flying freep in a rolling donut (I don't give a...)
FISH                    First In, Still Here
FOAF                    Friend of A Friend
FRED                    Flaming Ridiculous Electronic Device
FTF                     Face to Face
FUBAR                   Fouled up beyond all recognition (also as FOOBAR or 
                        - as a filename: FOO.BAR
FUD                     Fear, uncertainty, and doubt   
FURTB                   Full up ready to burst (about hard disk drives!)
FWIW                    For what it's worth
FYI                     For your information
g,d&r                   grinning, ducking, and running 
g,d&rf                  Grinning, ducking and running FAST!
g,d&rvvf                Grinning, ducking and running VERY VERY FAST
GA                      Go Ahead       
GDW                     Grin, Duck and Weave
GFR                     Grim File Reaper (pervasive data destroyer)
GGC                     Goo Goo Cluster (cause zits & intestinal blockage)
GIGO                    Garbage in, Garbage Out
GIGO                    Garbage In, Gospel Out (people accepting blindly what 
                        the computer says)
GLGH                    Good Luck and Good Hunting
GMAFB                   Give me a freeping break
GMTA                    Great minds think alike
GOWI                    Get on with it 
GPF                     General Protection Fault (Old UAE, New Name!)
GP,F                    Go Puke, Fast!
HSIK                    How Should I Know (sometime HTFSIK)
IAAA                    I am an accountant     
IAAL                    I am a lawyer  
IANAA                   I am not an accountant 
IANAL                   I Am Not A Lawyer
IAC                     In any case  
IAE                     In any event
IIABDFI                 If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
IMO                     In my opinion
IMAO                    In My Arrogant Opinion
IMCO                    In my considered opinion
IMHO                    In my humble opinion [the speaker is never humble]
IME                     In My Experience       
IMPOV                   In my point of view    
IOW                     In other words
ITFA                    In the final analysis  
IWBNI                   If would Be Nice If
IYFEG                   Insert Your Favourite Ethnic Group
JAM                     Just a moment
JAS                     Just a second
JAWS                    Just another Windows shell     
JIC                     Just In Case
KMA                     Kiss my arm (shouldn't be used online...)
LABATYD                 Life's a bitch and then you die
LMAO                    Laughing My Arm Off
LOL                     Laughing Out Loud
MLA                     Multiple Letter Acronym
MOF                     Matter Of Fact 
MOTAS                   Member of the Appropriate Sex
MOTOS                   Member of the Opposite Sex
MOTSS                   Member of the Same Sex
MOTM                    Member of the Month
MOTH                    Humorous Collectibles Forum variation on Member of 
                        the Month
MYOB                    Mind Your Own Business
NAVY                    Never Again Volunteer Yourself
NBD                     No Big Deal    
NFG                     No Freeping Good
NFW                     No Freeping Way
NIMBY                   Not In My Back Yard
NINO                    Nothing in, nothing out
NOYB                    None Of Your Business
NQA                     No Questions Asked     
NTIM                    Not That It Matters    
NTIMM                   Not That It Matters Much       
NTW                     Not to Worry
NUI                     Network User Identification
OBTW                    Oh, By the Way
OIC                     Oh, I see
OTF                     On the Floor
OTL                     Out To Lunch
OTOH                    On the other hand
OTTH                    On the third hand
OTTOMH                  Off The Top Of My Head 
PABG                    Packing a Big Gun 
PBM                     Play by Mail (Games)
PDN                     Public Data Network
PITA                    Pain in the Anatomy
PLOKTA                  Press Lots of keys to abort
PMBI                    Pardon my butting in
PMFBI                   Pardon Me for butting in
PMJI                    Pardon my Jumping in
POSSLQ                  Person of Opposite Sex sharing living quarters
POV                     Point Of View  
PPN                     Programmer Project Number; currently known as UserID
PPPP                    Previous Paragraph was Polemical Position
RFD                     Request For Discussion 
RHIP                    Rank Has Its Privileges        
RLCO                    Real Life COnference
RNA                     Ring, No Answer
ROF,L                   Rolling on floor, laughing
ROFL                      <same>
RPG                     Role Playing Games
RSN                     Real Soon Now (when WP 6.0 or other vaporware will 
                        arrive)
RTFM                    Read the "friendly" manual (or message)
SFLA                    Stupid Four Letter Acronym
SMOP                    Small Matter of Programming
SNAFU                   Situation normal, all fouled up
SO                      Significant Other
SOS                     Same old Stuff
SSDD                    Same stuff, different day
SUFID                   Screwing Up Face In Disgust
SWMBO                   She who must be obeyed
Sysop                   System Operator, person who runs the BBS/Forum
TAFN                    Thats all for Now
TANJ                    There Ain't No Justice
TANSTAAFL               There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch
TBYB                    Try Before You Buy     
TDM                     Too Dang Many
TFS                     Thre Finger Salute (Ctl-Alt-Del)
TFTT                    Thanks For The Thought 
TGIF                    Thank God Its Friday
TIA                     Thanks in advance
TIC                     Tongue In Cheek
TLA                     Three Letter Acronym (now surpassed by MLA)
TM                      Thread mangler
TPTB                    The Powers That Be
TSJD                    Texas Size Jelly Donut
TSR                     Terminate and stay resident program
TSR                     Totally Stupid Rules
TTFN                    Ta Ta For Now
TTL4N                   Thats the lot for now
TTYL                    Talk to You Later
UAE                     Unrecoverable application error (Bane of Windows' 
                        users! Now surpassed by GPF)
UL or U/L               Upload (send to the BBS)
UNCLE                   Unified Nuclear Coalition of Latvian Emigrants
WAEF                    When All Else Fails    
WIMP                    Windows, Icons, Mouse, Pointing (to describe Windows 
                        and other similar interfaces)
WizOp                   Wizard Sysop; the primary forum administrator for a 
                        forum
WOA                     Work Of Art
WOFTAM                  Waste of Flaming time and money
WTF                     What the Freep
WTFDIK                  What the Freep Do I Know
WTH                     What The Heck
WYSIWYG                 What you see is what you get
WYSBYGI                 What you see before you get it
WYGIWYPF                What you get is what you pay for
YADS                    Yet Another DOS Shell
ZNT                     Ziffnet


