Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Add Upworthy to your Google News feed.
Google News Button

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.


media1.giphy.com

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.

media1.tenor.com

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."

media1.tenor.com

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.

Giphy


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.

More For You

Boss bans overtime, then begs employee to stay when chaos erupts
Representative Cover Image Source: Pexels | Andrea Piacquadio; Reddit | u/runnerdan

Boss bans overtime, then begs employee to stay when chaos erupts

Workplace rules are meant to streamline operations, but when poor management decisions clash with reality, the results can be disastrous.

A Reddit user, u/runnerdan, shared how a strict new policy against overtime led them to walk out mid-crisis, forcing management to scramble for a solution.

Keep ReadingShow less
Man cancels wedding after fiancée refuses to include his daughter
Representative Cover Image Source: Pexels | TranStudios Photography & Video; Reddit | u/whoevenisthat5

Man cancels wedding after fiancée refuses to include his daughter

A wedding is supposed to be a celebration of love and family, but for one man, it became the breaking point in his relationship. Reddit user u/whoevenisthat5 shared how he was forced to call off his engagement after his fiancée refused to include his 11-year-old daughter in their wedding.

At first, he thought it was just a disagreement over wedding roles—but when he found out her real reason for wanting to leave his daughter out, he realized there was no future for them.

Keep ReadingShow less

Woman kidnapped and trapped—until two teens noticed her silent cry for help

With global challenges on the rise, being vigilant about our surroundings has become crucial. Often, even the most subtle signs can indicate someone in need or serve as an important warning.

Two observant teenagers demonstrated this when they saved a woman’s life a decade ago. Aaron Arias, then 19, and Jamal Harris, then 17, were driving through Dallas, Texas to pick up a friend when they spotted a young woman in the backseat of a nearby car. Harris, from the passenger seat, noticed the woman and thought she was "attractive." To their astonishment, she seemed to be mouthing words at them. According to NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth, Harris quickly understood that she was asking for help.

Keep ReadingShow less
The receptionist at a hotel.

She is happy to help, if what you ask for is possible.

Entitled hotel guest refuses to accept reality, so employee takes her on a wild ride

It has been said that the customer is always right, but customers always seem determined to be the exception. Front desk workers deal with all kinds of guests, from the polite and understanding to the entitled and irrational. While most complaints are routine, some customers take things to an entirely new level. One hotel receptionist shared a particularly absurd encounter on Reddit’s r/MaliciousCompliance, detailing how a guest insisted she had a reservation for a floor that didn’t even exist—and demanded to be taken there.

A guest insists on a nonexistent reservation

The Reddit user, whose post has since been deleted, explained that they worked at a hotel that used to be a Days Inn. The hotel only had three floors, and reservations were only taken at the front desk—there were no online or third-party bookings. On a busy weekend when the hotel was fully booked, an elevator went out of service, making things even more chaotic for the staff.

Keep ReadingShow less
Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton | Alex G | Flickr

Unearthed Eric Clapton interview reveals devastating details that inspired "Tears in Heaven"

British rocker Eric Clapton has had a plethora of hits over his long music career. But one of his most famous songs, "Tears in Heaven", is getting an in-depth look in the musician's new film special, Eric Clapton Unplugged… Over 30 Years Later. (The 90-minute film will be released on Paramount+ on Feb. 12.)

It centers on Clapton's iconic MTV Unplugged set from 1992, where he performed an acoustic version of “Tears in Heaven.” And in a newly resurfaced interview for the special, he dives more into the heartbreaking background story to the song's lyrics that were inspired by his son Conor's death and subsequent grief journey.

Keep ReadingShow less