ts
Ts is short for "this shit" or "that shit", a crude phrase that many people now type as plain "this". The word after it, like pmo or tuff, sets the tone.
By Cal Hewitt, Gen X ·
What it means
Ts is shorthand for "this shit" or "that shit", and plenty of people now type it as a plain stand-in for "this". It points at whatever everyone is looking at: a video, an outfit, a play, a message someone just sent. On its own, "ts" is a compressed reaction, and the video, image or message above it decides what it means. The word after ts sets the tone. "Ts pmo" is annoyance, short for "this shit pisses me off", and it is usually comic, as in "ts pmo my phone died at 1%". "Ts tuff" is praise, with tuff meaning impressive or cool. Know Your Meme describes "ts frying me" as finding something very funny or absurd. "Ts so funny" is amused approval, and "ts crazy" can be surprise, admiration or criticism depending on what is on screen. Aimed at a person, the same phrases sharpen: "ts pmo" says that person or what they did annoys the writer, and "ts frying me" about someone's awkward moment can mean laughing at them. The phrase underneath is vulgar, and Dictionary.com says that in formal settings the word it contains generally remains inappropriate, so ts fits comments and chats among friends and does not fit schoolwork, work messages or a note to a teacher. Capital TS in a developer thread usually means TypeScript, in a music-fan thread it can mean Taylor Swift, and "type shit" is a separate expression that can also shorten to ts to signal agreement. An older, now dated abbreviation for transgender people is not the default reading in a comment.
See the quick definition in the ts dictionary entry.
How to use it
“ts pmo my phone died at 1%”
Comic annoyance. The writer is irritated at a situation, and nobody is being blamed.
“ts tuff, that edit is clean”
Praise for a video. Tuff means impressive.
“ts frying me he really said that”
Something so funny or absurd it is almost too much.
“ts so funny”
Amused approval, usually under a video or a meme.
Where it came from
No single coiner is documented, and the first use of standalone ts is unknown. Know Your Meme says ts and ts frying me likely emerged organically in online Black communities in the late 2010s or early 2020s, and that the abbreviation spread across TikTok, X and Instagram in late 2024 and early 2025.
Dated records show circulation. A TikTok by @textmyslatt on July 24, 2024 joked about seeing someone use ts as "this", which Know Your Meme lists as the first known meme about it. The earliest known post with the phrase ts frying me is a September 16, 2024 TikTok by @sexyyaquariusgf, captioned "ts frying meee YOURE WEIRD" with laughing and crying emojis. Those dates show the term was already circulating by then, and they do not mark its first use.
Know Your Meme credits no creator and no generation as the originator, and TikTok is where the term became highly visible. The Washington Post's August 17, 2022 piece, "Black English is being misidentified as internet slang", covers the wider pattern of Black English being mistaken for new internet slang.
No single person is credited, the origin is commonly reported.
Where it's popular
TikTok comments and captions, Instagram replies, X posts and group chats. It is typed far more often than spoken aloud as "tee ess".
Know Your Meme lists the United States and TikTok for the abbreviation, and its audience skews to Gen Z and Gen Alpha.
How it caught on
- July 24, 2024A TikTok by @textmyslatt jokes about people using ts to mean "this"; Know Your Meme lists it as the first known meme about the abbreviation.
- August 25, 2024X user @boofinglord posts "ts ≠ this", which Know Your Meme reports gained more than 61,000 likes in five months.
- September 16, 2024A TikTok by @sexyyaquariusgf captioned "ts frying meee YOURE WEIRD" is the earliest known post with the phrase ts frying me.
- December 13, 2024Vexbolts asks "Is ts (this) a new audio?" in a TikTok that Know Your Meme says passed 4.6 million plays.
- April 2025Teacher Philip Lindsay posts a TikTok explaining TSPMO and other abbreviations middle school kids were using, per Distractify.
- September 15, 2025@butteryfunnuts posts an AI-generated video of the letters TS frying the word ME, which Know Your Meme records at more than 7.8 million views.
Test yourself
Can you read a ts?
0/21. A friend comments "ts tuff" under a video of your new sneakers. What do they mean?
2. What does ts stand for in the slang sense?
// the shop Shop LOST IN TRANSLATION shirts and hoodies for families who speak two kinds of slang
Related slang
More word guides
How every generation says it
Questions people ask
What is TS PMO slang?
TS PMO is short for "this shit pisses me off", and it signals annoyance that is often exaggerated for comic effect. Distractify's explainer gives the TikTok form as "that shit pissed me off". The attached phrase is what makes it a complaint, so "ts pmo" aimed at a person is sharper than "ts pmo" about a dead phone battery.
What does TS mean in a text message?
In a text, ts means "this shit" or simply "this", pointing at the thing you are both discussing. The next word tells you whether it is praise, annoyance or laughter, so read the full line and the message above it.
What does TS mean in Gen Z slang?
In Gen Z slang, ts is a reaction word built from "this shit", used in phrases like "ts tuff" for praise and "ts pmo" for annoyance. It is typed far more than spoken, and it is also used ironically in slang-overload jokes.
What does TS mean on TikTok?
On TikTok, ts appears in comments and captions to react to the video, and it can mean "this shit" or just "this". The tone comes from the words after it and from what is on screen.
What does TS mean in chat?
In chat, ts is an English abbreviation for "this shit", a vulgar phrase, and many people type it simply as "this". The word that follows, such as pmo or tuff, decides whether it reads as annoyance or praise.
Can I say ts to a teacher or at work?
It is best kept out of schoolwork, work messages, customer service and notes to anyone in authority, because the phrase underneath is vulgar. Write the plain words instead, such as "This issue is causing a delay" or "That design is effective".
An AI-generated video of the letters TS frying the word ME, posted September 15, 2025, passed 7.8 million views, according to Know Your Meme.
- https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/ts-this
- https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/ts-frying-me
- https://knowyourmeme.com/editorials/guides/what-does-ts-pmo-icl-mean-lets-explain-the-meaning-of-tiktoks-latest-slang-overload-trend
- https://www.distractify.com/p/tspmo-meaning-tiktok
- https://www.dictionary.com/browse/shit
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_2020s_slang
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/08/17/black-english-misidentified-internet-slang/
- https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Glossary/TypeScript
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