Actions performed by the writer are often wrapped in smaller-than- "<" and 
greater-than- ">" signs:

<g>                     Grinning
<gg>                    Big grin (etc.)
<BG>                    Big grin
<eg>                    Evil grin
<ig>                    Impish grin
<dg>                    Devilish grin
<s>                     Smiling
<ss>                    Big smile (etc.)
[s]                     Smiling sarcastically
<g,d&r>                 Grinning, ducking & running
<grin>
<chuckle>
<smirk>
<smile>
<sheepish grin>
<silly grin>
<wink>
<lewd wink>
<frown>
<raising eyebrows>
<arching eyebrows>
<<mounting the soapbox>>
<<falling off the soapbox>>
<<ducking>>

*blush*
*hug*
*kiss*
*wink*

  some others:

<!>                     An important part of a message 
<?>                     One part of the message contains a questionable item
<ahem>                  clearing your throat just before saying something 
                        controversial        
<sp?>                   word/name/phrase probably contains a spelling error

CompuSlang is a dialect that constantly grows and changes, although
some of the words and phrases have become standards.

Drop carrier            To disconnect without logging off properly.
Dumped                  Involuntary victim of a carrier loss.
Flame                   To post a disparaging or controversial message.
Lurker                  Someone who reads, and "listens in" on discussions 
                        without participating or contributing to libraries.
Netiquette              Accepted practices on a service net.
Thread                  A series of messages or conversations that follow a 
                        single thought or topic.

emoticon: n. a figure created with the symbols on a keyboard that
          is usually read with the head tilted to the left. Used to
          convey the spirit in which a line of text was typed.
 
