What’s your favourite abbreviation?
I’m lucky enough to work with many millennials, and my daughters are Gen Zs. These special humans speak in abbreviations, sometimes to the extent that I am not sure whether they are speaking English or if our lives now have subtitles. They even laugh in abbreviations! Have you noticed when they laugh at a joke they literally say “LOL!”! (laughing out loud) Why are they stating the obvious? If we all narrated everything, should we not all be saying “BIBO” (Breathing in….breathing out) all day long?
I assume that the popularity of abbreviations among the younger generations is a result of texting. Common words we all use now, in our written and spoken language are BTW (by the way) TBH (to be honest) and SYL (see ya later). This made me curious about which other new abbreviations have become part of our day-to-day language. I asked three different AI’s to give me a list of them. Have a read:
- IMO – in my opinion
- IDK – I don’t know
- BRB – be right back
- OMG – oh my god
- SMH – shaking my head
- NVM – never mind
- FYI – for your information
- TMI – too much information
- YOLO – you only live once
- FR– For real
- NGL– Not gonna lie
- IMO / IMHO– In my (humble) opinion
- LMK– Let me know
- ASAP– As soon as possible
- ICYMI– In case you missed it
- POV– Point of view
- RN– Right now
- OMW– On my way
- NBD– No big deal
- WYD– What (are) you doing?
- IKR– I know, right?
- BF/GF– Boyfriend/Girlfriend
- BAE– Before anyone else
- SUS– Suspicious
- TL;DR– Too long; didn’t read…….if you are still reading THANK YOU!!
In our world, we deal with a lot of medical abbreviations. Have you ever looked at a prescription your doctor gave you and wondered what the mysterious abbreviations mean? Or are you like most people who just desperately hope the pharmacist will know (and be able to read the doctor’s writing)? Most of the abbreviations are from Latin as are most of diseases and anatomical names btw). See what I did there? LOL.
- PRN – Pro re nata (as needed)
- BD or BID – Bis in die (twice daily)
- TDS or TID – Ter die sumendum / Ter in die (three times daily)
- QID – Quater in die (four times daily)
- OD – Omni die (once daily)
- ON – Every night
- Mane – In the morning
- Nocte – At night
- Stat – Immediately
- AC – Ante cibum (before meals)
- PC – Post cibum (after meals)
- PO – Per os (by mouth)
- IM – Intramuscular
- IV – Intravenous
- SC or SQ – Subcutaneous
- SL – Sublingual (under the tongue)
- Top – Topical (apply to skin)
- SOS – If necessary (in urgent need)
- HS – at bedtime (before sleeping)
- PO – by mouth (oral)
- TAB or tab – tablet
- CAP or cap – capsule
- SYR or syr – syrup
- SUSP – suspension
- INH – inhale (e.g. asthma inhaler)
And that’s not all. Acronyms abound in the medical world. FYI I hope it is not TMI, but from my POV and IMHO these abbs are used so often that it is SUS! IDK about you, but it is FR interesting and since YOLO and ICYMI we might as well know the terms:
- HIV – Human Immunodeficiency Virus
- AIDS – Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
- TB – Tuberculosis
- COPD – Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (used to be called emphysema)
- MI – Myocardial Infarction (heart attack)
- CVA – Cerebrovascular Accident (stroke)
- UTI – Urinary Tract Infection
- DVT – Deep Vein Thrombosis
- PE – Pulmonary Embolism
- CKD – Chronic Kidney Disease
- ESRD – End-Stage Renal Disease
- IBS – Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- RA – Rheumatoid Arthritis
- OA – Osteoarthritis
- HTN – Hypertension
- ADHD – Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
- PTSD – Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
On a side note, there is a lot of hype about MND and ALS, but it is the same thing. In the US, it’s called ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), while in South Africa and other Commonwealth countries, it’s known as MND (Motor Neurone Disease, or sometimes just MN).
When time is limited, entire stories are spoken in these shortened terms. In the ER (emergency room) or A&E (accidents and emergencies) or in SA (South Africa) we call it ED (emergency department) there are some scary things that are shouted back and forth like:
- MVA – Motor Vehicle Accident
- GSW – Gunshot Wound
- SW – Stab Wound
- BWI – Bite Wound Injury
- ATV / ATV Accident – All-Terrain Vehicle Accident
- TBI – Traumatic Brain Injury
- CPR – Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
On a lighter note, here are some fabulous ones that I am now using regularly in my desperate need to also be cool:
- FOMO – fear of missing out
- AFK – away from keyboard
- OG – Original gangster (this is a serious compliment!)
- G2G / GTG – Got to go
- DKDC – Don’t know, don’t care
- CU – see you
- CMB – call me back
- TTYL – talk to you later
It’s fascinating how abbreviations have become such a universal language — bridging generations, professions, and even life and death moments. From the casual “LOL” in a group, chat to the urgent “STAT” in a hospital ward, these short words have added a new layer to the way we communicate. It has somehow made the only species which communicates in language even richer.
Honestly, if our grandparents could see us now, they might be a rather concerned at how much the world has changed. They had to wait months for a single hand-written letter, and here we are in 2026, too rushed to even type out entire words!
With our post-surgical care we often see terms like BBL (Brazilian bum lift), HOF (head of femur), FKR (full knee replacement) and one we use much more than anyone ever thought we would: BM or BA – bowel movement/bowel action.
We also use abbreviations to lessen the blow of words we don’t want spoken out loud, hoping it will make the journey gentler… like EOL (end of life), CC for comfort care, or QoL for quality of life, when there is nothing else the world can do but to ensure dignity and peace.
And of course, a DNR (do not resuscitate) is one of the last ways we can respect and honour a person’s wishes.
My favourite abbreviation is IRL (in real life) as this precious life is all we have, and it’s so wonderfully worth living every second to the full.
So, what’s your favourite abbreviation?
TTYL!