TIFU by not knowing what “sybau” meant

Never felt older in my life. Me (late 20sF) and my two friends J and A (30sF) were talking in our group chat about Halloween plans. We go to this event every year, and the tickets just released.

J pointed out prices increased quite a bit this year.

I responded and said I haven’t even figured out what I’m going to be. And I ended that message with “Sybau.”

Now, I consider myself to be chronically online. I pride myself on being on top of the latest references, pop culture trends, etc. And as the youngest in our trio, it usually falls on me to explain some of the younger references to my friends.

Not in this case.

Guys, the entire time I’ve seen this word, the hundreds of comments I’ve seen using it, I’ve always thought it was a made up word. Like skibidi. Just gibberish that meant “boohoo” or something along those lines. And I said it in my message directing it at myself. Like, “I haven’t even figured out what I’m going to be. Boohoo. Woe is me.”

For context, J and I just had a long conversation days ago about prioritizing kindness and building each other up in our friend group. We had just cleared the air on a few things and agreed to cool it on certain jokes and language that were derogatory in nature, even if they were jokes. It was a great, vulnerable conversation, and I left it feeling confident we were on the same page.

Well, shortly after I sent the message, I’m cruising away at work, happy as a clam. Oblivious. Unencumbered. Until J messaged me off the group chat. She said she didn’t find it funny or conducive to the conversation we just had that she was upset prices were so expensive and I responded with sybau. I immediately tried to clear it up and tell her that I was, in fact, talking to myself. Cue this message:

“You were telling yourself to shut your bitch ass up?”

I-

You know that scene in Saving Private Ryan where young Matt Damon is looking down at the camera and turns into a decrepit old man right before our eyes? Comparable.

For months. For months I’ve been using this not knowing what it meant. I confidently explained it to my older coworker who said she was going to start using it with her kids. I said it to my partner. My friends. My dog.

I managed to explain this to J, who immediately understood and thought it was hilarious. Yay for immediate communication??

Lesson learned. I’m old and overconfident. Luckily my friends love me anyways.

TL;DR insulted my best friend on accident due to overconfidence in my online presence. Sybau.