:-)         <smile> or <grin>
:)          midget Smile
:>          Midget Smiley
:-) )-:     Masking theatrical comments
:/)         Not funny
;-)         Wink (or wink and a smile)
;)          midget Wink
;>            "     " 
:-)))       reeeel happy, big smile
:->         Alternate happy face
:-(         Unhappy
:-c         Real unhappy
:-C         Unbelieving (jaw dropped)
:-<         Forlorn
;-C         Sardonic incredulity
:-}         Crooked Smile
:-i         Semi-Smiley

:-7         User after a wry statement
(@ @)       You're kidding!
:-"         Pursing lips
:-v         Just another face (speaking) profiled from the side
:-V         Shout
:-O           "
:-w         Speak with forked tongue
:-W         Shout with forked tongue
:-r         Bleahhh (sticking tongue out)
:-f            "
:-p            "
:-1         Smirks
:-,            "
<:-O        Eeek!
:-*         Oooops (covering mouth with hand)
:-T         keeping a straight face (tight-lipped)
:-D         said with a smile
:-P           "   "   "   "
:-y           "   "   "   "
:-|         Disgusted
:'-(        Shedding a tear
:~-(           "     "   "
:~(~~~      crying
:-)....     drool
:-)~~~      another drool
|-)         getting tired
:-D         big mouth
:~)         yummee - lick lips
:-?         Licking your lips
:-8         Talking out both sides of your mouth
<:-)        For dumb questions
:-#         Censored

