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OMG, FYI, and LOL enter Oxford English Dictionary, foreshadow the apocalypse
In an acknowledgement of the internet's overwhelming influence on the triviality we sometimes refer to as "real life," the Oxford English Dictionary doyens have decided to add a few of the web's favorite pronouncements to their lexicon. Among them are the standouts OMG, LOL and FYI, joining their compatriots IMHO and BFF among the proud number of officially sanctioned initialisms (abbreviations contracted to the initials of their words) used in the English language. Shockingly enough, the expression OMG has had its history tracked all the way back to 1917, while LOL used to mean "little old lady" back in the '60s, and FYI first showed up in corporate lingo in 1941. Not only that, but the heart symbol -- not the <3 emoticon, the actual ♥ graphic -- has also made it in. Just so long as Beliebers and fanpires are kept out, there's still hope for the future. A tiny, twinkling ember of a hope.
WoW Rookie: Gaming terminology 101
New around here? WoW Rookie points WoW's newest players to the resources they need to get acclimated. Send us a note to suggest a WoW Rookie topic.Probably one of the top requests WoW Rookie gets from new players is a plea for an explanation of WoW and gaming terminology. Even a casual skim of WoW Insider's front page can prove challenging to new gamers. Example: what to experienced players is a routine update on new PTR schedules can be an exercise in frustration for readers who are still sorting out WTT from WTF. ("PTR? WTF?!?") It's not just WoW-specific abbreviations and acronyms that puzzle new players. Add in gaming lingo and internet chat terms, and you have the recipe for a truly intimidating mix.
MT, MrT, MagT, MST, Magisters' Terrace
We hit on this a while back, but now that Magisters' Terrace has finally landed on the live realms, it's time to choose an official abbreviation. Players are apparently all over the place, but the time for debate and discussion is over. Let's come up with the real choice for Magisters' Terrace abbreviation.When making this decision, lots of things have to be considered. MT is out no matter what, as not only do many things in game use it as an abbreviation (main tank, mistell, Montana -- ok maybe that last one is a stretch), but it also leads us to confusion with the other "MT" instance in the game: Mana Tombs. For that reason, MaT is also out, though MagT has found a lot of foothold with many players, as has MgT. I originally thought MT would work well (since Mana Tombs is actually "Mana-Tombs," and would therefore be abbreviated M-T), but I haven't see that too much so far.But almost surprisingly, the thing I've seen most players using is something that I originally mentioned way back as just a joke. Yes, most players I've seen are actually describing the instance as MrT. Not that that makes any more sense, but it does kind of provide a nice homage to a Mohawked WoW hero.So in our (un)official capacity as WoW Insider, one of the 50 most influential blogs on the net, we're declaring the winner: from now on, the new Sunwell 5man will be known as "MrT." And we pity the fool who doesn't agree.Haven't been to MrT yet (or MagT, or MgT, or whatever you decide to call it)? We've got a Kalecgos-sized roundup of info on the brand new five-man, including a step-by-step walkthrough of what's in there and how to kill it.
Typinator 2.0 released with a flood of new features
Typing tools that increase your efficiency are all the rage for anyone who has to type more than their name and credit card number on a daily basis, and ergonis just upped the ante with the release of Typinator 2.0. Competing directly with similar tools like TextExpander and TypeIt4Me, this new version of Typinator brings a virtual boatload of new features to the table, including: Sets allow convenient organization of abbreviations Import and export of abbreviation sets Comes with auto-correction sets for English, German and French Import from Textpander, TextExpander and TypeIt4Me Application-specific set assignment Typinator can be disabled in individual applications Clipboard insertion within expansions Streamlined user interface for improved conformance to Apple's guidelines The abbreviation table can be sorted by abbreviation, expansion, options, and conflict status Expansion of abbreviations is much faster now, even while typing extremely fast and with thousands of defined abbreviations and auto-corrections Significantly reduced memory requirements, especially with large expansions and much, much more As a paid user of TextExpander, this new release of Typinator looks quite tasty indeed. I'm actually just glad the typing tool space is getting more competitive, as I can't write or work on the web without one anymore. A demo is of course available, while a single licenses sells for about $26 (EUR 19.99).
