There’s nothing like a new internet acronym to make you feel incredibly old and out of touch. While some short forms, like gentle “lol” (“laugh out loud”) and urgent “g2g” (“got to go”), have found life beyond the computer screen, other initials are more mysterious. For the curious souls asking Google, “What does SMH mean?”, fear not, Factinate has your back.
What Exactly Does SMH Mean?
According to Urban Dictionary (my go-to source for figuring out what the youths are saying), SMH stands for “shaking my head.” To get even more specific, Urban Dictionary helpfully guides readers to use the acronym “when something is obvious, plain old stupid, or disappointing.”
The irony that this is exactly how I felt when I had to Google what “SMH” means is not lost on me.
What Else Does SMH Mean?
However, there is a cruel twist. SMH can also stand for “so much hate,” as it does in Urban Dictionary’s third definition. Fair enough, this option is pretty similar to “shaking my head.” Like its sibling definition, “so much hate” conveys a defeated sense of “this is so dumb it doesn’t warrant an actual response.” But does this double-meaning seem unfair to anyone else? Isn’t an acronym’s job to make our lives easier, not more confusing?
So Meta, I’m SMH
Literally every other internet short form has one clear meaning. OMG means “Oh my God.” BTW means “by the way.” LMK means “let me know.” I could go on.
Maybe the reason we’re all Googling “SMH” is that it bizarrely has two solid potential definitions. Either way, do you know what I am doing as I realize that “SMH” has two different, though equally valid meanings? Reader, I am shaking my head because I feel so much hate for this weird acronym. SMH Inception, man.