o=          A burning candle for flames
-=          A doused candle to end a flame
8           Infinity
.-)         User has one eye
:-:         User is mutant
:<)         For those with hairy lips
:^{         For those with mustaches
8-)         Smile with glasses
:*)         Smile with moustache
8*)         Smile with glasses and moustache
B*)         Smile with Moustache and Designer Sunglasses! 
:<)=        For those with beards too
:-=)        Older user with mustache
:-#|        User with bushy mustache
::-)        User wears glasses
8:-)        Glasses on forehead
B-|         User is wearing cheap sunglasses
P-)         Pirate
:-{         Count Dracula
=|:-)=      Uncle Sam
7:)         Reagan
:~i         Smoking
:~j         (and smiling)
:/i         No smoking
:-I         It's something, but I don't know what....
:-x         Kiss kiss
:-B         Drooling (or overbite)
<:>==       A turkey emoticon
):-) :-) :-) Loud guffaw
:-J         Tongue-in-cheek comments
:*)         Clowning around
(:-)        Msgs dealing with bicycle helmets
@=          Warning about nuclear war
OO          Headlights on msg
:_)         I used to be a boxer, but it really got my nose out of joint
B-)         Smiling and wearing glasses or sunglasses
             (or a message from Batman)
8-)         Same as previous; also used to denote wide-eyed look
#:-)        :-) done by someone with sort of matted hair
:-o         "Oh, nooooooo!" (a la Mr. Bill)
#:-o        Same as previous
|-(         Late night messages
:^)         Messages teasing people about their noses
:-{#}       Messages teasing people about their braces
(:-$        Message indicating person is ill...
(:-&        Message indicating person is angry...
(:-(        Message indicating person is VERY sad...
(:^(        Message concerning people with broken noses
(:<)        Message concerning blabber mouths
:-(=)       Message about people with big teeth
&:-)        Message from a person with curly hair
@:-)        Message from a person with wavy hair
?-(         Message about people with a black eye
*:*         Message about fuzzy things
*:**        Message about fuzzy things with fuzzy mustaches
%-)         Message about people with broken glasses
+<:-|       Message from a monk/nun...
{0-)        Message from cyclops...
(:-|K-      Formal message.
...---...   S.O.S.
@%&$%&      You know what that means...
||*(        Handshake offered (giving)
||*)        Handshake accepted (taking)
<&&>        Message concerning rubber chickens
>< ><       Message about/to someone wearing argyle socks
2B|^2B      Message about Shakespeare
(-_-)       Secret smile
<{:-)}      Message in a bottle...
<:-)<<|     Message from a space rocket...
(:-...      Heart-breaking message...
<<<<(:-)    Message from a hat sales-man...
(O--<       A fishy message...
(:>-<       Message from a thief: hands up!
<I==I)      A message on four wheels
{           Alfred Hitchcock
@>--->----  A rose.
     ..|._  Opposite of a rose
(.)(.)      Ms. Dos 
&;-P        A suave guy on the make, who keeps advertising...just in case.
*;-~i       A lady replying to the guy by closing both eyes & puffing    
             nonchalantly on her cigarette.
|-(         Nightmare.
|-)         A good dream!  Or a face looking into bright sunlight. 
O:-)        Angel
|=====/o|    [emoticon.exe\bedtime.ico)
>:-)        Devil
>;-)        Devilish Wink
C=:-)       Chef
:-)##       Guy with a Beard
@:-)##      Guruka Singh Khalsa (note turban and beard!) 
&:-]        Overly Handsome Self-Portrait of the Uploader w/Square Jaw (old)
&8-]        Overly Handsome Self-Portrait of the Uploader w/Square Jaw (new)
@@B-)       Bouffant Woman with Catseye Frame Glasses
(8-}        Percy Dovetonsils
>-)         Oriental Smiling Face
;-)}<////>  Corporate-type guy (see the necktie?)
&B-]}<////> Another corporate-type with aviator glasses, wavy hair & tie.
O!O         a MALE moon (visualize someone bending over, naked) 
O^O         a FEMALE moon
;|8-)       Hagar caught lying
:*)         I'm drunk
7:^]        I resemble Ronald Reagan
*<|:-)      I'm Santa Claus
)-:|<*      Sanity Clause
:-)))       I'm overweight
[:-)        I'm wearing a walkman
d:-)        I'm a Braves fan
:-o         User singing national anthem
:-\         Popeye smiling face, for people who look like popeye
;-\         Popeye gets his lights punched out
:-*         User just ate a sour pickle
:-s         User after a BIZARRE comment
-:-)        User sports a mohawk and admires Mr. T
:%)%        User has acne
:n)         User with funny-looking right nose
:u)         User with funny-looking left nose
'-)         User only has a left eye, which is closed
(-:         User is left-handed
(-)         User needing a haircut
(:I         Egghead
{:-)        Smiley with its hair parted in the middle
+:-)        Smiley priest
=:-)        Smiley punk-rocker
%-^         User is Picasso
%-)         User is cross-eyed
@:I         Turban
(><)        Anally retentive
:-!         Foot in mouth
#-)         partied all night
:-(*)       about to vomit
%-\         hungover
:-|         man playing an harmonica
O:-)        for those innocent souls
=:-)        from a hosehead
:-)8        well dressed
8:-)        from a little girl
:-)-{8      from a big girl
:x(         habe a code in by dose
8:]         from a gorilla
(:)-)       scuba diver
(-:|:-)     Siamese twins
{:V         sounds like a duck
%+{         from the loser of a fight
d :-)       hats off to your great idea
d:-)        message about baseball
q:-)        for those who wear their caps backwards
:-$         put your money where your mouth is


{:-)        Kirk 
>:-|        Spock
:-/         McCoy

(:-)        Captain Picard 
:-{)}       Commander Riker
<>:{(}      Lt. Worf 
**:-)       Counsellor Troi
#-)         Lt. LaForge 
])          Lt. LaForge 
|-)         Lt. LaForge 
|-)         Data
[:-|        Data (straight haircut, no emotions... seems to work better...)

{(:-)       I am William Shatner
} (:-(      I am William Shatner in a high wind

8(:-)       Zippy
******:-)   Marge Simpson


These emoticons are particularly used by the Japanese but there is no reason
why they should not get worldwide use.....

^^          happiness
^^;         embarrasment
;;          sadness
--          when it's the occasion to bow

TAF         That's All, Folks!     That's All, Folks! 

              %%%----------------------o("-<   sssssss
                             _
                             ||
                           ------
                            o o
                              ^
                             ***

    So-low-I-could-walk-under a rattlesnake-&-not knock off my tophat

   !       Spider
  _!_  
 (o.o) 
 << >> 
                                                                    
            /|                                     
         \~o.O'                                    
         =(___)=         Bill the Cat
            U                                      
      ACK! PHPHBT!!                                
                                                                    
