Where it sits
Most wyds aren't asking for an itinerary. They're a way of starting a conversation.
Tell it apart
| Aspect | Wyd | Wbu |
|---|---|---|
| Stands for | What you doing? | What about you? |
| Position | Opener | Return serve |
| Asks about | Right now | Whatever was just asked |
Wyd opens a conversation by asking what someone's up to. Wbu (what about you?) bounces a question back after you've answered it.
What it really means
Wyd is rarely the question it looks like. Spelled out it's "what (are) you doing?", but most of the time the sender doesn't want a list of activities. They want to start a conversation, and maybe to find out whether you're free.
That's why the best replies are short and bounce back: "not much, just got home, wbu?". If there's a plan behind the question, it usually follows quickly: "wyd? want to grab food later?".
The abbreviation builds on a spoken shortcut that already drops a word ("what you doing?"), and then drops everything else. Know Your Meme finds its first Urban Dictionary definition on 10 April 2006 and credits Twitter's old character limit with helping it spread. Dictionary.com also lists the variant spelling wud.
Wyd has a second life in memes, where it sets up an absurd hypothetical and asks how you'd respond. Dictionary.com points to memes such as "WYD after smoking this", popular in early 2017. The shape is simple: the scenario, a line break, then "wyd?". It's the same question, with a smirk.
Where it comes from
what (are)
you
doing
Built on the spoken shortcut "what you doing?", which already drops the "are". The abbreviation drops everything else.
- 10 April 2006
First defined on Urban Dictionary as "What You Doing?" (Know Your Meme).
- 2010s
Spreads on Twitter, where Know Your Meme credits the old character limit with encouraging short forms.
- Early 2017
The "WYD after smoking this" meme becomes popular, one of several memes that pose a scenario and ask how you'd react (Dictionary.com).
In real life
- Text: "wyd? want to grab food later?"
- Text: "nothing much, watching the match. wyd"
- Text: "wyd this weekend, we're going to the lake"
Questions
Q01What does wyd mean in a text?
"What (are) you doing?" Often it's less a real question than a way to start chatting, much like "what's up?".
Q02How should I reply to wyd?
Say what you're up to, briefly, and ask back: "not much, just got home, wbu?". If you sense it's an invitation, it's fine to ask "why, what's the plan?".
Q03What does wyd mean in a meme?
In memes it sets up a hypothetical and asks how you'd react: a scenario, then "wyd?". Dictionary.com points to examples such as "WYD after smoking this", popular in early 2017.
Q04Is wud the same as wyd?
Yes. Dictionary.com notes wud as a variant spelling.