Many gamers start their online play with bingo. It’s a game that’s already familiar to a large number of players. Even those who have never played before can typically learn the game in just minutes. Despite the rather simple rules involved, playing online bingo comes with an entirely new set of lingo that you wouldn’t hear in a typical bingo hall. But there’s no reason to feel overwhelmed. Many of the bingo lingo terms are easy to use and can help foster a welcoming environment for a fun online community. Learn more about bingo lingo and how you can use it when you play online.

Abc's of Bingo Lingo

To be sure, it’s a long list full of largely unfamiliar terms. However, the following sections will give you some helpful tips for mastering these bingo lingo basics.

Welcome Lingo

Lingo

Meaning

Gm

Good morning

GTSY

Glad to see you

LTNS

Long time no see

WB

Welcome back

General Chat Bingo Lingo

Lingo

Meaning

*G* Giggle or grin
*H* Hug
*K* Kiss
*S* Smile
*W* Wink
AFAIK As far as I know
AKA Also known as
ASAP As soon as possible
A/S/L Age/sex/location
BDT Bout darn time
BF Boyfriend
BTW By the way
CM Chat master/monitor/moderator
E1 Everyone
EMSG Email message
FWIW For what it's worth
FYI For your information
GF Girlfriend
GMTA Great minds think alike
H&K Hug and kiss
IC I see
IMO In my opinion
IRL In real life
IYKWIM If you know what I mean
JJ Just joking
JK Just kidding
JTLYK Just to let you know
JMO Just my opinion
KOTC Kiss on the cheek
KOTL     Kiss on the lips
LMAO Laughing my ass off
LOL Laughing out loud
LUWAMH Love you with all my heart
LY Love ya
NETUA Nobody ever tells us anything
NP No problem
OIC Oh I see
OMG Oh my goodness (gawd)
OTOH On the other hand
PM Private message
PMSL Peeing myself laughing
PPL People
QT Cutie
ROFL Rolling on floor laughing
ROFLMAO Rolling on floor laughing my ass off
Roomie Another member in chat room
SO Significant other
SOHF Sense of humor failure
SRY Sorry
SWAK Sealed with a kiss
SWL Screaming with laughter
TOY Thinking of you
TMI Too much information
TPTB The powers that be
TX Thanks
TYVM Thank you very much
VEG Very evil grin
WTH What or who the heck
WYSIWYG What you see is what you get
XOXOXOX Hugs and kisses
YBS You'll be sorry
YSR Yeah sure right
YVW You're very welcome
YW You're welcome

Playing Bingo Lingo

Lingo

Meaning

1TG 1 bingo ball to bingo
2TG 2 bingo balls to bingo
3TG 3 bingo balls to bingo
BLNT Better luck next time
FAQ Frequently Asked Questions
GG Good going or good game
GL Good luck
GLA Good luck all
GLE Good luck everyone
HHIS Hanging head in shame
RTF Read the FAQ
SAC Sorry all close
UL Unlucky
WD Well done
WTG Way to go
? Please explain
?4U Question for you

Leaving Bingo Lingo


Lingo

Meaning

AFK Away from keyboard
AFK2P Away from keyboard to pee
B4N Bye for now
BBIAM Be back in a minute
BBL Be back later
BBS Be back soon
BRB Be right back
CU See you
CYA See ya
CYAL8R See ya later
G2G Got to go
GN Good night
HAGD Have a good day
HB Hurry back
KIT Keep in touch
L8R Later
L8R G8R Later gator
POOF I have left the chat
SYS See you soon
TC Take care
TTFN Ta ta for now
TTYL Talk to you later

Online Bingo Lingo in Action

If you're new to the online bingo community, it's a great idea to join a chat and see what the lingo looks like in action. Here's an example:

BingoJo312: Nice win, WTG!

LetsPlay5x5: TYVM!

BingoJo312: YW, but watch out for me this next round or YBS! JK GF *W*

LetsPlay5x5: OMG I'm LOL! Wish I could play another round but I've got to go, TTFN!

Here's what that conversation looks like with all the lingo translated for you:

BingoJo312: Nice win, way to go!

LetsPlay5x5: Thank you very much!

BingoJo312: You're welcome, but watch out for me this next round or you'll be sorry! Just kidding, girlfriend *wink*.

LetsPlay5x5: Oh my goodness I'm laughing out loud! Wish I could play another round but I've got to go, ta ta for now!

By looking at these conversations, you can start to better understand how bingo lingo is naturally incorporated as a shorthand for some of the common language used by online players.

Tips for Memorizing Online Bingo Lingo

While studying real conversations certainly helps, it's not enough for memorizing the bingo lingo terms listed here. Fortunately, these three tips can really help when it comes to figuring out how to communicate with other players online:
  1. Acronyms: The most common type of lingo is an acronym. In these terms, each letter represents the first letter of the word it symbolizes. For example, LTNS = long time no see.
  2. Action words: If you wish to describe an action, use the acronym system combined with asterisks. For example, *H* = hug and *S* = smile.
  3. Phonetic combinations: For a few lingo terms, you can use letters to create a phonetic representation of the word. For example, QT = cutie and L8R G8R = later gator .
  4. Association: Associating a type with each term (welcome, general, playing, leaving), like in the list above, makes memorization much easier.

Putting Your Bingo Lingo to Good Use

So how does it work when you're actually ready to play bingo online? It's fairly easy, so there's no need to be intimidated. Here's what you can expect:
  • You'll select the type of game you wish to play. Two of the most common types of online bingo games are 75-ball and 90-ball bingo. These numbers represent the total number of possible ball numbers that can be called during a game. Faster bingo games like 5-line bingo (also known as "Swedish bingo") or 30-ball bingo may also be available. 
  • Next, you'll select the number of cards you want. The grids will be shown on your screen. As numbers are called, be sure to mark them off on your cards.
  • When someone marks off their grid in a certain formation, they win a prize. The rules for each game vary slightly, so find out what constitutes a "win" in the type of game you select.
While you're playing, you'll notice that the bingo chat rooms are likely lighting up with lots of lively conversation among the other players. You may even start to recognize some of the user names in the chat room. While you don't have to chat as you play, it's a great way to make the game more enjoyable. Plus, you'll find that spending time chatting with other players will help you get the hang of the lingo mentioned above even faster.

If you're interested in playing bingo, start by checking out the options online. You'll have more choices than at a local pool hall, and you can be as social as you like thanks to the optional chat rooms.