My column this week is on technology.

I know what you are saying: Scott, I am used to your column being hard-hitting exposés on politics, economy and the underworld of corruption and crime in the streets.

Sometimes, though, I just need to step back and write a column about things that affect our everyday life.

Texting!

It has found us 40 year olds. Just when you thought you could get a break from technology and the Twitter and Facebook revolution, along comes a technology that the 24-and-younger cool kid crowds have been doing for years.

Texting!

It is hard not to see a teenager who not only is texting but also uses the cool shortened codes that it seems only they know. I am here to crack the code for us parents and over-40 types who will no longer feel shame when a text comes to us and we have to ask our kids to please tell me how to retrieve it from our cell phones.

We will now be able to proudly stand by and understand that L8R means later and ILY means I love you. Silly us who thought we could and should use good grammar and diction when talking or texting people. No longer will our children yell at us when we leave our name after a typed text message, saying, “Dad, I know it is from you because it comes from you. You do not need to put your name down.”

No longer will we be in the closet when it comes to texting. We as parents now will be able to talk, er, text our teens and maybe get them to talk, er, text us back. Dialogue with our teenagers — it could happen. I picture the day my daughter, sitting next to me on the couch, texts ILY to me and me picking up my cell phone can text back ILY2 back to her. What a tender moment indeed.

I think that texting to us middle-aged people is a lot like when we had to hook up the VCR or had to explain how to heat up things in a microwave for our parents. (My mom still stands behind the wall at her house to heat up coffee because that is what they do at the doctors during an X-ray.)

So listed below are the codes to almost 100 words used in texting. I found them online. It is time to get caught up and surprise your teenager with your new found knowledge.

GL or good luck!

Texting abbreviations

2moro: Tomorrow

2nite: Tonight

BRB: Be Right Back

BTW: By The Way

B4N: Bye For Now

BCNU: Be Seeing You

BFF: Best Friends Forever

CYA: See You

DBEYR: Don’t Believe Everything You Read

FUD: Fear, Uncertainty, and Disinformation

FWIW: For What It’s Worth

GR8: Great

ILY: I Love You

IMHO: In My Humble Opinion

IRL: In Real Life

ISO: In Search Of

J/K: Just Kidding

L8R: Later

LMAO: Laughing My *** Off

LOL: Laughing Out Loud or Lots of Love or Laugh Online

LYLAS: Love You Like A Sister

MHOTY: My Hat’s Off To You

NIMBY: Not In My Back Yard

NP: No Problem or Nosy Parents

NUB: New person to a site or game

OIC: Oh, I See

OMG: Oh, My God

OT: Off Topic

POV: Point of View

RBTL: Read Between The Lines

ROTFLMAO: Rolling On The Floor Laughing My *** Off

RT: Real Time

THX or TX or THKS: Thanks

SH: **** Happens

SITD: Still In The Dark

SOL: **** Out of Luck

STBY: Sucks To Be You

SWAK: Sealed (or Sent) With A Kiss

TFH: Thread From Hell

TLC: Tender Loving Care

TMI: Too Much Information

TTYL: Talk To You Later or Type To You Later

TYVM: Thank You Very Much

VBG: Very Big Grin

WEG: Wicked Evil Grin

WYWH: Wish You Were Here

XOXO: Hugs and Kisses

AFAIC: As Far As I’m Concerned

ASAP: As Soon As Possible

BHAG: Big Hairy Audacious Goal

BOHICA: Bend Over Here It Comes Again

CLM: Career Limiting Move

CYA: Cover You’re *** or See Ya

DD: Due Diligence

DQYDJ: Don’t Quit Your Day Job

DRIB: Don’t Read If Busy

EOD: End Of Day

EOM: End Of Message

EOT: End Of Thread (meaning: end of discussion)

ESO: Equipment Smarter than Operator

FYI: For Your Information

GMTA: Great Minds Think Alike

HIOOC: Help, I’m Out Of Coffee

IAITS: It’s All In The Subject

IANAL: I Am Not A Lawyer

KISS: Keep It Simple Stupid

LOPSOD: Long On Promises, Short On Delivery

MOTD: Message Of The Day

MTFBWY: May The Force Be With You

MYOB: Mind Your Own Business

NRN: No Reply Necessary

NSFW: Not Safe For Work

NWR: Not Work Related

OTP: On The Phone

P&C: Private & Confidential

PDOMA: Pulled Directly Out Of My ***

PEBCAK: Problem Exists Between Chair And Keyboard

QQ: Quick Question or Cry More

RFD: Request For Discussion

RFP: Request For Proposal

SBUG: Small Bald Unaudacious Goal

SME: Subject Matter Expert

SSDD: Same ****, Different Day

STD: Seal The Deal

SWAG: SoftWare And Giveaways

TBA: To Be Advised

TBD: To Be Determined

TWIMC: To Whom it may Concern

TIA: Thanks In Advance

WIIFM: What’s In It For Me

WOMBAT: Waste Of Money, Brains And Time

WTG: Way To Go

YW: You’re Welcome

Tribune Publisher Scott Schmeltzer’s column appears every Thursday.