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If you've been using social media in recent years - which I assume you must have - you know that the platform has its own set of abbreviations and acronyms. One of the phrases added to that language is HMU. However, if you are someone who is new to social media, you may find it difficult to figure out what it means. Or maybe you are an older person, someone who is traditional or believes in spelling out entire words and phrases rather than just using the acronym. And now you are having a hard time coping.

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If you are one of them, do not be 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 HMU phrase. You will know where it comes from, what it means and how you can use it in your languages or in your daily conversations when you finish reading this article. So, without wasting any more time, let's get started. Keep reading.

What does HMU mean?

The meaning of HMU

First of all, before you get up to speed on the history, spelling, and usage of the HMU, let me tell you what it really means. The phrase HMU means "Hit Me Up." It is also a way of saying 'send me a message', 'contact me', 'call me', or any other version of 'call me to follow up on this'.

Simply put, HMU is a modern, shortened way of inviting a person so that both of you can communicate more, not now, but later on. The phrase is a part of the culture of the conversation that takes place online. Similar to any behavior that human groups represent, language, as well as expressions of speech, are also used to construct the identity of a culture.

An alternate meaning of HMU

An alternate meaning of HMU is "Hold my unicorn." However, it is not the most common use of the HMU.

Origin of the HMU

Now, let's talk about the origin of the HMU, where it came from. In fact, the original meaning of the phrase, which is "Hut Me Up," existed long before the acronym found its popularity. In the early 2000s, Internet abbreviations began to gain popularity. As a result, the phrase was shortened to HMU for use on social media. In April 2009, the phrase HMU was included for the first time in the Urban dictionary.

In 2011, a teenager hung a giant cardboard sign with the phrase HMU in the front of the school for asking his date from prom. The school principal forbade him to go with the boy for disciplinary reasons but the story caught fire. Various publications continued to define the phrase HMU for their readers. In July 2011, people around the world searched extensively for the phrase HMU on Google. The peak of searches was probably related to this story.

In late 2010 and early 2011, some people called HMU an alternative phrase "Hold my unicorn." The phrase caught the attention of netizens and has become multiple different memes on the Internet.

HMU spelling

HMU can be written in both lowercase and uppercase. You can use any of them thanks to the informality that the internet brings. However, keep in mind that you should not write entire sentences in capital letters as this is considered rude and is considered like yelling online.

Also read: Difference between Hotmail.com, Msn.com, Live.com and Outlook.com?

People who use HMU

People who are active on the Internet, especially teenagers and young people, tend to use this phrase mostly. On the other hand, there is less use of this phrase by the elderly and by people who are of traditional values and want to spell whole words.

Ways to use the HMU in a sentence

Now, there are several ways to use HMU in a sentence. Let's see some of them below.

Highlighting contact details: HMU is a way of abbreviating contact details. This, in turn, offers your audience any of the methods to get in touch in whatever way you choose.

Ask for suggestions: The phrase HMU can also be used to ask for suggestions, recommendations or any other information that comes from the crowd or from a large number of people.

Asking someone to contact you: You can also use the HMU to ask someone to contact you. However, keep in mind that this means that they must contact you at a later time and not immediately.

Suggestive meaning: In the case of online dating profiles, the phrase HMU often has a suggestive meaning. And it often means getting in touch for a possible appointment. This can even lead to romantic relationships. To give you a real life example, a Twitter user found her husband tweeting HMU like this. So after their breakup, this particular Twitter user Madison O$0027Neil needed a "plus one" for a wedding she was supposed to attend. She mentioned it on Twitter and her future husband responded. They got engaged after two and a half years of being together.

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

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