The English language is always evolving, particularly when it comes to slang.
At one time, an athlete was a “goat” when he committed an error that cost his team the game. Now, GOAT is reserved for superstars like Tom Brady or Michael Jordan, each considered the “Greatest of All Time” in their sport. “Straight” kids in school were once the ones who didn’t party; now, they’re the ones who aren’t gay. (“Gay” used to mean something very different, too.)
When it comes to online slang, particular acronyms, the landscape can be even more confusing. Common terms can have two separate and distinct meanings, depending on how they’re used.
Let’s discuss one that’s often seen in TikTok posts.
What Does “PMO” Mean on TikTok?
Back in the Second World War, American soldiers were said to have first used the term “pissed me off” to describe something that made them angry. The slang term has been used ever since. (The different usage, “piss off” to mean “go away,” is even older.)
It’s not known when users started using the acronym PMO to stand for “pisses me off” (or “piss me off” on social media, but Urban Dictionary first listed it in 2005, and “PMO” was used online in that way throughout the 2000s and 2010s.
When TikTok became popular in the late 2010s, the acronym was often used in TikTok content and comments; it’s still seen today. It’s often combined with “TS,” used as “TS PMO” to mean “this sh-t pisses me off.”
Meanwhile, PMO was being used to stand for a very different phrase in African American Vernacular English: “put me on.” The term originated in the hip-hop culture and music of the late 1990s, and generally is used to mean “introduce.”
Examples might include “PMO with your cousin” or “my friend PMO to this club,” and this usage of the acronym became common in TikTok videos and on other apps in the late 2010s and early 2020s.
Today, you’ll see the term used in both ways on TikTok. Fortunately, the context of a post will immediately make it clear which way “PMO” is being used.
About the Author
Peter Hasselworth is a contributor at iDigic, sharing valuable insights about Instagram growth and social media marketing strategies.