What Does BTOBS Mean in a Text?
The Quick Answer
BTOBS means "Be There Or Be Square."More Observations...
The abbreviation BTOBS is commonly associated with an event and implies that anyone who's cool and hip will be there. If you don't go, people will think you're a "nerd" or a "dork," i.e., a "square." The term "square" was coined in the 1950s to mean someone, usually older, who was out of touch, unfashionable, and conservative.Image for BTOBS
When I write BTOBS, I mean this:

BTOBS means "Be There Or Be Square."
Summary of Key Points
We have summarized the key points in the table below:BTOBS | |
---|---|
Definition: | Be There Or Be Square |
Type: | Abbreviation |
Guessability: | ![]() 4: Difficult to guess |
Typical Users: | ![]() Adults and Teenagers |
Examples of BTOBS in Sentences
Here are examples of BTOBS in conversations:- Sally: I don't know whether I can be bothered to go to the party tonight.
- Richard: What? Everyone's going. BTOBS.
- Tina: I've been invited to the opening night of a new club.
- Joel: BTOBS. I heard it's an 'A'-list crowd.
An Academic Look at BTOBS
BTOBS is an initialism abbreviation. Technically, this means it is pronounced using its individual letters (i.e., Bee Tee Oh Bee Ess), but as this is harder to say than "Be there or be square," it is not often uttered using its letters. In other words, the abbreviation BTOBS is for efficiency in writing and not efficiency in speech.What Did We Say before Texting and Social Media?
Before the digital era, people just said the term "Be There are Be Square" in full instead of BTOBS.Example of BTOBS Used in a Text
BTOBS
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BASIC (Boring)
BLARG (This Is Boring (an interjection))
NERD (Clever But Socially Awkward Person)
NEXY (Nerdy and Sexy)
DORK (Stupid Person)
LBR (Loser Beyond Repair)
WAL (What A Loser)
WEL (Whatever, Loser)
HIP (Cool)
HIP (Modern)
HIPSTER (Person Who Is Cool (i.e. hip))
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