20 Chat Room Phrases That Defined the Early Internet
Here's a collection of the most iconic chat room phrases that shaped the culture of the early internet.
- Alyana Aguja
- 5 min read
The early internet was a place where language evolved rapidly, producing unique phrases and acronyms that defined online interaction. From shorthand like LOL and BRB to cultural markers like ASL and newbie, these terms gave digital spaces their own identity. Looking back at these phrases reveals how users built a shared language that still influences online communication today.
1. ASL (Age, Sex, Location)
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ASL was the first question many users asked in a chat room to quickly size up who they were talking to. It became a cultural shorthand, reflecting the anonymity and curiosity of the early internet. Although simple, it often carried undertones of flirtation or suspicion depending on the context.
2. BRB (Be Right Back)
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When stepping away from the keyboard, people used BRB so their chat partners wouldn’t think they were being ignored. It reflected the early internet’s synchronous nature, where conversations were expected to flow without long gaps. This phrase is one of the few from the 1990s that still feels familiar today.
3. LOL (Laughing Out Loud)
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LOL quickly became the universal way to express laughter online. It allowed emotion to slip through text-only communication, softening tone and signaling friendliness. While other alternatives like ROFL appeared, LOL remained the most enduring.
4. ROFL (Rolling on the Floor Laughing)
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This exaggerated version of LOL was used when something was extremely funny. It captured the hyperbolic energy of early chat rooms, where people expressed themselves in dramatic text shortcuts. Over time, it became less common but is still recognized as part of internet humor.
5. LMAO (Laughing My Ass Off)
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LMAO was a spicier alternative to LOL, often reserved for moments that were hilariously over the top. Its casual profanity also made it more appealing to teenagers who felt like they were rebelling. It helped shape a more informal, unfiltered chat culture.
6. TTYL (Talk to You Later)
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TTYL was used when signing off for the night or leaving a conversation. It added a sense of politeness and closure to digital interactions that could otherwise feel abrupt. The phrase spread widely through AIM, MSN Messenger, and Yahoo Chat.
7. AFK (Away From Keyboard)
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Similar to BRB, AFK let people know you were physically not at your computer. It reflected how deeply people were tethered to chat rooms, sometimes leaving windows open for hours. Gamers in particular kept AFK alive well into the 2000s.
8. BFF (Best Friends Forever)
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BFF spread quickly from teen culture into chat rooms, strengthening online friendships. Even though users may have never met in real life, the label made digital bonds feel meaningful. It was often combined with emoticons to emphasize closeness.
9. GTG (Got To Go)
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GTG signaled a quick exit, usually when someone was being called for dinner or had to log off. Unlike TTYL, it was less formal and more about sudden necessity. It became one of the most used exit lines in early chat spaces.
10. NP (No Problem)
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NP was shorthand for brushing off thanks or making light of a situation. Its simplicity reflected the efficiency people wanted in fast-moving chat rooms. It kept conversations flowing without bogging down in formalities.
11. OMG (Oh My God)
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OMG exploded in popularity during the early chat era as a way to show excitement or shock. It captured strong emotions in just three letters, fitting perfectly into quick digital exchanges. From chat rooms to texting, it became a cornerstone of internet expression.
12. JK (Just Kidding)
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JK softened blunt jokes or sarcasm that might be misread in text form. Without voice tone, misunderstandings were common, and JK helped prevent conflicts. It became an essential tool for navigating humor online.
13. IDK (I Don’t Know)
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IDK gave users a quick way to admit uncertainty without typing full sentences. It reflected the casual, shorthand nature of chat conversations. Even today, it remains one of the most common internet acronyms.
14. IRL (In Real Life)
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RL highlighted the distinction between online friendships and offline encounters. It showed how digital spaces were seen as separate worlds, though deeply connected to daily life. The phrase helped establish boundaries for internet culture.
15. IMO (In My Opinion)
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IMO was used to signal subjectivity in debates and casual chats. It prevented arguments from escalating by showing humility in statements. As conversations often turned heated, IMO became a tool of digital diplomacy.
16. ICQ UIN Numbers
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Before usernames were standardized, ICQ gave users unique identification numbers. Sharing your UIN was equivalent to swapping phone numbers in the chat room era. It was a defining ritual for many early internet friendships.
17. :-), :-(, ;-) (Emoticons)
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Before emojis, text-based emoticons ruled the chat landscape. A simple colon, dash, and parenthesis could change the entire tone of a message. These faces helped fill the emotional gap in digital conversations.
18. Newbie (or Noob)
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Calling someone a newbie was both descriptive and dismissive, marking them as inexperienced. The shortened “noob” soon became more mocking, especially in gaming chat rooms. It was one of the first internet slang terms to shape group hierarchies.
19. Flaming
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Flaming referred to hostile or insulting exchanges that often erupted in chat rooms. It was both a warning and a label for aggressive online behavior. This phrase foreshadowed the modern concept of online trolling.
20. Kewl
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A playful misspelling of “cool,” kewl reflected the quirky creativity of internet chat slang. It was often used by teens to look trendy or different from older users. Like many misspellings of the time, it became part of internet identity.