LOL, LMK, NVM, ROFL, ICYMI, TBH and many other abbreviations, acronyms, emoticons, smileys, onomatopoeic and stylized spellings are used on the Internet, in forums, emails and via SMS.
So what kind of English abbreviations and acronyms can be used or texted by open water swimmers?
Below is a short list:
- RFC: or really freaking cold, real frantic chill, royal frigid cojones (as in: the water was RFC…)
- dt: dead tired (as in: How are you? Just finished swimming, dt…)
- otb: on the beach (as in: meet us otb…)
- sia: sea is angry (as in: howz the water? rufwater, the sia…)
- bal: bumpy and lumpy (as in: how was the swim? bal…)
- lab: lumpy and bumpy (as in: how was the swim? lab…)
- titw: toes in the water (i.e., expected start time of a swim)
- tits: toes in the sand (i.e., expected start time of a swim)
- wc: whitecaps
- bs: big surf
- bw: big waves
- ss: still swimming or shark sighting
- jl: just landed
- bat: brown adipose tissue or brown fat
- dq: disqualified
- dnf: did not finish
- dns: did not start or did not swim
- irb: inflatable rescue boat
- nl: no lifeguard
- oab or onb: out-and-back
- ptp or p2p: point-to-point
- ice: in case of emergency
- mpa: marine protected area
- otl: over time limit
- pow: Pool Open Water
- rtf: round trip flag
- got spyhopped: encountered a whale or shark
- ufo: unidentified floating object
- dust?: did you swim today?
- ruf: rough (as in: ocean was ruf today…)
- lis: land in sight
- ng: no go or not good
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