HMP

What Does HMP Mean in a Text?

The Quick Answer

HMP means "Help Me Please," "Her Majesty's Prison" and "Her Majesty's Pleasure."

Help Me Please

The abbreviation HMP is commonly used in text-based messaging as a direct request for assistance or help.

Her Majesty's Prison

HMP is the formal title for jails within the UK (e.g., HMP Broadmoor, HMP Winson Green).

Her Majesty's Pleasure

This is a phrase used in connection with UK jails, which refers to a prison sentence of indeterminate length. Detention "at HMP" is usually given for extreme or heinous crimes, or if an offender's mental state is in doubt. Such prisoners would traditionally have had their sentences reviewed by the monarch, to determine if they were fit for release. In this context, HMP is also often used casually to refer to any time spent in prison. For example:

• Fred: Where's Mikey these days?
• Nick: He's doing three months at HMP.

Image for HMP

When I write HMP, I mean this:

HMP is usually a plea or request for assistance.

Summary of Key Points

"Help Me Please" is, by far, the most common meaning for HMP when it is used in a text. (Bear in mind that it could have another meaning if used in a different context.)

HMP
Definition:	Help Me Please
Type:	Abbreviation
Guessability:	4: Difficult to guess
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

Examples of HMP in Sentences

Here are examples of HMP in conversations:

• Sandra:I'm moving on Saturday, could you HMP?
• Tina: I'd love to help, but I'm washing my hair all day.

• Shona: Did you hear what happened to Maggie?
• Bernice: She got a long sentence at HMP Broadhurst. That's bad.

An Academic Look at HMP

HMP is an initialism abbreviation. Technically, this means it is pronounced using its individual letters (i.e., "Aitch Em Pee"), but it is not often spoken using its letters. In other words, the abbreviation HMP is for efficiency in writing and not efficiency in speech.

What Did We Say before Texting and Social Media?

Before the digital era, we might have said something like "Can You Help Me?" instead of using HMP to mean "Help Me Please."

Second Definition for HMP

This meaning was also noted:

HMP
Definition:	Her Majesty's Prison
Type:	Abbreviation
Guessability:	2: Quite easy to guess
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

Third Definition for HMP

This meaning was also noted, but it is not common:

HMP
Definition:	Her Majesty's Pleasure (e.g. to be at HMP, i.e. to be in prison)
Type:	Abbreviation
Guessability:	4: Difficult to guess
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

Example of HMP Used in a Text

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