"What is 'FTW'? What Does It Mean?"

Question: "What is 'FTW'? What Does It Mean?"

While participating in an online discussion forum about motorcycles, you see this weird expression "FTW". People post phrases like "slipper clutches, ftw!" and "full face helmets, ftw!". You see the same thing in an online gaming forum. The gamer participants are posting phrases like "polymorph, ftw!" and "druid hurricane, ftw!".

Answer: In 2008, the most common meaning of "FTW" is "for the win", an Internet expression of enthusiasiam.

While there were nastier meanings in previous years, FTW today commonly stands for "For the Win". It is an expression of enthusiasm. "FTW" is the same as saying "this is the best" or "this item will make a big difference, I recommend using it". Examples would include: "anti-lock braking, ftw!", "spellchecker, ftw!", and "low-carb diets, ftw!"

Older meanings of FTW

Years ago, "FTW" used to have a very negative meaning: "f**k the world". This was a term commonly used by social rebels, anarchists and anti-authoritarian types to express frustration with modern society. Gratefully, this antisocial meaning has dramatically faded in use in the 21st century, and people largely use "for the win" as the modern meaning for this acronym now.

This FTW expression, like many other Internet expressions, is part of online conversation culture.