Lingo & Formatting Norms
You need to understand there is a whole world of Reddit lingo that is not going to make sense to you are first – and that’s ok. There are persistent acronyms that might leave you confused, which is why we want to clear the major ones up here so you can be prepared.
- Original Poster (OP): If you see the acronym OP used, it is referring to the original poster or subreddit creator. “According to the OP, this image was removed from Times Square yesterday.” It’s an easy way to accredit the original moderator in the discussion moving forward.
- TIL: No, TIL does not mean “until” in slang on Reddit. TIL means “today I learned.” For example, “TIL that the Easter Island statues must have been created by an outside life force. There’s no way the Polynesians had the machinery to make those monstrosities.”
- DAE: DAE means “does anyone else…” You would use it in the following, “DAE think that Ellen DeGeneres is the funniest TV talk show host on television right now?”
- IAmA: This one might not make much sense to you because it doesn’t actually shorten a phrase. It just means “I am a…” It’s a cutesy way of writing it, using it say “IAmA student in New York City.” It’s one of those Gen Z kind of communication norms that is becoming more common today.
- AMA: You might have seen this acronym on other sites as it is not just unique to Reddit. AMA stands for “ask me anything.” You could start a subreddit on your expertise in epidemiology and post, “I just received my PhD in infectious diseases today. AMA.”
- TL;DR: This is when Reddit can get sassy. Someone will use this expression to say, “too long; didn’t read.” Sometimes on Reddit, people can write entire essays in their response. This caters to users that want to soak up every last piece of information. However, if you don’t want to spend 20-minutes reading a response, you can reply, “TL;DR I think that Vegas is the best city in the U.S. because I found a monkey in my hotel room when I went there. Just saying.”
- FTFY: This is a cute acronym that pays homage to the community mindset on Reddit. It stands for, “fixed that for you.” You can use it if you change an image or make a meme out of another person’s post. It’s typically used in a comical setting.
- Brave: Most times, if someone calls you “brave” or writes “so brave,” they are being sarcastic. This is their way of saying whatever you have posted is “so brave of you.”
- Cakeday: Cakedays aren’t Reddit users’ real birthdays; rather, they are their Reddit birthdays or the day they joined the site. If you see a little cake icon next to someone’s username, it means they are celebrating their cakeday. It’s just another way to further the feeling of community on the site.
- Crosspost: A crosspost refers to a post that has been posted on more than one subreddit.
- Edit: It’s common Reddit courtesy to post edit if you have changed your original post or comment, as well as explain why.
- ELI5: This acronym stands for “explain it like I’m five years old.” This is a simple way to ask someone to dumb down what they are trying to say.
- FTA: FTA refers to “from that article,” which is an easy way to reference another piece of writing in a post.
- Hivemind: This simply refers to the overall community of Reddit and its beliefs.
- ITT: ITT means “in this thread.”
- Karmawhore: This is a derogatory term used to describe Redditors that comment and add links designed to pander to Reddit users for more karma.
- NSFW: This acronym is used all over the internet today. It refers to “not safe for work,” meaning, don’t open the picture or link if you are sitting in an office.
Using a Pseudonym
Did you know that just about every Reddit user, including the founders, goes by a pseudonym on the site? Unless you are using Reddit for a branded account, running ads, or managing a profile, you should use a pseudonym when creating your username. And, even if you do make a branded account, it’s recommended to make a second pseudonym account that will engage with your branded account to get the activity increasing.
Yes, Reddit allows you to make multiple accounts.
For more tips on how to succeed on Reddit, read posts from our published book below:
Intro: HonorSociety.org Reddit Review: Introduction to Success on Reddit
#1: The History of Reddit
#2: Understanding Subreddits
#3: Voting
#4: Posting Content
#5: Lingo & Formatting Norms
#6: Who is Not Welcome on Reddit?
#7: Reddiquette
#8: 5 Reasons to Join Reddit Today
#9: The Future of Reddit
Source: HonorSociety.org Member Articles
Reddit Lingo & Formatting Norms: Is it Legit?