Are you on the way to a friend's house to pick them up? You could text them with 'omw' to let them know you'll be there soon.
This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression.
Meaning
The acronym 'omw' stands for 'on my way.' It means that you're en route to a destination. The abbreviation lets someone know you're on your way and your arrival is imminent. The acronym helps you avoid committing to a definite arrival time or admitting to being late.
Example Usage
"Omg, I'm so sorry I'm running late. I'm omw right now. I'm typing this in the car, I promise. I'll cu in 15."
"I'm omw to you now. I got held up with things at work, and the boss made me stay an extra hour. I'll cu in a minute."
"Ok already, I'm OMW, and I'll get to you soon. Stop nagging me, or you'll make me crash the car."
"I told him I'm omw now. Let's finish getting ready and leave in 30. I like to make my men sweat for me a bit."
"I just got in the car, and I'm omw. You can start dinner without me, I'm going to be 25 minutes, and I don't want you to have to wait for me."
"I'm omw. I just boarded the plane, and the pilot's telling me to turn my phone onto airplane mode. I'll text you when I'm in the baggage claim."
"I'm omw with Jenny now. We just left the train station, and we're waiting for the Uber. I think we'll be about another 20 minutes."
"Omw to you now. We got stuck in traffic over the bridge, but it's clear now, and we're moving again. See you in around ten minutes."
Origin
The acronym 'omw' originates from text-based abbreviations created in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Before the invention of the QWERTY keyboard and predictive text, cell phone users relied on the number keypad to write text messages. However, typing messages was a hassle due to the need to press a single key several times to select the preferred character.
So, to reduce time and effort typing messages, users started abbreviating comm0on phrases and sayings, like 'omw.' Other classic examples would be 'lol' (laugh out loud) and 'ttys' (talk to you soon). Despite QWERTY keyboards and predictive text making the need for abbreviations obsolete, many users chose to use abbreviations in their messages.
Phrases Similar to omw
- Otw. (On the way).
Phrases Opposite to omw
- No eta.
What is the Correct Saying?
- omw.
- Omw.
- OMW.
- On My Way.
Ways People May Say omw Incorrectly
You might not understand the difference between using the capitalized version of the phrase. Texting someone 'OMW' in reply to asking where you are might seem like you're 'shouting' at the other person and telling them to back off. It's more common for people to use the lower-case variant because it's the easiest way to type the term without having to bother capitalizing letters.
Acceptable Ways to Phrase omw
You can use 'omw' in social text conversations between friends and relatives. If you text someone' omw,' it can mean you're anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours away. For instance, you could say it when boarding a flight from LA to NYC or leaving the grocery store down the street. There's no set rule on the time duration, it's vague, but the only identifier is that it's not going to be a long wait.
You could use 'omw' when you're late for something, and the person you're meeting asks you where you are. It refers to you being en route to your destination, and your arrival is imminent. Some people may even message the term to friends while driving, even though they shouldn't. If you want to be more courteous to the person, you could add 'b there in 5' to the end of the message.