Bump

2000catchphraseclassic

Bump is a one-word forum reply posted to push a thread back to the top of a message board index. The slang was already familiar to internet users by 2000 and became standard shorthand across phpBB, vBulletin, and Chan-style imageboards throughout the decade.

forum era memesinternet slang origin memesslang memesearly internet memesimageboard memes

Overview

Bump is a one-word forum reply posted to push a thread back to the top of a message board index4. Most forum software sorts threads by most recent post, so adding any reply, even just the single word 'bump,' resurfaces the discussion for other users.

The term works as a verb ('I bumped the thread'), a command ('bump'), and a noun ('needs a bump'). On imageboards like 4chan the mechanic matters more, since threads without replies eventually get pruned. Some communities accept bumping to remind readers of an unanswered question, while others treat pointless bumps as spam3.

How It Spread

Through the 2000s 'bump' spread across English-language message boards and became standard shorthand on phpBB, vBulletin, and Invision-style forums3. Chan-style imageboards where inactive threads get pruned kept the practice directly useful, and free image hosts let users post reaction images featuring just the word 'bump,' turning the reply into a small image macro series.

Communities split on acceptable use. Urban Dictionary's 2003 entry defined a bump as a 'pointless reply, usually to one's own thread,' matching how many users viewed the practice4. A folk etymology treats 'bump' as an acronym for 'Bring Up My Post,' but this is a backronym that stuck retroactively3. Reminding a thread of an unanswered question was generally accepted, while bumping only to raise visibility was often treated as spam1.

How to Use This Meme

To bump a thread, post a short reply, typically just the word 'bump,' in a discussion you want to resurface. Because most forum software orders threads by most recent post, the reply pushes the thread back to the top of the index. Common conventions include only bumping your own thread, waiting a reasonable interval before doing it again, and adding a real question or update rather than a blank reply on forums that discourage low-content posts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Bump

2000catchphraseclassic

Bump is a one-word forum reply posted to push a thread back to the top of a message board index. The slang was already familiar to internet users by 2000 and became standard shorthand across phpBB, vBulletin, and Chan-style imageboards throughout the decade.

forum era memes internet slang origin memes slang memes early internet memes imageboard memes

Overview

Bump is a one-word forum reply posted to push a thread back to the top of a message board index4. Most forum software sorts threads by most recent post, so adding any reply, even just the single word 'bump,' resurfaces the discussion for other users.

The term works as a verb ('I bumped the thread'), a command ('bump'), and a noun ('needs a bump'). On imageboards like 4chan the mechanic matters more, since threads without replies eventually get pruned. Some communities accept bumping to remind readers of an unanswered question, while others treat pointless bumps as spam3.

How It Spread

Through the 2000s 'bump' spread across English-language message boards and became standard shorthand on phpBB, vBulletin, and Invision-style forums3. Chan-style imageboards where inactive threads get pruned kept the practice directly useful, and free image hosts let users post reaction images featuring just the word 'bump,' turning the reply into a small image macro series.

Communities split on acceptable use. Urban Dictionary's 2003 entry defined a bump as a 'pointless reply, usually to one's own thread,' matching how many users viewed the practice4. A folk etymology treats 'bump' as an acronym for 'Bring Up My Post,' but this is a backronym that stuck retroactively3. Reminding a thread of an unanswered question was generally accepted, while bumping only to raise visibility was often treated as spam1.

How to Use This Meme

To bump a thread, post a short reply, typically just the word 'bump,' in a discussion you want to resurface. Because most forum software orders threads by most recent post, the reply pushes the thread back to the top of the index. Common conventions include only bumping your own thread, waiting a reasonable interval before doing it again, and adding a real question or update rather than a blank reply on forums that discourage low-content posts.

Frequently Asked Questions