P999

What Does P999 Mean in a Text?

The Quick Answer

P999 means "Parent Emergency."

More Observations...

It is the UK version of P911. (NB: The emergency phone number for UK is 999 and 911 in the US.)

The letter "P" stands for "Parent." P999 is used to warn others in the conversation not to write anything they wouldn't want adults to see. Of interest, 999 is the world's oldest emergency number, first used in the UK in 1937. It was introduced after a call to the fire brigade was held in a telephone queue, costing the lives of five women.

Image for P999

When I write P999, I mean this:

P999 means Parent Emergency.

Summary of Key Points

We have summarized the key points in the table below:

P999
Definition:	Parent Alert (UK)
Type:	Abbreviation
Guessability:	2: Quite easy to guess
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

Examples of P999 in Sentences

Here are examples of P999 in conversations:

• Mike: I really need to talk to you, but P999.
• Janet: Okay, just ring me when the coast is clear.

• Tom: Can you ring me?
• Tina: Not now P999.

An Academic Look at P999

P999 is defined as an "internet slang term" by our team because some of its characters are used as substitutes for letters. Most "slang terms" were introduced to reduce the number of key strokes required to write the word, but since the arrival of predictive texting and keyboards on mobile devices, this efficiency is no longer required. Nevertheless, "slang terms" are still regularly used to make messages more entertaining or to express individuality. "Slang terms" differ from icons because they are not pictorial representations.

What Did We Say before Texting and Social Media?

Before the digital era, we might have said something like "parent alert" instead of P999.

Using Numbers in Texts

This video shows the different ways that numbers are used in "text speak":

Example of P999 Used in a Text

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