Internet slang is full of acronyms, and one such acronym is TS. What does it mean in text and social media like TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter?
TS can actually mean several things, two of the most common of them are “Tough Sh*t” and “This/That’s Sh*t”.
Let’s see more details.
TS Meaning: Tough Sh*t
Tough sh*t is used when you want to tell someone to accept their situation and move on.
For example, your friend might complain that they have no money at the end of the month. On the other side, you know that they spend all their money on new clothes. So you don’t really feel much sympathy for them, and you can reply with “Tough Sh*t” or simply with “TS.”
In this context, TS is used to dismiss someone’s feelings, concerns, or problems, mostly in situations when they are trivial.
However, be careful when you use TS in this manner because you don’t want to act like a jerk towards people around you. TS should be used in a lighthearted manner, almost jokingly.
Origins
It is hard to determine the exact origins of TS, but some sources claim that the “tough sh*t” phrase originated back in WW2. Other sources claim that this phrase originated in AAVE (African American Vernacular English), a street language used in certain African American communities.
Over time, many slang terms and phrases, including TS and “tough sh*t,” became popular among the general population. Then, in the 2000s and 2010s, texting and social media platforms allowed people to communicate easily like never before.
Many of those platforms had character limits, so the users had to get “creative” when composing their messages and posts. This is why acronyms became so popular: they helped save precious character spaces, as well as time when typing them.
TS is only one of countless acronyms that became popular because of that. Nowadays, you can still see TS and other acronyms in messages, social media posts, comments, and captions, even though most social media platforms don’t have as low character limits as they did before.
Examples of Use
If you want to use TS as “tough sh*t,” you probably wonder how to use it in a sentence. As we already said, this phrase is used to dismiss someone’s concerns, issues, and even feelings, but in a more lighthearted manner. That’s why you need to be careful when you should use it.
For example, if your friend or family member complains that they have serious health issues, saying TS or “tough sh*t” would be heartless, rude, and completely inappropriate.
Instead, use this phrase or its abbreviation in more carefree and casual situations.
Example 1:
- A: Can you believe they raised the rent again this year? I’m not getting a salary hike anytime soon to keep up with this.
- B: Yeah, it’s rough. Landlords just don’t care. It’s all about their profits.
- A: I might have to protest this or start a petition in the building.
- B: Good luck with that, but most people will just grumble and pay up. TS, I guess. Everyone’s in the same boat, but nothing much changes.
Example 2:
- A: Can you believe they changed the game time to when I have to work?
- B: That’s bad, man. TS, though, just stream it later.
Alternatives and Variations
If you want to say something instead of tough sh*t, you can use the following phrases:
- that sucks
- deal with it
- tough luck
- sucks to be you
- that’s a bummer
Some of these options are more sympathetic, while others are more similar to tough sh*t. Probably the most hilarious alternative to TS is “not my circus, not my monkeys,” a phrase that basically says the same thing as “tough sh*t” – that’s your problem, deal with it.
TS Meaning: This/That’s Sh*t
TS can also be an abbreviation for “this sh*t” or “that sh*t” in casual or slang language. In this case, this phrase is often used when people are under the influence of strong emotions, such as frustration, anger, surprise, despair, and even happiness.
For example, instead of asking, “What is this,” people will say, “What is this sh*t,” or “What is TS?”
However, this type of language can be offensive to some and is not appropriate in formal or professional communication. Here is an example of two dialogues using TS:
Example 1:
- A: “Did you see the traffic on the way here? I was stuck for almost an hour!”
- B: “Yeah, TS is the reason I take the subway now. I can’t deal with it anymore.”
Example 2:
- A: “I tried to fix the sink, but every time I think I’ve got it, it starts leaking again.”
- B: “I hate when that happens. Household repairs can be such TS sometimes.”
As you can understand, the use of TS and similar slang should be limited to contexts where it is clearly acceptable and unlikely to cause offense, such as among friends who use and are comfortable with this kind of language.
Other Meanings of TS
Here is the list of other meanings for this acronym:
- Top secret
- Transsexual
- Taylor Swift
- Tennessee (chemical element)
- Tourette syndrome
- Tropical storm
- Technical standards/Technical specifications (when talking about products)
- Topic sentence (In English writing)
- Team speak (in Gaming)
Of course, if the person you are texting uses TS in some alternative context, you can easily figure out its meaning on your own or ask them to clarify it for you.
Conclusion
TS is short for several phrases and different things, but the most common phrase behind this acronym is “Tough Sh*t” and “This/That’s Sh*t”.
When used as “Tough Sh*t”, people use it to tell someone to “man up” and deal with their problems. This is especially true when said problems are something minor and trivial.
In other words, TS is a great way to dismiss someone’s complaints in a joking and lighthearted manner. That’s why you should be careful when you use it; it is easy to be a jerk when you use it improperly.
When used as “This/That’s sh*t”, TS is a vulgar slang expression used to convey a negative opinion about something.
Also, there are several other potential meanings of TS. For example, Taylor Swift, Tourette’s syndrome, Tennessee, etc. As usual, be aware of the context to determine the exact meaning, but also, don’t be afraid to ask for clarification.
