• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EDT 14:50
CEST 20:50
KST 03:50
  • Home
  • Forum
  • Calendar
  • Streams
  • Liquipedia
  • Features
  • Store
  • EPT
  • TL+
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Smash
  • Heroes
  • Counter-Strike
  • Overwatch
  • Liquibet
  • Fantasy StarCraft
  • TLPD
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Blogs
Forum Sidebar
Events/Features
News
Featured News
[ASL22] Ro16 Preview: Holy Diver4[ASL22] Ro16 Preview: Rough Waters10[ASL22] Ro24 Preview: Siren's Call8[ASL22] Ro24 Preview: Summer's End9Serral wins HomeStory Cup 2915
Community News
Weekly Cups (Sep 7-12): SHIN, ByuN, MaxPax double down0StarCraft open world shooter announced at BlizzCon98Weekly Cups (Aug 30-Sep 7): herO thrives amid growing schism10Official StarCraft website teases new content ahead of BlizzCon?178Stellar Fest TWO the Moon (Dec 16-20)9
StarCraft 2
General
Blizzard Classic Cup @ BlizzCon 2026 - $100k prize pool How do you feel about the StarCraft shooter announcement at BlizzCon 2026? StarCraft open world shooter announced at BlizzCon Weekly Cups (Sep 7-12): SHIN, ByuN, MaxPax double down Balance hotfix patch 5.0.16b (July 16)
Tourneys
RSL Revival: Season 6 - Qualifiers and Main Event RSL goes to London! 2026 Offline Finals Nov 21-22 SC2 AI Tournament 2026 Fall Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament KSL Week #92
Strategy
[G] Having the right mentality to improve
Custom Maps
Nexus Wars 2021 GUIDE [M] (2) Industrial Park
External Content
Mutation # 543 Enhanced Defenses The PondCast: SC2 News & Results Mutation # 542 The Ascended Mutation # 541 Binary Choice
Brood War
General
Remastered crash fix suggestions [D] Brainstorming a balance patch for Brood war BGH Auto Balance -> http://bghmmr.eu/ Official StarCraft website teases new content ahead of BlizzCon? New 3v3 BGH Ladder (and more) on ShieldBattery!
Tourneys
[ASL22] Ro16 Group D [ASL22] Ro16 Group C [Megathread] Daily Proleagues [ASL22] Ro16 Group B
Strategy
Replay Review Process - What do you do? Simple Questions, Simple Answers Odyssey Mineral Stack Saturation Game Theory for Starcraft
Other Games
General Games
Nintendo Switch Thread Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread EVE Corporation Diablo IV
Dota 2
Official 'what is Dota anymore' discussion
League of Legends
[TL LoL EUW IHs] Teemo shall perish
Heroes of the Storm
Heroes of the Storm 2.0
Hearthstone
Deck construction bug
TL Mafia
TL Mafia Community Thread
Community
General
US Politics Mega-thread Russo-Ukrainian War Thread Artificial Intelligence Thread UK Politics Mega-thread Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine
Fan Clubs
MarineLorD Fan Club The Creator Fan Club The ShoWTimE Fan Club
Media & Entertainment
[Manga] One Piece Movie Discussion! Diablo Animated Series on Netflix
Sports
Football (Soccer) Thread TeamLiquid Health and Fitness Initiative For 2023 MLB/Baseball 2023
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
Computer Build, Upgrade & Buying Resource Thread
TL Community
The Automated Ban List Northern Ireland Global Starcraft
Blogs
Virtual Romance, Real-Life C…
TrAiDoS
Regacy Esports:Our Goa…
regacyesports
Dreaming of BW patches (mod…
c3rberUs
LOCKPICKING NOOB
LUCKY_NOOB
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 7930 users

[R] TL lingo?

Forum Index > TL Community
Post a Reply
1 2 Next All
Archas
Profile Blog Joined July 2010
United States6531 Posts
July 28 2010 14:35 GMT
#1
Hello, all. This is my first post on TeamLiquid, after about 3 weeks of lurking to check out the general guidelines of posting (the Automated Ban List in particular showed me what NOT to do... ugh). After reading the Ten Commandments and the other major stickies on forum etiquette, I feel that I'm ready to actively participate in the TL community. I'm looking forward to chatting with you guys! =)

However, I'm still confused at some of the terminology used on the forums, and I'm not quite sure where to check for their definitions. Terms like "smurf", "postcount++", and "BM" leave me, frankly, confused, and my efforts to locate some sort of database have gone splat. So, for the more knowledgeable members of TL, I ask you: Is there a topic somewhere that defines such phrases, or do I sorta have to pick them up as I go?

