The first recorded use of the abbreviation "OMG", which stands for "oh my god," "oh my gosh" or "oh my goodness," was from a letter written in 1917 by Lord Fisher to Winston Churchill. In the letter, Lord Fisher jokingly refers to a new order of knights signified by the letters "O.M.G. (Oh! My God!)." Many decades later, the abbreviation became a part of textspeak — the common abbreviations used by people who are communicating via text messaging or through social media.
More about common abbreviations:
- Contrary to popular belief, the international distress signal SOS does not stand for "save our ship." It is not an abbreviation for anything.
- In textspeak, LOL means "laughing out loud." Healthcare workers, however, have historically used the abbreviation to mean "little old lady."
- Law enforcement personnel have used the term OMG in reference to "outlaw motorcycle gangs."