Social media has introduced a whole new dialect into our collective online lexicon, forcing those without a thriving online life to constantly search terms like “yeet” and “cheugy” to keep up with the youths.
The latest term to trip up every generation above Gen Z is largely cropping up on TikTok, but it’ll soon find a home on plenty of other social media platforms. Here’s what’s really being said when you see “PMO” crop up in the comment section.
What does PMO mean?
There are a few different potential meanings behind PMO on TikTok, but one seems far more common than the rest. The shorthand can sometimes be used in lieu of “Piss Me Off,” allowing teens and younger users to lean on phrases that may not be allowed when fully spelled out. The term shouldn’t need much explaining, but just in case—when used as a substitute for “Piss Me Off,” PMO indicates that the user in question is irritated or annoyed by something.
The more likely meaning behind PMO is a touch more modern, however, and likely sparks confusion in older users. It is commonly used to mean “Put Me On,” a phrase that typically means introducing a person to something new. For example, a user may note that a friend recently “PMO to the Beatles,” a sentence that would mean they were recently introduced to the enduringly popular band. The structure of the leading sentence can often lead the setup of PMO to shift, but this is the most common context in which it is used online.
It’s hard to keep up with the ever shifting language online, particularly as we ancient web users leave our teenage years further and further behind. Thankfully, We Got This Covered is here to peruse the language of the youths with ever-increasing bafflement, and deliver the translation to you.