What Does WSG Mean In Texting? (Answered!)

In texting, “wsg” stands for “what’s good”. This is a common greeting used particularly by black Americans although it has recently been adopted by larger and larger numbers of people. It is essentially like saying “what’s up?” or “how’s it going?”–a general greeting by inquiry.

Depending on who you’re talking to, “wsg” might be a very common everyday phrase that they use.

Reduced to its simplest form it is simply a greeting, and though it is formed as a question it doesn’t always mean they are literally asking you to tell them “what’s good”.

Let’s unpack this phrase a bit more.

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What does wsg stand for in texting?

“Wsg” stands for “what’s good” in texting.

This is a very common greeting used in certain English speaking vernaculars, most commonly in American English and within that most commonly in certain regional African American communities.

It can be used slightly differently by lots of different people, but broadly speaking it is a simple greeting.

Because it is formed as a question it can trip a lot of us up, and we start wondering what the best response is, or what we are supposed to say.

If someone says it to you over text, then they are simply saying hi and you can often respond simply by saying it back to them.

Don’t overthink it! “Hey man, wsg?” for example.

For many people it is a routine phrase as natural as “hello” or “how you doing?”

They use it habitually.

Compare it to the British English “you alright?” which is commonly used as a greeting but to which the most common response is simply to say it back.

On the other hand, it can be used specifically as a way of asking about something.

Say, for example, you’ve been talking to someone about something that’s been going on with you and then you reconnect with them again.

In this case, if they say “wsg?” they may be asking about the specific thing you were discussing last time.

Either way, it’s perfectly fine to respond by mentioning it if you want to.

Where does this expression come from, then?

Where does wsg come from in texting?

It’s not entirely clear where the original phrase comes from, but more on that in a moment. In terms of how and when it made its way into texting, we can talk with more certainty though not much precision.

Many of the abbreviations we use in texting today arose in the early days of the medium when everyone was still using alphanumeric keyboards to type.

Typing things out in this way took a lot longer, so everyone was always looking for ways to shorten things down.

This already established greeting lent itself very well to shortening of this kind.

This abbreviation started being used in texting, then, probably sometime in the 90s or early 2000s.

It was then further popularized on chatrooms, forums, and early social media.

The phrase itself, though, goes much further back than this. It’s hard to say exactly how far, but some think it was an alteration of the common “what’s up?” that is used throughout many English speaking demographics, though primarily in the U.S.

“What’s up” as a popular expression goes back to at least the 1940s where it was popularized, of all things, by Bug’s Bunny who used it as a catchphrase.

It’s possible “what’s good” arose out of this, but that’s far from certain.

In truth we don’t know for sure, as is so often the case with vernacular expressions like this.

What does wsg mean on social media?

Wsg on social media generally has the same meaning that it does in texting.

It’s a greeting used to ask someone what’s up, what’s going on, or just to say hi if they don’t have anything to say.

It might be used in more humorous ways on social media, for example, to casually greet a celebrity on Twitter as if you were already close friends.

Largely, though, it doesn’t mean anything different on social media as it does in texting.

It’s very commonly used on Snapchat, for example, where again it just has this sense of a greeting.

Sometimes it is used in a romantic setting when someone wants to “make a move” on someone they’re interested in.

How do you respond to wsg?

When trying to think how to respond to wsg, remember just not to overthink it.

The person is not testing you, they’re just saying hello and asking how you are and what’s going on.

It’s not a trick! If you’ve got something you feel like reporting or mentioning, say hi and then talk about that.

On the other hand, you can respond just by saying nothing much is up and what’s good with them?

A lot of the time this phrase is used as a kind of ice breaker, a way of getting a conversation going, so don’t be afraid to say what’s on your mind!

The simplest way of explaining what wsg means and how most people use it is to simply say that it is just another way of saying hi.

It’s a greeting, and while it comes with an opportunity to tell the person about anything that’s going on in your life or that you’ve been thinking about, it doesn’t necessitate this kind of response.

You can just respond with whatever greeting feels most natural to you.

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Founder - @PollyWebster

Polly Webster is the founder of Foreign Lingo and a seasoned traveler with a decade of exploration under her belt.

Over the past 10 years, she has journeyed to numerous countries around the globe, immersing herself in diverse cultures, traditions, and languages.

Drawing from her rich experiences, Polly now writes insightful articles about travel, languages, traditions, and cultures, sharing her unique perspectives and invaluable tips with her readers.

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