I Speak English. Why Does Every Text Feel Like a Puzzle?
ICYMI, RN, TL;DR—and the Quiet Cost of Shortcut Language
There was a moment the other day.
I was reading a beautifully designed article—effortless, polished, unmistakably editorial—and there it was in bold letters:
ICYMI.
I stopped.
Not because I was slow or distracted.
But because no one ever bothered to say, Here’s the new language. Here’s the cheat sheet. You’re welcome.
So let me say this first—plain and unapologetic:
If you don’t recognize half the internet’s vocabulary anymore, it’s not your age.
You just never received the context.
The Quiet Language Shift No One Warned Us About
At some point, the internet stopped using full sentences.
It started whispering in shortcuts.
ICYMI = ?
RN = Right now.
TL; DR = Too long, didn’t read. Or Just tell me the point.
POV = Point of view.
FWIW = For what it’s worth.
SMH = Shaking my head.
And suddenly, you read content aimed at you— but written in a language you never learned. You’re not confused. You’re navigating a dialect no one bothered to teach you.
Let’s Decode One, Gently
ICYMI means In Case You Missed It.
That’s it.
No secret handshake. No generational test.
It’s usually paired with something like:
“Stories readers are loving”
Which is really just a friendly nudge saying:
“Life is busy. You might’ve blinked. These are worth your time.”
See?
Nothing intimidating. Nothing exclusive.
Just shorthand—designed for speed, not clarity.
Why This Hits Midlife Women Differently
Here’s the thing no one says out loud:
Midlife women didn’t grow up on the internet.
We arrived with lives already in motion.
We learned, relationships before algorithms, intuition before metrics, and reading between the lines before reading acronyms.
So when the language changes overnight, it can feel like:
“Did I miss a class?”
“Am I supposed to already know this?”
“Is this even meant for me?”
Let me answer that gently:
Yes, it’s meant for you.
No, you’re not late.
You were just busy living life.
Are you curious how this looks in real life? I wrote a more personal (and slightly embarrassing) take on acronyms here.
If this made you feel understood, stay with us.
The Midlife Accent newsletter offers thoughtful stories, quiet clarity, and language that doesn’t rush you—delivered when it matters, not when it shouts.
