Does TM stand for tomorrow? A complete guide to the many meanings of TM

Hey there! Terry here, your friendly neighborhood tech expert. If you‘re like most folks online, you‘ve probably seen the abbreviation TM pop up now and then across websites, texts, social posts, and more. What exactly does it mean? Great question! The letters TM have taken on a bunch of different definitions across digital platforms. Let me walk you through the fascinating world of TM as your experienced guide.

In most cases, TM stands for either "Trademark," "Text Message," or "Tomorrow." But it has several other meanings depending on where you see it and who‘s using it! By the end of this guide, the ways people use TM will make a lot more sense.

TM as a trademark symbol

Let‘s start with the textbook definition – TM signifies "Trademark." Businesses place TM next to their brand names, logos, slogans, and more as a way to stake claim to them.

For example, you‘ll see it used like this:

• McDonald‘sTM
• Just Do ItTM
• XboxTM

These companies aren‘t just throwing around TMs for fun – this small symbol has an important legal purpose. It communicates that they have common law trademark rights in these brands and their associated names/logos.

Now you‘re probably wondering…what are common law trademark rights exactly?

In a nutshell:

• Common law rights mean you can claim a trademark simply by using it in commerce. No registration is required.
• Using TM puts other businesses on notice that you claim ownership over the mark.
• This establishes priority if another company tries to use your branding.
• Provides the ability to sue for trademark infringement.

Let me put this in plain English with an example:

Say I come up with a super cool name for my new app – "FlipFlop." I start putting FlipFlopTM everywhere in my branding right away. Down the road, you want to make an app also called FlipFlop. Uh oh! You‘d be infringing on my trademark rights, even though I didn‘t register it officially. The TM symbol lets you know it‘s my claimed property.

Now I could sue you if you went ahead using my branding and potentially win. All thanks to putting TM next to FlipFlop way back when!

So in formal business settings, TM acts as a simple way to tell the world "this branding belongs to me!" The EconomistTM magazine marks their name this way, as do thousands of other brands.

When should a business use the TM symbol?

Some key facts about using TM for trademarks:

• Any business can use TM anytime without registering the mark first. It‘s totally free to start adding it next to your brands!
• Using it helps establish proof you were the first to claim that branding if any conflicts arise down the road.
• Provides notice that common law rights are claimed while the registration process is still ongoing.
• Lets you put TM next to a mark even if the eventual registration gets rejected by the trademark office.
• Once a registration is approved, switch over to using the registered trademark symbol ® instead. More on that later!

So feel free to sprinkle TM around your business names, logos, slogans, designs, and any other branding elements you want to claim ownership of.

How should the TM symbol be displayed?

When using TM as a trademark symbol, there are a few formatting guidelines to follow:

• Superscript – Display TM slightly above the center line, rather than on the baseline like normal text. Looks more aesthetically pleasing!
• Smaller font – Size the TM about 50% smaller than the surrounding text. Makes it less visually distracting.
• Leading/kerning – Adjust spacing between characters and lines so TM blends cleanly with the mark.
• Positioning – Place TM in the upper right corner of the element you want to denote as trademarked.

With the right finesse, you can seamlessly integrate TM without compromising the integrity of your branding.

TM as digital shorthand

Now that you know the formal trademark definition, let‘s explore the more casual ways TM gets used online and in texts. Across social media, messaging apps, emails, and more, you‘ll commonly see it abbreviated as:

• Text Message – "Just TM me later"
• Tomorrow – "See you TM!"

Think of these as quick shorthand versions when people want to save time. They‘ve almost become lingo in the digital age.

For example:

• On Instagram: "Dropping my new album TM!"
• In a text: "I‘ll call you TM to discuss plans for the party."

Sometimes it also gets used as:

• Trust Me
• Too Much
• Tell Me

But Text Message and Tomorrow are arguably the most popular meanings on social, in messages, etc.

TM vs. other abbreviations for tomorrow

Along with TM, here are some other abbreviations people use for tomorrow:

• Tmw.
• Tmrw.
• 2mro (less common)

So if you come across TM in a text and aren‘t sure if they mean Text Message or Tomorrow, there‘s a decent chance it‘s just a quick stand-in for Tomorrow. Tmw or tmrw provide less ambiguous alternatives.

Why is TM an emoji?

