If you’ve been texting someone who uses a lot of abbreviations, you might have come across the abbreviation “JP”. It is often used in texts, but also on most social media platforms, including Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.
What Does JP Mean?
The abbreviation is most often used in private conversations or comment sections, and it means, “just playing.” It tells the person you are talking to that your previous statement was a joke or not really serious. Another common abbreviation that is often used in the same way is “JK,” which means, “just kidding.”
In some cases, you might see either JP or JK written with a forward slash in the middle – “J/P” and “J/K” – but this is becoming less common as acronyms take over large portions of normal communication and become more widely understood.
How to Use JP
Often, these abbreviations are used when someone realizes that what they previously said was hurtful or could be taken personally. It is usually a cheap way to try and take back a comment you made that you should have kept to yourself.
It is a form of gaslighting and should be avoided unless you are being completely honest when you say it – as in, you really were just playing, or you’re explaining that someone else was just kidding around.
In most cases, it’s a lot like saying, “no offense,” when you have just said something to offend someone. Many people blurt out what’s on their minds before realizing that they shouldn’t have said it, and “JP” or “JK” are their way of trying to undo the hurt they have caused.
My advice, if you say something hurtful to someone, is to rather take responsibility for your actions and apologize to the person. Nobody is fooled by a half-hearted attempt to make them think you were joking, and it will certainly leave you looking like a jerk.
Here is an example of a chat between 2 friends:
Girl: “How do I look in this dress?”
Friend: “That pattern makes it look like a curtain.”
Girl: “Hey! I think it’s pretty.”
Friend: “JP. You look cute.”
Girl: “Too late. I’ll look for something else.”
In this instance, the friend insulted the girl’s dress, but realized she may have hurt her friend’s feelings, so she backtracked and tried to take it back. Unfortunately, the girl had taken the comment to heart already and felt hurt by it.
This doesn’t mean that there aren’t ways you can use JP without being a jerk. For example, if you were to introduce your friend to your dad, who likes to tease people, you might use it to explain something he said to them:
Friend: “What did your dad mean when he said…”
You: “Oh, don’t worry, that’s just how he is. He was JP. He teases everyone.”
Other Meanings of JP
There are a few other possible meanings for the abbreviation JP, so you should take notice of the context it is used in before making any assumptions about its meaning. Here are some other well-known meanings of JP:
- Jurassic Park (a movie in 1993) – it is unlikely that JP would be used in this way outside of Jurassic Park fan groups or pages.
- Justice of the Peace – in the USA, this is a common meaning of the abbreviation, though it might, more commonly, be written as “J.P.”
- Jet propulsion – again, it is unlikely that you would see this use for it unless you were part of a group that discussed jet engines regularly.
- Japan – sometimes JP is used to abbreviate words like Japan and Japanese, simply for efficiency in situations where place names are used regularly.
- Joint project – in work situations, JP could refer to a joint project – collaborating with someone on a project, but you would usually only use it if you knew that the person you were communicating with would understand.
- Job posting – JP could refer to a job posting, but this would usually only be used in conversations between people who regularly discuss job postings.
Conclusion
Generally, JP means “Just playing” in text or social media platforms like Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. It has the same meaning as “JK,” which means “Just kidding,” and both are used as a passive-aggressive way of trying to take back something that shouldn’t have been said.
Saying JP is very likely to make you sound like a jerk, unless you are being absolutely honest when you say it. If you were not really joking, but you wish you hadn’t said something hurtful, own your actions and say sorry to the person – it is unlikely that they will believe you if you try to pretend that you were “just playing”.
There are a few other possible meanings of the abbreviation, JP, including, Justice of the Peace, joint project, Jurassic Park, and Japan, so be sure to examine the context of the conversation before making any assumptions about the meaning of the abbreviation.
