The Meaning Behind "CBFW" Makes Sense for TikTok Users Who Prefer To Abbreviate Everything

The younger users on TikTok might think they're above the elder millennials and Gen X users. But just like 'LOL' and 'JK,' they've come up with their own abbreviations for phrases that prove all generations are just a little bit more alike than they think. Like "CBFW," for example, which has a meaning on TikTok that makes sense when you know what the letters stand for.

Of course, it's not the only phrase that has been abbreviated for the ease of TikTok users when they comment on videos. And in some ways, you have to wonder if it's Gen Z and Gen Alpha's way of alienating the older TikTok users just a little bit. But since we created the "BRB's of the world, there's little chance of new abbreviated phrases slowing anyone down.

If you've seen someone comment on a TikTok video with the acronym "CBRW," chances are, it was in reference to someone they admire or in reference to themselves. That's because CBFW means "can’t be f---ed with." In other words, the person who can't be f---ed with is someone who doesn't care about what others think and they're essentially overly confident.

Rapper Lil Baby explained the meaning behind CBFW in an interview that was posted on TikTok. In the video, he said, "Can't be f---ed with is a way of life. It's not a label, it's not a nothing." While some users type the acronym as a comment, others use it as text on their videos or slideshows. But regardless of where you see CBFW on TikTok, it has the same meaning.

You might think you know all of the TikTok lingo and abbreviated phrases by now. But if there is a phrase that is just a tad too long to type out, chances are, the kids on TikTok will abbreviate it, and that abbreviation will catch on. Even shorter phrases like "just saying" are typically written as "js." Or, "OAT," which simply means "of all time," as in, the greatest of all time.

Generally, most acronyms that pop up on TikTok are easy to break down. But every once in a while, there's one that just stumps some users, particularly the slightly older ones. And to their credit, most aren't ashamed to admit it.

"I just assume I'm old and out of touch when I find myself staring at an acronym forever trying to decipher it lol," one Redditor commented on a thread about internet acronyms.

Another user commented on the same thread, "I've been on a war against acronyms for decades now, they're insufferable. Just today I had a reply clarifying what someone meant by [cluster of letters] - it was a rank within the medical community that nobody outside would use or even recognize."

The good news is, you don't have to use TikTok acronyms, including CBFW, if you don't want to. But knowing what they mean certainly helps.