Thanks in advance for the help! I hope this post can start off my TL career on a good note. =D

*P.S. If this thread is in the wrong forum, mods, then I apologize. Just let me know, and I'll correct any posting mistakes in the future!
The room is ripe with the stench of bitches!
Empyrean
Profile Blog Joined September 2004
17082 Posts
July 28 2010 14:39 GMT
#2
A smurf is a general gaming term that applies to anyone playing under a different name than one he is usually associated with. I've never seen "postcount++", but it probably refers to people who spam useless posts in order to increase their postcount (because for some reason they associate post count with prestige). They'll likely be banned sooner or later. BM refers to bad manners.

There's no real forum terminology page; I don't actually think there's much TL-specific lingo. If there is, you'll probably pick up on it pretty fast anyway.

Enjoy your stay!
Moderator
motbob
Profile Blog Joined July 2008
United States12546 Posts
July 28 2010 14:41 GMT
#3
Hmm, normally you would pick them up as you go. However, maybe we can help.

Smurf (verb) -- to post on an account that is not your main account. Usually done by people whose main accounts are banned.

Postcount++ -- I don't really know what this means. I assume it's to describe someone posting just for the sake of increasing their postcount (see: thedeadhaji, konadora)

BM -- bad manner; rudeness.
ModeratorGood content always wins.
Archas
Profile Blog Joined July 2010
United States6531 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-07-28 14:42:20
July 28 2010 14:41 GMT
#4
Ah, I see. Thanks a bunch, Empyrean and Motbob!

The term "postcount++" is used quite a bit on the Smogon forums (a Pokemon site, if you didn't know), and even though I didn't know what it meant, I just used the term they did. I suppose the one used on TL is "+1" or something similar.

I appreciate the quick replies! =)
The room is ripe with the stench of bitches!
Empyrean
Profile Blog Joined September 2004
17082 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-07-28 14:46:36
July 28 2010 14:44 GMT
#5
On July 28 2010 23:41 Aeres wrote:
Ah, I see. Thanks a bunch, Empyrean and Motbob!

The term "postcount++" is used quite a bit on the Smogon forums (a Pokemon site, if you didn't know), and even though I didn't know what it meant, I just used the term they did. I suppose the one used on TL is "+1" or something similar.

I appreciate the quick replies! =)


Haha, I have an account on smogon from 2006 with fewer than 100 posts. >_>

EDIT: Actually I have fewer than 150 posts. Guess I've been posting more than I thought.
Moderator
Takkara
Profile Blog Joined April 2010
United States2503 Posts
July 28 2010 14:46 GMT
#6
Yeah BM and GM are bad manners and good manners. Essentially how well you get along with others. Saying "gl hf" at the start of games and "gg" afterwards or some variant of those is generally considered good mannered or GM. Flaming people, neglecting to say gg after a game, or just overall being ill-tempered is considered BM. People will generally generalize those two terms to mean things in real life as well by just slating good personality/people traits to GM and unfavorable ones to BM.

Some other terms you might want to be acquainted with as you start to play the game and particularly the multiplayer are cheese, all-in, and metagame. They're overused and abused frequently on these boards and there's almost no faster way to run afoul of the community or mods than misusing them. You can easily derail a great post/thread with some misused buzz words. Here's the site mods/admins explaining the defintions:

Cheese/All-In: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=123613
Meta-game: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=119810

Cheers and welcome!
Gee gee gee gee baby baby baby
Takkara
Profile Blog Joined April 2010
United States2503 Posts
July 28 2010 14:48 GMT
#7
On July 28 2010 23:41 Aeres wrote:
Ah, I see. Thanks a bunch, Empyrean and Motbob!

The term "postcount++" is used quite a bit on the Smogon forums (a Pokemon site, if you didn't know), and even though I didn't know what it meant, I just used the term they did. I suppose the one used on TL is "+1" or something similar.

I appreciate the quick replies! =)


+1 is different. +1 is a nod to sites that allow you to upvote good answers and downvote bad answers. In this way, +1 is used to denote that the person agrees with the person they quoted and wants to loan their voice to them.

It's really looked down on in this community and in some others as well. Generally here if you agree with someone it's ok to say that but you have to use big boy words and contribute to the actual thread. That way things don't devolve into a bunch of +1'ing and "/signed" and stuff like that.
Gee gee gee gee baby baby baby
Archas
Profile Blog Joined July 2010
United States6531 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-07-28 14:51:37
July 28 2010 14:49 GMT
#8
Thanks, Takkara! I actually already know those terms (before learning about TL, I watched a lot of stuff from Husky, HD, and Day[9], and Smogon forums are *all* about the metagame), so I'm cool there.

