The English language has been evolving for hundreds of years. People became bored of having to repeat those common long words that appear over and over again in writing and in speech. This made them come up with a very easy way of shortening them…acronyms.
And with the current generation that is all about light speed texting, we want to say as much as we can using as little words as possible. It started off with LOL then we became more accustomed to the likes of ROFL and IDK. Then came TBT. I would say this is the most misplaced acronym ever.
With our lingo being bombarded by emoticons and cool short forms, we sometimes find ourselves out of the loop when it comes to short forms that have numerous meanings.
Below, I have listed some of the meanings of TBT in order of their popularity and how much they are used by people from various fields.
Conventional meaning : ‘Truth Be Told’
The global slang community knows it as a short form for the phrase, ‘Truth Be Told’. When you see it in texts or in popular culture literature, this it what it means.
More...TBT on Instagram and Twitter : ‘Throw Back Thursday’
On the popular social media platform Instagram, TBT means ‘Throw Back Thursday’. This is where people post old photos or ‘throwbacks’ and share old memories with one another. Photos posted can either be recent or really old. It can also be found on other social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.
Still on the social scene, it could also stand for Today’s Big Thing. This is also a platform that works to spread news about trending topics at a particular time.
Other miscellaneous meanings
· In the world of business, TBT stands for Technical Barriers to Trade. These are unreasonable characteristics or specifications that must be met before a product is allowed into a particular country. Such as; packaging and quality.
· TBT stands for Total Body Training among athletes and people who engage in sporting activities. This is a full workout plan that enables athletes to exercise every part of their body, instead of concentrating in just one area.
· Lovers of video games know TBT as Turn Based tactics. This is a computer game genre of strategy video games that simulates the circumstances of warfare and military tactics. Some of these games are; Rondo of Swords, Gungnir, Wild Arms XF and many others.
· For those who like to scuba dive, TBT means Total Bottom Time. This is used to represent the amount of time a particular diver spent underwater. It also includes the residual nitrogen time. Total Bottom Time is the sum of actual bottom time and residual nitrogen time.
Meaning of TBT in Science and technology
· TBT could also stand for an active ingredient found in pesticides called Tributyltin. This compound is also used as a paint additive when painting boats and ships so as to prevent growth of marine organisms such as barnacles, mussels and algae.
· The engineering field uses this acronym to stand for Technical Bid Tabulation. It is a public document prepared to record the bids along with the cost of constructing a particular structure.
· Computer developers know TBT as Technology Based Training. It is a new method of training and teaching that helps the trainee learn more about any specific topic. It is very wide and can be incorporated in most places because it is dynamic and ever changing.
· In airplanes, the acronym represents Turbine Blade Temperature. When rotating at high speeds, the turbine blades in a jet engine heat up due to centrifugal forces. If unchecked, the high turbine temperatures may lead to engine damage and possible failure. Pilots monitor the temperatures, which are recorded in degrees Celsius and apply proper measures to cool the turbines.
· Medical practitioners are always saving time so that they can deliver services to more patients. When recording a patient’s vitals for their file, many doctors and nurses use TBT to stand for the Total Body Temperature of the patient.
Make sure your message is understood properly when using acronyms
For as long as we will continue speaking English, there will always be plenty of abbreviations that will spring up. Even though they are supposed to make communication much more easier, acronyms with many meanings tend to confuse whoever uses them.
So it is important that when you use acronyms like TBT, make sure your message is understood properly; not misinterpreted. Overall, acronyms have gained popularity, especially among internet users. They pass the message across; in fewer words.