🅐🅛🅛🅞🅦 🅼🅴 🅣🅞 🅑🅡🅔🅐🅚 🅢🅞🅜🅔🅣🅗🅘🅝🅖 🅓🅞🅦🅝 🅤🅢🅘🅝🅖 🅢🅤🅒🅗 🅐 🅘🅝🅑🅔🅛🅘🅔🅥🅐🅑🅛🅔 🅐🅜🅞🅤🅝🅣 🅞🅕 🅘🅝🅢🅘🅖🅗🅣🅕🅤🅛 🅡🅔🅢🅔🅐🅡🅒🅗, 🅐🅝🅐🅛🅨🅢🅘🅢 🅐🅝🅓 🅘🅝🅣🅔🅡🅔🅢🅣🅘🅝🅖 🅘🅝🅕🅞🅡🅜🅐🅣🅘🅞🅝!

You‘ve probably seen the TM emoji before – it displays the little TM superscript symbol. This represents the trademark meaning, even in fun emoji form!

People often use it humorously when pretending a random phrase or idea is "trademarked." For example:

• That moment when you drop your phoneTM 📱
• MondaysTM am I right? 😫
• Good vibes onlyTM 🌈

So in the emoji world, TM injects some lighthearted trademark flair. It creatively plays off the formal meaning.

What does TM mean from guys in texts and dating profiles?

When used by guys in online dating profiles or in messages, TM typically has one specific meaning – Transgender Man.

This provides a subtle, discrete way for trans men to indicate their identity to potential partners or in LGBTQ+ communities. For example:

• "Hi there! I‘m Nate, I use he/him pronouns. I‘m a TM."
• "Looking for love. Proudly a TM."

Other ways TM signifies Transgender Man:

• "Into TMs?" on a dating profile indicates openness to dating trans men.
• Asking "Are you a TM?" is a tactful way to ask if someone identifies as a trans man.

Using the shorthand "TM" allows trans men to disclose their identity safely across various online platforms. However, TM from guys in texts could still mean "Text Message" or "Tomorrow" depending on the context.

How to type the TM symbol on different devices

Ready to add some TMs to your own texts, social posts, or other online content? Inserting the TM mark is easy:

Windows

• Hold down Control + Alt + T

Mac OS

• Hold down Option + 2

Chromebook

• Open the accessibility Character Viewer

iPhone and iPad

• Press and hold the trademark symbol under the 2 key

Android

• May need to add the TM symbol as a keyboard shortcut

Social media sites

• Copy/paste or use the symbols menu

And remember – the small size and superscript formatting gives TM visual appeal.

Difference between TM, SM, and ®

Along with the TM symbol, you‘ll also see SM and ® used in formal branding:

• TM – Trademark
• SM – Service Mark
• ® – Registered Trademark

So what‘s the difference?

• TM and SM both indicate claimed common law rights in something – either a trademark or a service. Like I mentioned earlier for TM, neither requires actual registration.
• ® means the trademark has been successfully registered nationally after undergoing thorough examination.

Once the registration process is complete, companies switch their TM branding over to the ® symbol instead. But both TM and SM are fair game to use beforehand!

When should you use TM vs. SM?

Choosing between TM or SM depends on what type of branding asset you‘re trying to claim:

• Trademarks are used with company names, logos, slogans, product names, etc. These are physical goods or something tangible – use TM!
• Service Marks are for intangible services, like the name of a business. These are non-physical – opt for SM!

So StarbucksTM makes sense for trademarking a product name, while StarbucksSM works for their overall brand name and identity.

Conclusion

Phew, we covered a lot of ground on the wonderful world of TM! Here are some of the key things I hope you take away:

• TM is versatile – it can mean Trademark, Text Message, Tomorrow, and more depending on context
• Businesses use it to assert legal ownership over brands
• People use it conversationally online and in messages as quick shorthand
• Guys sometimes use it in dating profiles to indicate being a Transgender Man
• Adding the TM emoji creatively riffs off its formal trademark meaning
• Always size and position TM smaller than surrounding type for a clean look
• SM is for Service Marks, while TM is for Trademarks and physical goods
• Anyone can use TM next to their branding without registering first

So next time you spot those two little letters, think about where you are and who‘s saying it. With this breakdown, hopefully the many meanings of TM will finally make sense! Let me know if you have any other questions.

Catch ya later,
Terry