Dictionary Legitimizes Lazy, Overused Online Abbreviations

FYI: In a move that may make English language purists go OMG and LOL, the Oxford English Dictionary has embraced all the abbreviations used in this sentence.

An update on the dictionary’s site explains:

OMG and LOL are found outside of electronic contexts, however; in print, and even in spoken use (see, for example, the 2003 quotation for LOL int.), where there often seems to be a bit more than simple abbreviation going on. The intention is usually to signal an informal, gossipy mode of expression, and perhaps parody the level of unreflective enthusiasm or overstatement that can sometimes appear in online discourse, while at the same time marking oneself as an ‘insider’ au fait with the forms of expression associated with the latest technology.

What internet slang would you like to see become official, and which terms would you like to see go away?

New initialisms in the OED [Oxford English Dictionary via Engadget]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.