The compleat WoW abbreviations (alphabetical, A-M)
This has all the abbreviations from A-M alphabetically. You'll find N-Z here. The categorized list is this way, or that way for class-specific abbreviations. Please leave comments on the main post.1h: One-handed2h: Two-handed5SR: Five-second rule (the rule that mana regeneration from spirit only occurs if you haven't spent mana on a spell in the last five seconds)AB: Arathi Basin [battleground]AB: Arcane Brilliance/Arcane Blast [mage]Add: An "additional" mob that has been aggroed, usually unintentionallyAE: Arcane Explosion [mage]AFAIK: As far as I know [chat]Aff/Afflic: Affliction talent tree [warlock]AFK: Away from keyboard [chat]Agg/Aggro: Probably short for "aggression" or some related word, it refers to who a mob is attacking -- that player is said to "have aggro" or have "pulled aggro"AI: Arcane Intellect [mage]Alt: An "alternate" character -- not your main characterAoE: Area of effect (a spell or effect that takes place over an area, as opposed to working only on a single target)AotH: Aspect of the Hawk [hunter]AotP: Aspect of the Pack [hunter]AotV: Aspect of the Viper [hunter]AotW: Aspect of the Wild [hunter]AP: Arcane Power [mage]AP: Attack powerAQ20/RAQ: Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj [raid]AQ40/TAQ: Temple of Ahn'Qiraj [raid]AR: Astral Recall [shaman]Arm: Armory wing of Scarlet Monestary [instance]AS: Arcane Shot [hunter]ATM: At the moment [chat]AV: Alterac Valley [battleground]Ban: Banish [warlock]BB: Booty BayBE/Belf: Blood ElfBE: Blade's Edge [zone]BF: Blade Flurry [rogue]BF: Blood Furnace [instance]BFD: Blackfathom Depths [instance]BG: BattlegroundBio: Short for "biological," this refers to fulfilling biological needs (i.e. using the restroom); often used to explain AFKs in groupsBM: Beast Mastery talent tree [hunter]BM: Black Morass [instance]BoE: Bind on EquipBoK: Blessing of Kings [paladin]BoL: Blessing of Light [paladin]BoM: Blessing of Might [paladin]BoP: Bind on Pick-upBoP: Blessing of Protection [paladin]BoS: Blessing of Salvation [paladin]BoU: Bind on UseBoW: Blessing of Wisdom [paladin]BRD: Blackrock Depths [instance]BRS: Blackrock Spire [instance]BRT: Be right there [chat]BS: Backstab [rogue]BS: Battle Shout/Battle Stance [warrior]BS: Blacksmith/BlacksmithingBT: Bloodthirst [warrior]BTW: By the wayBuff: A beneficial spell, or a change to the game that makes a given class/spec strongerBW: Bestial Wrath [hunter]BWL: Blackwing Lair [raid]Camo: Camouflage [rogue]Cath: Cathedral wing of Scarlet Monestary [instance]CB: Cold Blood [rogue]CBA: Can't be arsed [chat]CC: Crowd controlCloS: Cloak of Shadows [rogue]CoA: Curse of Agony [warlock]CoC: Cone of Cold [mage]CoD: Curse of Doom [warlock]CoE: Curse of the Elements [warlock]CoEx: Curse of Exhaustion [warlock]CoH: Circle of Healing [priest]Conflag: Conflagrate [warlock]CoR: Curse of Recklessness [warlock]Corr: Corruption [warlock]CoS: Curse of Shadows [warlock]CoT: Curse of Tongues [warlock]CoX: Curse of Exhaustion [warlock]CoW: Curse of Weakness [warlock]CS: Cheap Shot [rogue]CS: Counterspell [mage]Darn: Darnassus [zone]DC: Death Coil [warlock]Def: Defensive Stance [warrior]Demo: Demonology talent tree [warlock]Demo: Demoralizing Shout [warrior]Dest/Destro: Destruction talent tree [warlock]Deva: Devastate [warrior]DI: Divine Intervention [paladin]DIAF: Die in a fire [chat]Disc: Discipline talent tree [priest]DKP: Dragon Kill points, a cover term for a number of systems guilds use to distribute loot (see WoWWiki)DL: Drain Life [warlock]DM: Deadmines [instance]DM: Dire Maul [instance]DND: Do not disturbDoT: Damage over timeDP: Dark Pact [warlock]DPM: Damage per manaDPS: Damage per secondDR: Damage reduction (due to armor)DR: Diminishing returnsDrae: DraeneiDS: Defensive stance [warrior]DS1/DS2/DS3: Class-specific "dungeon sets" of gear that drop from 5-man dungeons. DS1 and DS2 were known as Tier 0 and Tier 0.5, respectively, but