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Some things in life are so routine, we rarely stop to question them—until someone points them out. Take AM and PM, for example. We use them every day, but do we really know what they stand for?

A post by Kuřo Antoine (@IAMTOINEJ) on X (formerly Twitter) left the internet shocked and amused when he admitted that he had no idea what AM and PM actually meant.

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The question that got everyone thinking

In his tweet, Antoine asked:

"I might be called stupid after this, but what do 'AM' and 'PM' stand for?"

The simple question blew up instantly, with people jumping into the debate—some in agreement, some in disbelief, and others just there for the chaos.

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Some admitted they didn’t know either

For many, this tweet was an unexpected reality check.

User @Tarzan_CFC thanked Antoine for taking one for the team:

"Thank you for sacrificing yourself by asking on our behalf."

Meanwhile, @RalonNetaph confessed:

"I have looked this up multiple times before and the knowledge never sticks for this one."

Others pointed out how questions like this can be more impactful than people think.

@krosstalkopenly wrote:

"I bet 5,000 people got the answer to that question from this post, when they didn't even have the question in them before this post. That makes it a great post. It made people think and answered the question."
— @krosstalkopenly



Others weren’t as forgiving

While many appreciated the discussion, some weren’t so kind—especially when it came to not Googling first.

@dbsq_x sarcastically suggested a new invention:

"Wow, this gives me a great idea! What if there was some way on the internet that you could search for answers without having to ask specific people? I think a site that could do that might do very well."

Another user, @Rowdy_Ferret, chimed in:

"Sir, do you not have a phone with Google search installed? You could have saved yourself the embarrassment of not knowing how to search something up."

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So, what do AM and PM actually mean?

For anyone still wondering, AM and PM come from Latin:

  • AM = Ante Meridiem (before midday)
  • PM = Post Meridiem (after midday)

According to Royal Museums Greenwich, neither noon nor midnight technically fit into AM or PM categories. Noon is the exact point that divides morning and afternoon, while midnight marks the transition between two days.

Representative Image Source: Pexels | Brett Sayles

The ancient origins of AM and PM

The 12-hour system we use today dates back to ancient civilizations like Egypt and Mesopotamia, where early societies relied on sundials and water clocks.

Later, the Romans divided the day into 12-hour segments, but these hours varied in length depending on the season. It wasn’t until the rise of mechanical clocks in medieval Europe that AM and PM became standardized.

By the Industrial Revolution, AM and PM were cemented into modern timekeeping, shaping how we track time across the world.

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A simple question that got the internet talking

Antoine’s tweet may have started as a casual question, but it led to thousands of people learning (or re-learning) something they use every day.

And if you already knew the answer, congratulations—you’re now one of the smug people in the comments section.

am pm meaningtimekeeping historyfunny viral debatewhat does am meanculture

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