These teenagers today with their genetically modified texting thumbs think they invented acronyms.  Ooh, it’s so hard to break your secret code!  CTFD, IYKWIM.  J/K!

In my day, before the internet even, we had plenty of awesome, super secret acronyms, we just had to write them in pencil.   Remember any of these?

1. SWAK – Sealed With A Kiss.  Ideally, SWAK accompanied a genuine lipstick kiss mark and appeared next to a puffy sticker on a letter written to your BFF from summer camp.

2. 2G2B4G – Too Good To Be Forgotten was a staple of yearbook signatures for big-headed teens everywhere.

3. INVU4URAQT – This clever compliment (I envy you, for you are a cutie pie) could be made even nerdier by adding a Pi sign at the end.  Perfect way to thank someone for letting you copy off their geometry homework.  And if you wanted to make them laugh, you could pass them your calculator after typing the numbers 8-0-0-8 because together, they appeared to spell BOOB.

4. FUBAR – In college, the fraternities concocted a punch made of every different kind of alcohol in order to get you F’ed Up Beyond All Recognition, which according to military slang, could create a SNAFU (Situation Normal All F’ed Up) for girls who forgot to eat dinner.

5. TGIF – Not only was Thank God It’s Friday a weekend rallying cry and terrible restaurant chain serving amazing 9-layer dip, it was was also the place to be on ABC for watching Full House, Family Matters, Perfect Strangers and Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper.  Who would have guessed that the Olsen Twins would be ones we still talk about?  Urkel, we hardly knew ya.

Though I fully embraced the joys of snail mail (you can’t spray your Designer Imposters perfume at the internet), it’s kind of too bad we didn’t have texting when I was a teen, because then we might have abbreviated all the Valley Girl gems like:

GMWAS – Gag Me With A Spoon

GTTM – Grody to the Max

ISS – I’m So Sure

WYD – What’s Your Damage?

That would have been totally choice.  And fresh.  No duh.