Are you looking for a modern and internet-friendly term that refers to a specific person in your social media following that does not explicitly say their name or tag them?
You could use the abbreviation 'oomf' to save yourself some time and let everyone know who you mean. This post takes a look at the meaning and origin of this expression.
Meaning
The term 'oomf' is a type of informal or colloquial acronym that stands for “one of my friends” or alternatively, can be used to refer to “one of my followers”.
Several ways exist to write the term, including 'oomf', 'oomfie', or alternatively as '#oomf' to use the term as a social media hashtag. All of these are valid uses of the term, and capitals are optional though most often omitted.
The term is used for social media posts or conversations.
It is used to refer to a person or group without explicitly naming them, often as a means of conveying irony or sarcasm in conversation.
Sometimes, the term can also be a means of exempting the writer from personal responsibility, much like the message board term 'someone who isn't me' or 'SWIM'.
Even if the specific meaning of which friend is obvious, the term 'oomf' can still be used to refer to someone.
The meaning of 'oomf' can be either positive or negative (as an insult). The context of the term will depend on the conversation, although common uses include for the reference to be ironic, sarcastic, humorous or to exclude someone from the conversation.
Example Usage
“Someone must have got really drunk and soiled my pants before I got home last night. I'm not going to say who I think it was, but I think it must have been oomf who did it.”
“If you want to know who removed the post off the page before they could screenshot it, then I guess that you should go ask oomf about it.”
“If my parents see any pictures of the party last night, I'm just going to say it must have been oomf with the giraffe, the horse and the pool noodle.”
“It was when my parents said they wanted to talk to me, that I suggested they should just adopt oomf if they wanted a perfect son.”
Origin
The term 'oomf' as an internet-based acronym and common tag for social media posts can trace its first uses back to the popular social media platform Instagram.
The use of 'one of my friends/followers' originated on Instagram, but it soon spread to other social media networks like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube where it carries the same meaning.
While there is no official documented first use, it can be estimated to be some time after the official creation of Instagram in 2010.
The term 'oomf' also has a conversational origin that argues the original term was first used in the early 2000s, even though the internet-based use of the term would only become more popular on Instagram much later.
Phrases Similar to Oomf
- Swim
- SWIM
- Someone Who Isn't Me
Phrases Opposite to Oomf
- NOOMF
What is the Correct Saying?
- Oomf
- OOMF
- One of my followers/friends
Ways People May Say Oomf Incorrectly
There are ways to use the term 'oomf' incorrectly, or at least in a different way than common usage is assumed these days on the internet.
The term 'oomph' is a homophone with the same pronunciation but a different meaning. The term 'oomph' is used to mean a specific flair or style, but is the incorrect one to use when you are speaking to the internet about your followers.
The term 'oof' as a means of expressing pain or embarrassment (for yourself or someone else) on the internet is another wrong way to use the common internet abbreviation oomf. The term 'oof' originates from Minecraft.
Acceptable Ways to Phrase Oomf
Oomf can be used as a humorous, sarcastic, ironic, or specific way to refer to someone on your list of followers without saying their name or tagging them. The term can be used with or without capitals, and with or without the pound sign #.