Abbreviations are commonly used in promotional products because of limitations on print areas. Using abbreviations is a great way of saving space and getting your message across. For example on our USBs its quite hard to fit a long word on, so abbreviations are often preferred.
So where did these abbreviations come from? Here's 5 of our favorite slang words used on the net and where they originated from.
1. LOL
Back in the 1980s the emoji had not even crossed anyone's mind and internet users relied on phrases like *Smile* to indicate a physical reaction. By 1989 an online newsletter suggested LOL for laughing out loud and thus the infamous abbreviation was born!!
2. NOOB
A personal favorite, NOOB or N00b or even Newb is the term used to indicate someone who has displayed little to no knowledge of a subject being discussed. One of the earliest mentions on a newsgroup was from 1988, when a poster complained a computer board was being bombarded by inane questions from newcomers.
3. FTW
FTW or ''For The Win" can be traced back to the excitement of retro game show hosts in the 1970s. This retro slang was brought back in the early 2000s when online players started to use the phrase and it caught on!