RTFM

Definition

Read The Manual (the F is flexible based on frustration level). The universal response to questions answered in the documentation that nobody reads. Often delivered with varying degrees of professional courtesy.

Example Usage

Before you ask how to configure it, RTFM—it's literally on page 2 of the setup guide.

Origin

Originated in military and technical maintenance communities, adopted by computing in the 1970s-80s

Fun Fact

Despite decades of telling people to RTFM, developers still don't read documentation, leading to the rise of Stack Overflow, where people can get the same answer with less judgment.

Source: Technical support and computing culture

Related Terms

Beginner

validation

The process of checking whether data actually makes sense before letting it wreak havoc in your system—like a bouncer for your database. In tech, it's the gatekeeping function that prevents users from entering "banana" as their birth date. In therapy-speak, it's getting someone to acknowledge your feelings, but programmers prefer the database version.

💻 Tech / IT

Intermediate

burndown chart

A graph showing remaining work over time in agile projects, ideally trending downward like your hopes for an on-time delivery. When the line goes up instead of down, it's called 'scope creep' and signals an upcoming all-hands meeting.

💻 Tech / IT

Advanced

PWINST

An evolved form of 'pwned' specifically reserved for absolutely humiliating defeats where your opponent didn't score a single point. This is the gaming equivalent of being shut out, blanked, and sent home crying to your RGB keyboard. Popular in early 2000s FPS culture when creative spelling still made you look cool.

💻 Tech / IT

Intermediate

Dub

Slang for Volkswagen, shortened from "VW" which becomes "Vee-Dub" when said aloud, then condensed to just "Dub" because efficiency. It's how car enthusiasts identify each other in the wild, like a secret handshake but for German engineering fans.

💻 Tech / IT

Intermediate

throttling

When your internet provider decides you've used enough bandwidth and quietly slows your connection to dial-up speeds, or when engineers intentionally limit system performance to prevent meltdown. Originally about choking someone or restricting airflow to an engine, now it's mostly about artificial performance limits. It's speed control, whether for engines, networks, or overly ambitious users.

💻 Tech / IT

Intermediate

airside

The magical land beyond airport security where a bottle of water costs $8 and the rules of normal society no longer apply. Once you've passed through the TSA gauntlet, you've entered airside—that liminal zone where time is meaningless, gate numbers make no sense, and you're legally obligated to walk past seventeen duty-free shops before reaching your departure gate.

💻 Tech / IT

Translate This Term

See “RTFM” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.

Try the Translator

Share This Term

Post on X Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn

Discover a Term

Intermediate

field grade

Officers ranking Major through Colonel (O-4 to O-6), so called because they historically commanded field formations. Als...