Slang dictionary

text me

[tekst mee]

What does text me mean?

Text me is a common way to ask someone to send you a text message on their phone, often to catch up or make plans.

Related words:

Where does text me come from?

text me
mantelligence

We might be tempted to think of text me as new slang, but the phrase, in one form or another, has been around for decades. A text message dates back to at least 1977, the shortened text to 1990. Text-message as verb can be found as early as a 1994, with text appearing no later than 1998.

Text me has become a common and informal way of connecting with someone by text message. To a new friend or possible romantic interest, text me can sound cool and casual, showing just enough interesting without being extra.

In the 1700s, text me would have been “pen me sometime.” In the early 1800s, “telegram me.” In the late 1800s, “phone me.” For a short time in the 1990s, it was “page me.” In the early 2000s, it was “email me.” In the 2010s, it’s text me—though even that may be on the way out by “@ me,” “DM me,” or “Snap me.”

Not only is it used in everyday language with buddies or potential dates, but text me also appears in notable pop songs, such as in the lyrics of Rihanna’s 2016 “Work”: “Nobody touch me you no righteous / Nobody text me in a crisis.”

Examples of text me

my neighbor keeps coming up with reasons to text me it's cute we're cute
@pants_leg, December, 2016
Hey @DwyaneWade I just got into Chicago, just text me when you wanna hang out.
@KeatonJFish, December, 2016
I missed a call from my friend P the other day and didn't think of calling him back even when I got out of the shower...He would call again or text me if it was urgent, I reasoned as I prepared to head out.
Tee Hun Ching, The Straits Times, October, 2016
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Who uses text me?

Text me is often used as a friendly request to talk or for information.

It can be used like “hit me up” in a loving, playful, or flirtatious manner.

Like any other verb phrase, text me sees various and wide use across many other spoken and written contexts, from annoyance to humor.

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Note

This is not meant to be a formal definition of text me like most terms we define on Dictionary.com, but is rather an informal word summary that hopefully touches upon the key aspects of the meaning and usage of text me that will help our users expand their word mastery.