Thanks for the response, though! It's nice to know how many people are willing to help out a newbie like me. *warm fuzzy feeling*

EDIT: Oh, so I was wrong about the "+1" thing. The way it was used, though, it seemed like it was the same context as the one I envisioned it to mean. At least that's cleared up. =)
The room is ripe with the stench of bitches!
GreEny K
Profile Joined February 2008
Germany7312 Posts
July 28 2010 14:55 GMT
#9
Welcome to TL!!! Enjoy your stay.
Why would you ever choose failure, when success is an option.
IntoTheWow
Profile Blog Joined May 2004
is awesome32281 Posts
July 28 2010 16:03 GMT
#10
Welcome to TL! : ]
Moderator<:3-/-<
Pokebunny
Profile Blog Joined June 2008
United States10654 Posts
July 28 2010 16:19 GMT
#11
Pretty sure the one he's thinking of is when people quote a message and write "+1" under it, which implies that they are of the same opinion.
Semipro Terran player | Pokebunny#1710 | twitter.com/Pokebunny | twitch.tv/Pokebunny | facebook.com/PokebunnySC
LaLuSh
Profile Blog Joined April 2003
Sweden2358 Posts
July 28 2010 16:21 GMT
#12
check this thread out for some TL history:

http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=119460
3FFA
Profile Blog Joined February 2010
United States3931 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-07-28 16:57:50
July 28 2010 16:57 GMT
#13
edit: But welcome to TeamLiquid! Enjoy your stay here

Check this thread for definitions like natural, BO(not Body Odor), etc.
Definitions guide for beginners.
This thread is very good if you are looking for advice on how to improve. Can be applied to both BW and SC2. It was written very recently too.
[G] How to improve.
"As long as it comes from a pure place and from a honest place, you know, you can write whatever you want."
Jathin
Profile Blog Joined February 2005
United States3505 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-07-28 17:42:46
July 28 2010 17:42 GMT
#14
--- Nuked ---
Aesop
Profile Joined October 2007
Hungary11305 Posts
July 28 2010 17:47 GMT
#15
Many game-related lingo words are present at Liquipedia, however not forum slang.

Starcraft2: http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/Definitions
Starcraft: http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft/Definitions
ModeratorNon veritas sed auctoritas facit legem. | Liquipedia: Don't ask me, I'm retired.
FabledIntegral
Profile Blog Joined November 2008
United States9232 Posts
July 28 2010 17:48 GMT
#16
Found out literally a month ago that TL;dr meant "too long, didn't read" meaning aka "here's a summarized version."

Been wondering that for around 3 years now. I just assumed TL meant "Team Liquid" and had no idea dr meant.

I'm assuming (T/N) in translations means "Translator's Note," but I'm still not positive!
LarJarsE
Profile Blog Joined August 2009
United States1378 Posts
July 28 2010 18:13 GMT
#17
Yeah.. but if you type TL;dr, you probably have nothing good to say anyways.. And you probably shouldn't reply on a topic after you decided you are too lazy to read the text. so TL;dr is essentially for + Show Spoiler +
assholes
.

you gotta skate means you gotta be awesome.
since 98'
FabledIntegral
Profile Blog Joined November 2008
United States9232 Posts
July 28 2010 18:20 GMT
#18
On July 29 2010 03:13 larjarse wrote:
Yeah.. but if you type TL;dr, you probably have nothing good to say anyways.. And you probably shouldn't reply on a topic after you decided you are too lazy to read the text. so TL;dr is essentially for + Show Spoiler +
assholes
.

you gotta skate means you gotta be awesome.


Well I've seen WALLS of text that are like a mini novel, and the TL;dr part was still like 3-4 paragraphs long :-/.
Empyrean
Profile Blog Joined September 2004
17082 Posts
July 28 2010 18:30 GMT
#19
On July 29 2010 03:20 FabledIntegral wrote:
Show nested quote +
On July 29 2010 03:13 larjarse wrote:
Yeah.. but if you type TL;dr, you probably have nothing good to say anyways.. And you probably shouldn't reply on a topic after you decided you are too lazy to read the text. so TL;dr is essentially for + Show Spoiler +
assholes
.

you gotta skate means you gotta be awesome.


Well I've seen WALLS of text that are like a mini novel, and the TL;dr part was still like 3-4 paragraphs long :-/.


