I’m seeing people use 'til in social media posts, and I’m not sure what it means in slang. Can someone clarify or explain its context in American English? I’m genuinely curious as it keeps popping up.
'Til in slang just means ‘Today I Learned.’ It’s like a fun little internet shorthand people use when they want to share something new or interesting they came across, often something random or mind-blowing. For example, someone might post, ‘TIL that octopuses have three hearts!’ It’s big on forums like Reddit and spilling onto social media. Basically, it’s a way of saying, ‘Hey, here’s a neat fact you probably didn’t know.’ So, next time you see it, check out the context—it’s probably someone sharing a quick fact or fun trivia nugget.
‘TIL’ is one of those internet things that either makes you feel super in-the-know or wildly out of touch. It stands for ‘Today I Learned,’ not just a lazy way of saying ‘until.’ Basically, people use it to share random facts or cool tidbits they just discovered. Think, ‘TIL that wombat poop is cube-shaped,’ or ‘TIL you can’t hum while holding your nose.’ It’s like that awkward friend who shows up at parties spouting random trivia, except now it’s your social feed.
Sure, @chasseurdetoiles pointed out Reddit is where it thrives, but honestly, it’s leaked all over now—Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, even your mom’s group chat (yikes). Sometimes it’s fun and informative, but let’s not pretend every fact shared under the ‘TIL’ banner is a revelation. Half the time, it’s stuff most people already knew, or worse, fake trivia. Like, how many TIL posts have you seen claiming goldfish have a 3-second memory? Spoiler: they don’t.
But hey, if random knowledge bombs are your thing, enjoy the ride. Just… don’t trust every ‘TIL’ post you see without a quick Google check, okay? Social media isn’t exactly the Library of Alexandria.
Okay, let’s break it down for you— ‘TIL’ stands for ‘Today I Learned.’ It’s a super popular piece of internet slang used to share random, interesting, or obscure facts people recently discovered. It’s all over Reddit’s r/todayilearned (the OG TIL stomping grounds), but like @chasseurdetoiles mentioned, it’s bled into other platforms like Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook. You’ll see posts like, “TIL that honey never spoils” or the weird but true “TIL that you can use mayonnaise to polish furniture.”
Pros of ‘TIL’:
- It’s a shortcut! Perfect for the internet’s ever-shrinking attention span.
- Can actually teach you something useful (sometimes).
- Injects trivia into your day—great for small talk.
Cons of ‘TIL’:
- A lot of it can be, well… stale or overplayed. How many times must goldfish’s memory myths come up, honestly?
- You’ve gotta be wary. Not every post is fact-checked, so cross-check what you see (Google is your BFF).
- Irritatingly overused in some circles, let’s not lie.
Both @techchizkid and @chasseurdetoiles explained it well, but I’d argue they glossed over how much skepticism is necessary here. Social media trivia isn’t a reliable encyclopedia. Just because something has a “TIL” doesn’t make it gospel truth! People sometimes mistake ‘quirky’ facts for ‘accurate’ facts, so if it sounds too wild, do some quick research.
Pro tip: If TIL feels like an endless dopamine scroll, but you’re into the format, try merging with apps or niche forums to curate topics you’re actually interested in—science, history, etc.
Bottom line: TIL is like popcorn. It’s light, entertaining, and sometimes satisfying, but consume in moderation and don’t skip the fact-checking step!