What Does HMU Mean? The Answer – Hit Me UP

If you have been using social media for the past few years – which I am assuming you must have – you know the platform has its own set of abbreviations and acronyms. One of the phrases that add to that language is HMU. However, if you are someone who is new to social media, you might have a difficult time figuring out what on earth it means. Or maybe you are a senior citizen, someone who is traditional or believes in spelling out entire words and sentences instead of simply using the acronym. And now you are having a tough time coping up.

If you are one of them, be not afraid, my friend. I am here to help you as your friend and guide. In this article, I am going to share with you everything you need to know about the phrase HMU. You will know where it came from, what it means, and how you too can use it in your languages or daily conversations by the time you finish reading this article. So, without wasting any further time, let us begin. Read along.

Contents

• What Does HMU Mean?
• The meaning of HMU
• An alternate meaning of HMU
• Origin of HMU
• Spelling of HMU
• People who use HMU
• Ways to use HMU in a sentence

What Does HMU Mean?

The meaning of HMU

First of all, before you get down to the history, spelling, and usage of HMU, allow me to tell you what it actually means. The phrase HMU stands for ‘Hit Me Up.’ It is also a way to say “text me,” “contact me,” “call me,” or any other version of “reach me to follow up on this.”

To put it in a nutshell, HMU is a modern and shorthand way for inviting a person so that both of you could communicate further, however, not right now, but at a later time. The phrase is a part of the conversation culture that goes on online. Similar to any behavior human groups portray, language, as well as speech expressions, are also used for building the identity of a culture.

An alternate meaning of HMU

An alternative meaning of HMU is ‘Hold My Unicorn.’ However, it is not the most common usage of HMU.

Origin of HMU

Now, let us talk about the origin of HMU, of where it came from. Well, to tell you the truth, the original meaning of the phrase, which is ‘Hut Me Up,’ existed long before the acronym found its popularity. During the early 2000s, internet abbreviations started gaining popularity. As a result, the phrase was shortened to HMU for using in social media. In April 2009, the phrase HMU was given an entry in the Urban dictionary for the very first time.

In the year 2011, a teenage boy hung a giant cardboard sign with the phrase HMU on the front of the school for asking his prom date out. The Principal of the school banned him from going to the boy on disciplinary issues but the story caught fire. Several publications kept defining the phrase HMU for their readers. In July 2011, people across the world extensively searched for the phrase HMU on Google. The peak searches were probably in relation to this story.

During late 2010 and early 2011, a few people termed HMU as an alternative phrase ‘Hold My Unicorn.’ The phrase caught the attention of the netizens and it has been made into multiple different memes on the internet.

Spelling of HMU

HMU can be spelled in both lowercase and uppercase. You can use either one of them thanks to the informality that the internet brings. However, keep in mind not to type whole sentences in uppercase as it is considered rude and is considered as shouting online.

Also Read: Difference between Hotmail.com, Msn.com, Live.com & Outlook.com?

People who use HMU

The people who are active on the internet, especially the teenagers and the youth, tend to use this phrase mostly. On the other hand, there is less usage of this phrase on the part of old people and people who are of the traditional values and want to spell out entire words.

Ways to use HMU in a sentence

Now, there are several ways to use HMU in a sentence. Let us look at some of them below.

Highlighting contact details: HMU is a way of shorthand for highlighting your contact details. This, in turn, offers your audience with any of the methods of getting in touch in a way of your choosing.

Soliciting suggestions: The phrase HMU can also be used for asking for suggestions, recommendations, or any other information that are sourced from the crowd or a large number of people.

Asking someone to contact you: You can also use HMU for asking someone to contact you. However, keep in mind, that it means they should contact you at a later time and not right away.

Suggestive meaning: In the case of online dating profiles, the phrase HMU often has a suggestive meaning. And often it means getting in touch for a potential hook up. These can even lead to romantic relations. To give you a real-life example, a Twitter user found her husband by tweeting HMU just like that. So, after her break-up, this particular Twitter user Madison O’Neil was in need of a ‘plus one’ for a wedding she was supposed to attend. She mentioned it on Twitter and his future husband responded. They got engaged after two and a half years of being together.

So, this is everything you need to know about the meaning of the phrase HMU, the origin of the word, its meaning, spelling, and how to use it in a sentence. Now that you are equipped with the necessary knowledge, put it to the best possible use. Use the word wisely and make the most out of it.