that analogy breaks down when it comes to DS3.DS: Divine Shield [paladin]DS: Divine Spirit [priest]DS: Drain Soul [warlock]DW: Death Wish [warrior]DW: Dual wieldEle: Elemental talent tree [shaman]Eng/Engi/Engy: EngineeringEnh: Enhancement talent tree [shaman]EotS: Eye of the Storm [battleground]EPL: Eastern Plaguelands [zone]ES: Earth Shock [shaman]Evis: Eviscerate [rogue]Evo: Evocation [mage]Exec: Execute [warrior]Exo: Exodar [zone]FA: First AidFB: Firebolt/Fire Blast/Frostbolt [mage]FD: Feign Death [hunter]FF: Faerie Fire [druid]FFF: Faerie Fire (Feral) [druid]FFS: For f---'s sake [chat]FH/Fheal: Flash Heal [priest]FoL: Flash of Light [paladin]Fort: Power Word: Fortitude/Prayer of Fortitude [priest]FP: Flight point/flight pathFR: Fire resistanceFS: Frost Shock [shaman]FTL: For the loss (means "is bad") [chat]FTW: For the win (means "is good") [chat]FW: Fear Ward [priest]Gads: Gadgetzan [zone]GftT: Go for the Throat [hunter]GG: Good game (often sarcastic) [forums]GH/Gheal: Greater Heal [priest]Gift: Gift of the Wild [druid]GJ: Good job (often sarcastic) [forums]Gnomer: Gnomeregan [instance]GoA: Grace of Air totem [shaman]GotW: Gift of the Wild [druid]GTAoE: Ground-targeted AoE (an AoE spell for which the caster can choose a target, like Flamestrike)GTFO: Get the f--- out [chat]GW: Ghost Wolf [shaman]GY: Graveyard wing [instance]GZ: Gadgetzan [zone]Hearth: HearthstoneHemo: Hemorrhage [rogue]HF: Hellfire [warlock]HF: Holy Fire [priest]HFP: Hellfire Peninsula [zone]HFR: Hellfire Ramparts [instance]HH: Honor Hold [zone]HL: Holy Light [paladin]HM: Hunter's Mark [hunter]HoJ: Hammer of Justice [paladin]HoT: Heal over timeHoT: Howl of Terror [warlock]HotW: Heart of the Wild [druid]HoW: Hammer of Wrath [paladin]HPM: Healing per manaHPS: Healing per secondHS: HearthstoneHS: Healthstone [warlock]HS: Heroic Strike [warrior]HT: Healing Touch [druid]HW: Healing Wave [shaman]IAotH: Improved Aspect of the Hawk [hunter]IBTL: In before the lock [forums]IDC: I don't careIDK: I don't knowIDS: Improved Divine Spirit [priest]IF: Inner Fire [priest]IF: Ironforge [zone]IIRC: If I recall correctlyImba: Imbalanced; usually means "overpowered" [forums]IMHO: In my humble opinion [chat]Imm/Immo: Immolate [warlock]IMO: In my opinion [chat]Inc: Incoming [chat]Incin: Incinerate [warlock]Inn/Innerv: Innervate [druid]IRL: In real lifeISS: Improved Sinister Strike [rogue]Kara: Karazhan [raid]Kings: Blessing of Kings [paladin]KS: Kidney Shot [rogue]KZ: Karazhan [raid]L2P: Learn to playLBRS: Lower Blackrock Spire [instance]LF: Looking for ("LF tank," etc.) [chat]LF1M/LF2M/etc.: Looking for one more, two more, etc. [chat]LFG: Looking for group [chat]LFM: Looking for more (for a group)[chat]LHW: Lesser Healing Wave [shaman]Lib: Library wing of Scarlet Monestary [instance]Light: Blessing of Light [paladin]Live Strat: Scarlet side of Stratholme [instance]Lock: Warlock [warlock]LoH: Lay on Hands [paladin]LOM: Low on manaLotP: Leader of the Pack [druid]LS: Last Stand [warrior]LT: Life Tap [warlock]LW: LeatherworkingLW: Lightwell [priest]MA: Main assistMAP: Melee attack powerMara: Mauradon [instance]Mark: Mark of the Wild [druid]Mats: Short for "materials;" refers to the ingredients in a crafted itemMB: Mind Blast [priest]MC: Mind Control [priest]MC: Molten Core [raid]MD: Master Demonologist [warlock]Medi: Meditation [priest]MF: Mind Flay [priest]Might: Blessing of Might [paladin]ML: Master loot/master looterMM: Marksmanship talent tree [hunter]Mob: Short for "mobile" (derived from MUDs, where any NPC was either a stationary shopkeeper or mobile; see WoWWiki), this refers in WoW to NPCs, primarily NPCs that are meant to be killed.MoD: Master of Deception [rogue]MotW: Mark of the Wild [druid]MP5: Mana per five secondsMS: Master Summoner [warlock]MS: Mortal Strike [warrior]MT: Main tankMT: Mistell (means "I sent this message to the wrong channel or person") [chat]Continued herePlease comment at the main post.