He's talking about other posters who don't read the thread, but for some reason feel compelled to post tl;dr anyway.
Moderator
MutaDoom
Profile Blog Joined January 2009
Canada1163 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-07-28 19:01:53
July 28 2010 18:55 GMT
#20
I have to add, do not proclaim anyone new as a bonjwa. It's just not a good idea. Ever. It's a real quick way to derail threads and piss off mods everyone.

The Bonjwa Story is here.
1 2 Next All
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
Next event in 5h 10m
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
mouzHeroMarine 401
ProTech143
UpATreeSC 117
BRAT_OK 80
MindelVK 27
JuggernautJason3
StarCraft: Brood War
Britney 23318
Soulkey 636
Horang2 400
Shuttle 367
Mini 324
Dewaltoss 164
Rush 137
Shine 99
firebathero 85
910 47
[ Show more ]
Zeus 45
Mong 30
Trap 29
PianO 21
ToSsGirL 20
zelot 17
scan(afreeca) 13
ajuk12(nOOB) 9
Noble 8
Sacsri 3
Dota 2
420jenkins506
Counter-Strike
Coldzera 1175
pashabiceps1101
Super Smash Bros
Mew2King73
Heroes of the Storm
Liquid`Hasu148
Other Games
Grubby5853
Liquid`RaSZi1923
fl0m1423
FrodaN627
Beastyqt575
ceh9562
TKL 150
IndyStarCraft 133
C9.Mang0120
ArmadaUGS114
XaKoH 103
QueenE47
Railgan2
Organizations
Other Games
gamesdonequick1695
WardiTV292
BasetradeTV48
[ Show 18 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• Hinosc 35
• Reevou 5
• IndyKCrew
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• intothetv
• Migwel
• Kozan
StarCraft: Brood War
• blackmanpl 37
• 80smullet 11
• FirePhoenix9
• Pr0nogo 2
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
• BSLYoutube
Dota 2
• C_a_k_e 3176
• WagamamaTV361
Other Games
• imaqtpie690
• Shiphtur156
Upcoming Events
PiGosaur Cup
5h 10m
The PondCast
15h 10m
Kung Fu Cup
16h 10m
Replay Cast
1d 5h
KCM Race Survival
1d 15h
IntoTheTV X SOOP
1d 16h
OSC
2 days
Replay Cast
2 days
IntoTheTV X SOOP
2 days
Replay Cast
3 days
[ Show More ]
GSL
3 days
Replay Cast
4 days
GSL
4 days
Shopify Rebellion Sundays
4 days
Spirit vs Mixu
Replay Cast
5 days
WardiTV Weekly
5 days
Monday Night Weeklies
5 days
Sparkling Tuna Cup
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

Proleague 2026-09-14
Blizzard Classic Cup 2026
Big Dog Cup 2026 Div 1

Ongoing

KCM Race Survival 2026 Season 3
K-JUNGMAN
ASL Season 22
Super Anchor Qualifying S3
CSL 2026 AUTUMN (S22)
Acropolis #5
Acropolis #5 - TRS
Calamity Invitational
FISSURE Playground #3
BLAST Open Fall 2026
Esports World Cup 2026
BLAST Bounty Summer 2026
BLAST Bounty Summer Qual
Stake Ranked Episode 3
XSE Pro League 2026

Upcoming

Acropolis #5 - GSA
Acropolis #5 - GSB
Acropolis #5 - GSC
SC4ALL II: Brood War
HSC XXX
Stellar Fest 2: Lunar Cup
SC4ALL II: StarCraft II
Kung Fu Cup 2026 Grand Finals
RSL Offline Finals
Copium Cup
PGL Major Singapore 2026
Stake Ranked Episode 6
BLAST Rivals Fall 2026
IEM Beijing 2026
Stake Ranked Episode 5
PGL Masters Bucharest 2026
1win Private Club #2
Thunderpick World Champ. '26
ESL Pro League Season 24
Stake Ranked Episode 4
1win Private Club #1
Logitech G Play Connect 2026
SL StarSeries Fall 2026
TLPD

1. ByuN
2. TY
3. Dark
4. Solar
5. Stats
6. Nerchio
7. sOs
8. soO
9. INnoVation
10. Elazer
1. Rain
2. Flash
3. EffOrt
4. Last
5. Bisu
6. Soulkey
7. Mini
8. Sharp
Sidebar Settings...

Advertising | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use | Contact Us

Original banner artwork: Jim Warren
The contents of this webpage are copyright © 2026 TLnet. All Rights Reserved.