Elon Musk drängt darauf, nach dem Datenschutz-Update von WhatsApp „Signal zu verwenden“.

TTYL is among the few Internet slang phrases that is widely used. TTYL is arguably the only internet shorthand that almost everyone, regardless of age group, understands. It is made up of four friendly letters that simultaneously tell someone two things. Here’s a brief explanation of the phrase.

TTYL

The phrase, which translates to “speak to you later,” first appeared in early online chat formats from the 1990s and, in some cases, even the 1980s. The phrase is most frequently used in text and other digital communication today. Also, you’ll find it on social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. The use of the phrase implies to the recipient that they are ending the conversation with the intention of speaking or chatting with them again.

Some people might substitute BRB (Be Right Back), GTG (Got to Go), or CUL8R (See you later) for TTYL. In the physical world, one would likely use bye or goodbye for equivalent meanings.

TTYL implies future communication, thus it’s generally best to avoid using it in formal contexts or when speaking to somebody you don’t intend to chat with again. Despite the informality, the L (later) in the abbreviation does not refer to any specific time period. It may imply tomorrow, next week, or even in February of next year. Some people exclusively use TTYL to formally end a conversation with no expectation of a quick response.

Examples

A few instances of TTYL usage on Twitter are as follows:

My phone is at 1% ttyl

Nox is getting railed by Void (@NoxTheSimp) May 26, 2021

https://twitter.com/Venusiantide1/status/1396775293491236867

https://twitter.com/creamycracc/status/1397182395892252672

Other Meanings

The usage history of TTYL is intriguing. Before adopting the abbreviation chat to you later, the word in some contexts meant ta-ta, you all. Moreover, the name once denoted telex transmission for direct Linotype typesetting in the printing sector.

As discussed on Quora:

TTY was the abbreviation for telex, teletype, teleprinter or teletypewriter in the old days. These TTYL tapes were fed into a tape reader attached to a Linotype machine for direct typesetting output. The paper tapes and feeder were fiddly things to handle when (not if) the tapes snapped, so did our temper.

It is obvious that the teletype era is ended. Thus, stick to the acronym’s current meaning. TTYL to everyone else. Moreover, see whatBiaBmeans and how to utilise TL;DR correctly.