The compleat WoW abbreviations (class-specific)
This is the class-specific abbreviations list. Other abbreviations are at the main post; there is also an alphabetical listing: A-M, N-Z. Please leave comments at the main post, and please do comment if you have any suggestions for additions. Druid: FF: Faerie Fire FFF: Faerie Fire (Feral) GotW/Gift: Gift of the Wild HT: Healing Touch Inn/Innerv: Innervate HotW: Heart of the Wild LotP: Leader of the Pack MotW/Mark: Mark of the Wild NS: Nature's Swiftness OoC: Omen of Clarity Paw: Mark/Gift of the Wild Resto: Restoration talent tree Roots: Entangling Roots TF: Tiger's Fury ToL: Tree of Life Hunter: AS: Arcane Shot AotH: Aspect of the Hawk AotP: Aspect of the Pack AotV: Aspect of the Viper AotW: Aspect of the Wild BM: Beast Mastery talent tree BW: Bestial Wrath FD: Feign Death GftT: Go for the Throat HM: Hunter's Mark IAotH: Improved Aspect of the Hawk MM: Marksmanship talent tree SS: Steady Shot TSA: Trueshot Aura Mage AB: Arcane Brilliance/Arcane Blast AE: Arcane Explosion AI: Arcane Intellect AP: Arcane Power CS: Counterspell CoC: Cone of Cold Evo: Evocation FB: Firebolt/Fire Blast/Frostbolt PoM: Presence of Mind Poly/Sheep: Polymorph Port: Portal Pyro: Pyroblast Tele: Teleport TP: Teleport Paladin: BoK/Kings: Blessing of Kings BoL/Light: Blessing of Light BoM/Might: Blessing of Might BoP: Blessing of Protection BoS/Salv: Blessing of Salvation BoW/Wis: Blessing of Wisdom DI: Divine Intervention DS: Divine Shield FoL: Flash of Light HL: Holy Light HoJ: Hammer of Justice HoW: Hammer of Wrath LoH: Lay on Hands Pally: Paladin Prot: Protection talent tree Ret: Retribution talent tree SoB: Seal of Blood SoC: Seal of Command SoL: Seal of Light SoR: Seal of Righteousness SotC: Seal of the Crusader SoV: Seal of Vengeance SoW: Seal of Wisdom Priest: CoH: Circle of Healing Disc: Discipline talent tree DS: Divine Spirit FH/Fheal: Flash Heal Fort: Power Word: Fortitude/Prayer of Fortitude FW: Fear Ward GH/Gheal: Greater Heal HF: Holy Fire IDS: Improved Divine Spirit IF: Inner Fire LW: Lightwell MB: Mind Blast MC: Mind Control Medi: Meditation MF: Mind Flay PI: Power Infusion PoH: Prayer of Healing PoM: Prayer of Mending PS/Fear: Psychic Scream PW:F: Power Word: Fortitude PW:S/Shield: Power Word: Shield SF: Shadowform SoL: Surge of Light SoR: Spirit of Redemption SR: Silent Resolve SW:D: Shadow Word: Death SW:P: Shadow Word: Pain VE: Vampiric Embrace VT: Vampiric Touch Rogue: BF: Blade Flurry BS: Backstab Camo: Camouflage CB: Cold Blood CloS: Cloak of Shadows CS: Cheap Shot Evis: Eviscerate Hemo: Hemorrhage ISS: Improved Sinister Strike KS: Kidney Shot MoD: Master of Deception Premed: Premeditation Prep: Preparation SF: Seal Fate SnD: Slice and Dice SS/ShS: Shadowstep SS: Sinister Strike Shaman: AR: Astral Recall Ele: Elemental talent tree Enh: Enhancement talent tree ES: Earth Shock FS: Frost Shock GoA: Grace of Air totem GW: Ghost Wolf HW: Healing Wave LHW: Lesser Healing Wave NS: Nature's Swiftness Resto: Restoration talent tree Shammy: Shaman SoE: Strength of Earth totem SS: Stormstrike ToW: Totem of Wrath WF: Windfury (weapon or totem) Warlock: Aff/Afflic: Affliction talent tree Ban: Banish CoA: Curse of Agony CoD: Curse of Doom CoE: Curse of the Elements CoEx/CoX: Curse of Exhaustion Conflag: Conflagrate CoR: Curse of Recklessness Corr: Corruption CoS: Curse of Shadows CoT: Curse of Tongues CoW: Curse of Weakness DC: Death Coil Demo: Demonology talent tree Dest/Destro: Destruction talent tree DL: Drain Life DP: Dark Pact DS: Drain Soul HF: Hellfire HoT: Howl of Terror HS: Healthstone Imm/Immo: Immolate Incin: Incinerate Lock: Warlock LT/Tap: Life Tap MD: Master Demonologist MS: