Text message

A brief written message typed and sent electronically between mobile phones over the cell phone network. Texting is a very common and efficient way of communicating, in part because the message is stored on the recipient's phone so they can read it when it's convenient for them, unlike a direct voice conversation.

Howard and Leonard carried on a text conversation sitting across from each other in the living room, silently laughing at and poking fun of Sheldon who was on the phone cancelling his planetarium membership because he couldn't fit the membership card in his wallet (0108).

Howard encouraged Leonard to slow down his relationship with Stephanie by sending her a text message. Leonard asked if that wasn't kind of cowardly and Howard replied cheerfully that of course it was, it was beyond contempt. However, as Raj pointed out, Leonard was wearing a sweater with a big bird on it. Leonard sent the text (0210).

When Leonard's date with Penny didn't go so well, Leslie Winkle was told about it by Howard via text message, saying that Leonard had crashed "like blue ice from an airplane lavatory". Leslie responded to Howard with an LOL (abbreviation for "laugh out loud") (0202).