BRB: The Most Commonly Used Acronym of Our Time

BRB, or Be Right Back, is a commonly used acronym in the digital age we live in. It has become so ubiquitous that it has almost become a reflex for people to type it out mid conversation, regardless of whether they’re at work, at home, or on the toilet.

But where did this phrase come from? Was it a linguistic sleight of hand concocted by some marketing genius, or did it evolve organically like a beautiful butterfly emerging from a cocoon?

Well, it turns out that BRB has been around since the earliest days of the internet. According to the internet’s official historian (which is totally a thing), the first recorded use of BRB was in the year 1987. To put that in perspective, that’s the same year that The Simpsons premiered and Michael Jackson released his album Bad.

Back then, the internet was a very different place. The dial-up connections were slow enough to make a sloth look like Usain Bolt, and the screen resolutions were so low that you could hardly tell a letter from a number. But even in those primitive times, people still needed a quick and convenient way to express that they were stepping away from the computer for a minute.

As the internet grew and technology advanced, the use of BRB exploded like a confetti cannon. It became the go-to phrase for people who needed to temporarily leave a chat, a game, or a forum. It was the digital equivalent of a “BRB” post-it stuck to your forehead.

In fact, BRB has become so ubiquitous that it has started to infiltrate our everyday conversations. People have been known to say “BRB” out loud - even when they’re not in front of a computer. It has become a reflex, an instinct, a primal urge that can’t be denied.

But why is BRB so popular? Is it the brevity of the phrase? The universality of its meaning? The distinct sound it makes when you type it out?

Frankly, we don’t know. But what we do know is that BRB is here to stay. So the next time you’re texting, chatting, or gaming, and you need to step away for a sec, just remember: BRB. Or don’t, we’re not the boss of you.