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Meaning of “Ping” or “Ping Me”

Posted On: February 17, 2019

It’s common to hear someone say “ping me when you’re free.” Have you wondered what “ping” means and where it originates from? 

The meaning of ping or ping me:

To send a quick, short message over a texting platform (SMS, Instant Messenger, Chat) used to check in, keep someone in the loop about something, or ask about something, with the expectation of a quick, short response from the receiving party.

Let’s look more into the origin, use in daily conversation, examples and translations of this modern-day slang. 

 

Where does PING come from?

PING was not originally a word, but an acronym or abbreviation. PING, written in all caps, stands for Packet Internet or Inter-Network Groper. As an IT or tech industry specific jargon, “ping” is a technical term that means to check on the status of another computer or another server to see if it’s online (a sort of acknowledgment). It’s an electronic message that loosely translates to, “Are you there?” 

According to Your Dictionary,  “The ping command is particularly helpful in verifying whether a host is working and whether a system is attached to the Internet.”

 

Examples of Pings (send through text messages):
Wife to husband, “Pick up some milk on the way home.”
Child to parent, “I’m all done. Can you come pick me up?”
Business partner to business partner, “Is it ready? We are down to the wire.”
Colleague to colleague, “Wanna meet for lunch today at 12?”
Husband to wife, “I’m on my way.”
Friend to friend, “How did it go?”  

Of course here, I have given examples of pings in complete sentences, but most of the time people may use texting language, abbreviations, or slang in ping messages to make them even shorter. Also, since the messages are so short, much of the context will only be known between the two parties.

 

Translations of Questions Using “Ping”
Using PING: “Can I ping you at 8?”
Ordinary English: “Can I send you a text message or make a quick call to see if you are free at 8?”