If you sometimes feel like the internet has a language of its own, it turns out you’re not the only one who is feeling a little confused here in Minnesota.

Technology is ever-changing these days, and trying to keep up with the latest and greatest new features can sometimes be a little overwhelming. Especially if whatever it is you're trying to master features several new terms you're unfamiliar with.

And, of course, it's sometimes even MORE confusing if those terms are replaced by acronyms, right? Dictionary.com defines an acronym as 'a word formed from the initial letters or groups of letters of words in a set phrase or series of words and pronounced as a separate word.' A common acronym here in Minnesota is MnDOT, which of course refers to the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

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Acronyms have always played an important role in the speed and clarity of online communication. But just which acronyms are the most confusing here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes? That's what a new survey set to find out. Social media experts at How Sociable analyzed Google searches for common internet acronyms, to find out which ones have Minnesotans scratching their heads the most.

How Sociable analyzed the number of searches for each standalone acronym combined with 'what does acronym mean', 'acronym meaning' and 'what does acronym stand for’ to find which ones confuse us the most. Here are their results:

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The Most Googled Acronyms in Minnesota (And What They Mean)

  1. SMH - 'Shaking My Head' (or 'Smack My Head')
  2. TBH - 'To Be Honest'
  3. POV - 'Point Of View'
  4. NSWF - 'Not Safe For Work'
  5. LMAO - 'Laughing My Ass Off'
  6. OP - 'Original Post'
  7. TTYL - 'Talk To You Later'
  8. AFK - 'Away From Keyboard'
  9. TLDR - 'Too Long, Didn't Read'
  10. IIRC - 'If I Recall Correctly'
  11. TFW - 'That Feeling When'
  12. FTW - 'For The Win'
  13. NFS - 'Not For Sale'
  14. FWIW - 'For What It's Worth'
  15. IMO - 'In My Opinion'

Of course, new acronyms are being coined all the time both here in Minnesota, and across the country as new inventions and features become more common, while other acronyms eventually fall out of fashion and go away. Speaking of going away, keep scrolling to check out some well-known chains that were once popular, but have since gone away as well!

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