BTW Meaning
Last Updated:What does BTW mean?
BTW means By The Way.
On this page:
BTW is an initialism that stands for “by the way”. BTW is often used when talking to someone to provide an additional bit of information that may or may not be related to what you were originally talking about.
Where is BTW used?
Unlike many slang terms, BTW is used pretty much everywhere; you can find the term being used in social media comments, private messages, online chats, emails, text messages and more.
BTW is used on the follow platforms and places:
- texting
- online conversation
- Discord
- Facebook Messenger
- Snapchat
- TikTok
- Tumblr
- Twitch
- YouTube
How is BTW used?
BTW is used to give some additional information to someone.
For example, you may want to thank your coworker for having your back when your boss yelled at you, but you may also want to ask them what flavor cake you should get your other coworker for their birthday.
To do this, you would say something like “Thanks for having my back today! BTW, tomorrow is Tim’s birthday and I’m getting a cake. Do you know what kind he likes?”.
Do people say BTW out loud?
No; people will simply say “by the way” or “oh yeah” or “another thing”.
Example Uses of BTW
Thanks for the heads up! BTW, did you ever get around to doing that thing I asked you about?
Someone thanks their coworker for giving them a heads up about an upcoming audit, but also wants to know if that coworker did something else that they asked.
Sounds good! BTW I just got a new truck, so if you need any help moving LMK!
Someone tells their friend (who is about to move) that they got a new truck and offers to help them out.
On Facebook Messenger:$100 works! And BTW I have a red for sale as well if you're interested.
Someone responds to someone's offer on an item they're selling, also mentioning that they have the same item but in a different color for sale.
In a text message:I'm on my way! BTW Chris said he can't make it.
Someone let's their friend know that they're on their way to a party, but that their other friend Chris won't be able to attend.
In a text message:Thank you so much! I love your dog BTW!
Someone thanks their new neighbor for helping them move in.
Who uses BTW?
While some slang terms are very niche and only used by a small subset of people, BTW is used by pretty much everyone who uses the internet.
History of BTW
First Use
It’s difficult to say when exactly BTW was first used. Relative to other slang terms, it is quite old; it was first defined on Urban Dictionary in 2002.
Rise in Popularity
According to Google Trends search volume data, searches for BTW have remained pretty steady over the past decade.
What was used before BTW?
Before BTW, people probably just said “by the way”.