HDTH

What Does HDTH Mean in a Text?

The Quick Answer

HDTH (How Did That Happen?) is used to request an explanation of how an event occurred.

More Detail...

The meaning of the expanded abbreviation HDTH can be taken literally. Of note though, it is also used to request an explanation of why an event occurred. (NB: WDTH is not used for this, most probably because it is an accepted abbreviation for "width.") HDTH is sometimes expanded to "However Did That Happen?". This version is more emphatic than "How Did That Happen?".

Image for HDTH

When I write HDTH, I mean this:

"How did that happen?"

Summary of Key Points

"How Did That Happen?" is, by far, the most common meaning for HDTH when it is used in a text. (Bear in mind that it could have another meaning if used in a different context.)

HDTH
Definition:	How Did That Happen?
Type:	Abbreviation
Guessability:	4: Difficult to guess
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

Examples of HDTH in Sentences

Here are examples of HDTH in conversations:

• Charlie: My car got a puncture so I was late for the interview.
• Jordan: HDTH
• Charlie: I hit a pothole at 40 mph.
(Here, HDTH is asking "how.")

• Charlie: Jane didn't talk to Mark all night.
• Jordan: HDTH
• Charlie: Mark's possessive ex-girlfriend was lingering.
(Here, HDTH is asking "why.")

An Academic Look at HDTH

HDTH is an initialism abbreviation. Technically, this means it is pronounced using its individual letters (i.e., Aitch Dee Tee Aitch), but as this is harder to say than "How did that happen," it is not often said using its letters. In other words, the abbreviation HDTH is for efficiency in writing and not efficiency in speech. HDTH plays the role of an interrogative sentence (i.e., a question), but it is commonly seen without a question mark. In other words, it can be written " HDTH?" or "HDTH".

What Did We Say before Texting and Social Media?

Before the digital era, we might have said something like "What caused that?" instead of HDTH.

Example of HDTH Used in a Text

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