Master Summoner NF: Nightfall Sac: Demonic Sacrifice SB: Shadow Bolt SL: Siphon Life SL: Soul Link SM: Shadow Mastery SoC: Seed of Corruption SS: Soulstone Succy: Succubus UA: Unstable Affliction VW: Voidwalker Warrior: BS: Battle Shout/Battle Stance BT: Bloodthirst Def/DS: Defensive Stance Demo: Demoralizing Shout Deva: Devastate DW: Death Wish Exec: Execute HS: Heroic Strike LS: Last Stand MS: Mortal Strike OP: Overpower SB: Shield Bash/Shield Block SS: Sweeping Strikes/Shield Slam SW: Shield Wall TC: Thunder Clap TM: Tactical Mastery Warr: Warrior WW: Whirlwind ZS/Zerker: Berserker Stance Please comment at the main post.
The compleat WoW abbreviations
I've had this post on my mind for a while. What really inspired me to put it together was an email from reader Wamphyri as follows: Although I've been playing WoW for a little while now, there's still a few things that puzzle me within the game. My main problem is the abbreviations everyone uses in chat. I was recently in IF (yeah, I know that one now!) and someone in trade chat wanted to buy (wtb) an enchant for DPS. The guy asking was a level 50-something mage, so I thought I'd send him a whisper (apologising for my noob-ness, of course) to ask what DPS meant. He replied quite quickly and told me it meant Damage Per Second. He found it quite amusing that I didn't know, saying that he has the same trouble himself regarding this issue. This reader is certainly not the only person I've run into who has trouble with WoW's lingo, so I thought it might be helpful to write up a list of all the common abbreviations I could find. I did stumble a little bit in the Shaman section, since I'm just not that familiar with Shaman, so if y'all could help me out in the comments, with Shammy or any other abbreviations you think I should add, that would be wonderful. I'd like to keep this updated and make it as comprehensive as possible. Since the list is so big, I've split it up into several sections. I also made alphabetical lists in case you want to look something up. Chat, forums, zones, instances, raids, and miscellaneous are after the cut Class-specific Alphabetical, A-M Alphabetical, M-Z
SmileOnMyMac Releases TextExpander 1.3, the Customizable Typing Timesaver Tool
Earlier in May, SmileOnMyMac acquired Textpander, a really handy (and free) text insertion utility. Today, they released their first official version update in which they changed the name to TextExpander, added a few snippet-creation features and are now charging a lump-in-throat inducing price of $29.95. The new features include the ability to create snippets from selected text, snippet nesting and the ability to limit usage to an application list.A 30-day demo is available, but I have to say: I'm really happy I backed up the disk image of the latest version of Textpander. I haven't installed this new retail version of TextExpander yet, but slapping $29.95 (without any warning) on a utility that was previously free donationware stings quite a bit (Fraser Speirs, I would argue, handled this transition a lot better with the FlickrExport 2.0 beta introduction). If any enthusiastic users of Textpander make the leap, feel free to share your impressions with the new features and whether you think it's worth $30.[UPDATE: Peter Maurer makes a really good point: Textpander wasn't free, it was donationware. Unfortunately, the donation system clearly wasn't working, as Hawk Wings points out that many donationware-centric developers lament that only 1-2% of downloaders actually donate anything for the app. Let TextExpander serve as a good lesson for what happens when you don't show some donation love to hard working developers.]
