From ‘SMH’ to ‘KMT’ – 15 confusing words and abbreviations your kids are using and what they mean
HAVE you ever had a conversation with your child and wondered what on earth they’re talking about?
Well you’re not the only one.
Researchers at DiggityMarketing.com looked at volume data to find out the slang words and expressions we find most confusing – with 15 coming out top.
WOKE
This is the most searched for term in the UK, with a staggering 40,000 monthly searches.
As well as being the past tense of “wake”, “woke” is often used by kids as an adjective to describe someone who’s aware of the current societal issues and injustices.
Most commonly, it is used within the context of racial prejudice and injustice.
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SMH
SMH is in second place, with 27,000 searches a month.
It actually stands for “shaking my head”, and is used to express annoyance or disapproval of someone else’s words or actions.
POV
This one has had a massive increase in searches due to its usage on social media sites such as TikTok, with 19,000 monthly searches in Britain.
“POV” or “point of view” is used to describe from which point of view the viewer should watch the video.
For example, in this TikTok video, a woman is explaining that the video should be watched from the POV of a “mum at the pool”.
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PUSHING P
This slang saying has 15,000 monthly searches.
It was first coined by American rapper Gunna, and was then adopted by the TikTok community – with many users giving it their own meaning.
However, in its original meaning, it indicates someone acting with style while displaying their success.
PU
With 13,000 searches a month, this term actually has two meanings.
The first is most commonly used on Snapchat or Instagram and means “Pop up” – i.e. to encourage someone to send you a message.
The second meaning is derived from a Latin word for “to stink or smell bad”.
KMT
KMT, with 12,000 searches, can be traced back to Jamaica, as it was used as slang for “kiss my teeth”.
It largely used to express annoyance or anger – whether real or exaggerated.
It’s also used by people who can’t make the teeth-kissing sound the acronym stands for.
ICL
With the same number of searches, ICL is next.
It means “I can’t lie”, and is used either before or after something to indicate that it’s the truth.
UWU
Unlike a regular acronym, UWU actually represents an emoticon – with the letters UwU showing a cute face which expresses warm and fuzzy feelings.
It has been searched for 11,000 time a month.
LMFAO
One of the more commonly known acronyms, LMFAO is ninth on the list with 10,000 monthly searches.
It’s used as a more emphatic form of LMAO, and means “laughing my f**king a*s off” or “laughing my fat a*s off”.
IG
With the same number of searches as LMFAO, IG can mean two things.
While it can mean “I guess”, it also stand for Instagram.
ISTG
ISTG has 9,600 searches a month.
It means “I swear to God”, and is used to emphasise the truth or express frustration.
WAGWAN
This originated from Jamaica and is a way of greeting others.
It roughly means “What’s going on?” and has 8,900 searches a month.
SB
This features twice on the list.
The first has 8,900 searches and is used on Snapchat. It stands for “snapback” – meaning “respond to my message/my snap”.
SIMP
Simp is used to describe a person – most commonly a boy or man – who is too clingy.
It’s also used to insult men who are too attentive to women.
It has 8,700 searches a month.
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SB
As well as the aforementioned, SB can mean “somebody” or “someone” – and is not specific to Snapchat.
It has 8,400 monthly searches.