Like LOL and ROFL, the acronym TBT is pretty popular — but what does it mean? We’ll tell you. Read on to discover the meaning of TBT.

Unless you’ve been avoiding the internet over the last few years, you’ve likely come across a number of acronyms, such as “LOL,” “ROFL,” and “SMH.” Although these trendy abbreviations may seem new to the English language, the truth is quite the opposite.

For example, many folks believe LOL was brought into existence during the rise of Facebook in 2004. Actually, the term was first coined on a Canadian BBS chatroom called Viewline sometime in the early-to-mid-80s.

The ever-so-popular YOLO is another commonly used acronym that is often thought of as new vocabulary. However, it has been in use since at least the 18th century when Johann Wolfgang von Goethe wrote the line “one lives but once in the world” in the German play “Clavigo.”

In addition, the abbreviations “WTF,” “LMAO,” and “ROFL” are said to have originated sometime in the 1990s, making these terms at least two decades old.

As you can see, many popular abbreviations have existed long before the conception of social media platforms, such as Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, WhatsApp, and Snapchat. That is, except for TBT, which is thought to have entered the conversation not too long ago when a blogger named Mark Halfhill used it for his sneaker blog.

Interested in learning more about the acronym TBT? We can help. Read on as we explore the term TBT to uncover its meaning, origin, and more.

What Does TBT Stand For?

An incredibly popular hashtag used by basically everyone, TBT is an acronym that stands for Throwback Thursday.

#TBT, #Throwback, and #ThrowbackThursday are often used on social media platforms to label nostalgic posts, especially images. However, it doesn’t just have to be photos — users can record a video or even share text or memories from their past, too.

What Is the History of TBT?

Throwback Thursday as a phrase dates back to 2006 when a blogger posted a #TBT post featuring a shot of hot wheels toy cars. In July of the same year, a different blogger used the hashtag to title a feature on his blog about footwear.

Shortly after, the Georgia Tech football team wore 1970s-style uniforms for Throwback Thursday — the familiar reference to the phrase implied the social media trend was already in full effect at the time.

By February 2012, the hashtag #TBT began surpassing mentions of “Throwback Thursday.” By 2014, there were around half a million #TBT tweets sent per week.

Variations of the TBT Hashtag

Want to celebrate the past on a different day of the week? Go for it — just be sure to use the correct hashtag! Other variations of #TBT that you can post on other days of the week include:

#MondayMemories (Monday memories)
#TakeMeBackTuesday (take me back Tuesday)
#WayBackWednesday (way back Wednesday)
#FlashBackFriday (flashback Friday)

You can also use the hashtags #OnThisDay and #Latergram, which aren’t specific to any day of the week.

What to Post on Throwback Thursday

You don’t have to be a well-known influencer to get on the #TBT trend. All you need to do is find something about the past that’s relatively interesting to post about and tag it with the iconic hashtag; #TBT, #ThrowbackThursday, or #Throwback.

Here are some great #tbt posts to give you a little inspo:

Old photos of you from your childhood
Screenshots of old Tweets or Facebook status updates
Something nostalgic
An old song, movie, or TV show that takes you back in time
Baby pictures
Awards
Old text message
The time you met someone famous
Past holiday cards
Old website
First headshots
Meeting celebrities
First business card
Milestones
Photos of old basketball footwear
First slogan
Embarrassing yearbook photo
Old audio recordings
Pictures of your high school friend

Throwback Thursday is a perfect opportunity to build engagement, tell stories, increase brand awareness, drive in a new audience, meet new people and just have a little fun.

Other Popular Hashtags

Throwback Thursday is a very popular acronym — but it’s not the only one. Other popular hashtags and acronyms that are commonly used today include:

LOL (Laugh Out Loud)
BRB (Be Right Back)
DYK (Did You Know)
FML (F*** My Life)
FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out)
YOLO (You Only Live Once)
FTW (For The Win)
Jk (Just Kidding)
NSFW (Not Safe For Word)
NM (Not Much)
IRL (In Real Life)
IMO (In My Opinion)
LMK (Let Me Know)
NVM (Nevermind)
RN (Right Now)
TMI (Too Much Information)
TBH (To Be Honest)
WBU (What About You)
TGIF (Thank God It’s Friday)

Does TBT Stand For Anything Else?

Although TBT is most commonly known as ThrowbackThursday, the acronym does have a few other meanings, such as:

Tampa Bay Times
Technical Barriers to Trade
Taco Bell Time
Thinking Bad Thoughts
Truth Be Told
To Be True
To Be Tested
That Bouncy Thing
Tow Bowl Tactics
Turn-By-Turn
Taco Bell Tuesday
Total Body Temperature
Turbine Blade Temperature
Team-Based Training
The Big Three
Turn Back Time
Today’s Big Thing
Travel By Train
Triple Base Technology
Thunder Bay Television
The Bell Tree
Tail-Biting Trellis

Recap

So, what does TBT mean?

The acronym TBT stands for many things, such as “Taco Bell Time,” “Tampa Bay Times,” and “Truth Be Told.” However, it’s most commonly known as Throwback Thursday.

Whether used to post some nostalgia on Thursdays or as a way to let everyone know it’s time for tacos — at the end of the day, there’s no right or wrong way to use TBT, so feel free to use it as you see fit.

Sources:

Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.