TP

What Does TP Mean in a Text?

The abbreviation TP means "Toilet Paper," "Think Positive," "Teleport," "Teaching Point," and "Traffic Program." Here is more information about each of these definitions, together with examples of use.

Toilet Paper

TP is widely used in online chat and text messaging with the meaning "Toilet Paper." (Especially during the initial stages of the coronavirus pandemic when toilet paper was in short supply due to covidiots.)

Think Positive

TP is also widely used with the meaning "Think Positive," as an instruction to be optimistic and focus on the good in any given situation. For example:

• Jo: They say that there is going to be another spike in cases of Covid 19 by the end of the year.
• Sam: Oh well, TP! If it lasts a couple of years, we might have time to get through all that TP you bought in April.

(Here, TP means both "Think Positive" and "Toilet Paper.")

Teleport

In online gaming, TP is used with the meaning "Teleport" to refer to the ability of a character to instantaneously travel from one location to another.

Teaching Point

In education, TP means "Teaching Point." In this context a TP is a key aspect of a lesson which must be imparted to the class or individual student. TPs are often pre-planned, but may also arise during interaction between the teacher and audience.

Traffic Program

On in-vehicle music systems, TP means "Traffic Program." This is a mode which restricts the system to finding only those radio stations that broadcast traffic bulletins.

Image for TP

When I write TP, I mean this:

TP also means "Think Positive," "Teleport," "Teaching Point," and "Traffic Program."

Summary of Key Points

First Definition of TP

"Toilet Paper" is the most common definition for TP on Snapchat, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.

TP
Definition:	Toilet Paper
Type:	Abbreviation
Guessability:	2: Quite easy to guess
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

Second Definition of TP

"Think Positive" is another common definition for TP.

TP
Definition:	Think Positive
Type:	Abbreviation
Guessability:	3: Guessable
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

Third Definition of TP

In online gaming, "Teleport" is a common definition for TP.

TP
Definition:	Teleport
Type:	Abbreviation
Guessability:	3: Guessable
Typical Users:	Adults, Teenagers, and Under 13s

Fourth Definition of TP

In education and training, "Teaching Point" is a common definition for TP.

TP
Definition:	Teaching Point
Type:	Abbreviation
Guessability:	3: Guessable
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

Fifth Definition of TP

TP also means "Traffic Program."

TP
Definition:	Traffic Program
Type:	Abbreviation
Guessability:	3: Guessable
Typical Users:	Adults

An Academic Look at TP

As it is pronounced using its individual letters (i.e., "Tee Pee"), TP is classified as an initialism abbreviation. However, TP is also an acronym, as it is an abbreviation spoken like a word (i.e., "Teepee").

When used with the meaning "Toilet Paper," TP is typically used as a noun (i.e., a naming word). However, it can also be used as a verb. For example:

• We completely wrapped his car in TP.

(Here, TP is a noun.)

• We completely TPd his car.

(Here, TP is being used as a verb.)

When used with the meaning "Think Positive," TP is typically used as an imperative (i.e., an order). It can be followed by a period (full stop) or an exclamation mark, depending on the forcefulness of the command (i.e., it can be written as "TP." or "TP!"). However, for purposes of brevity in text-based messaging, punctuation such as exclamation marks, question marks, and even periods are often omitted.

Example of TP Used in a Text

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