What Does “WBK” Stand For in Slang? Meaning, Uses, & Origins

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Plus, less common meanings & other related slang
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While scrolling on X/Twitter or texting with your friends, you’ve probably seen people say “WBK.” But what exactly does it mean? “WBK” stands for the slang phrase “we been knew,” which is another way to say that something is completely obvious. If you want to learn more about this slang term, read on! We’ll go over how to use “WBK,” where it comes from, less common definitions, and other slang it’s related to.

“WBK” Meaning

“WBK” means “we been knew.” This slang phrase means that something someone said is very obvious to you. In other words, it’s similar to saying “duh” or “obviously.” People usually use it on X/Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and in texts.

Section 1 of 6:

The Meaning of “WBK”

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  1. “We been knew” is a joking, slang phrase that means something is very obvious or well-known. You usually use it mockingly in response to someone saying something you have known about for a long time or that you think most people find obvious. Basically, “WBK” is another way of saying “Duh,” “Obviously,” or “How did you not know that!?” [1]
    • Them : “I think I have a crush on Jaden…”
      You : “WBK, girl. You’ve been making heart eyes at him for weeks.”
    • Them : “Guys, it’s going to snow this weekend!”
      You : “Uh, WBK! That’s all anyone has been talking about today!”
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Section 2 of 6:

How to Use “WBK”

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  1. When someone makes a comment about your favorite celebrity on X/Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok that’s totally obvious to you, or your friend texts you about something that you find super apparent, reply back with “WBK.” This is a joking and slightly snarky way to tell them that they’re clueless and have clearly been out of the loop.
    • Them : “I’m so glad Charli XCX won a Grammy for Brat ! She’s an amazing artist.”
      You : “WBK about her greatness. She deserved that Grammy years ago!”
    • Them : “You know what, denim-on-denim is such a cool look. We should bring that back.”
      You : “Where have you been? WBK that! It’s such a trend right now.”
Section 3 of 6:

Origins of “WBK”

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  1. 1
    “We been knew” originated in the Black community. “We been knew” is a popular slang phrase that comes from African American Vernacular English (AAVE). It’s traditionally been used in Black communities to poke fun at people’s very obvious comments in a lighthearted and joking way. [2]
  2. 2
    “WBK” was popularized online in 2017. “WBK” and “We been knew” started to gain mainstream popularity with the rise of stan culture on social media. People began to use it on X/Twitter to praise their favorite musicians, actors, and celebrities and to poke fun at people who were late to pop culture phenomena. From there, it spread to other social media platforms and entered the general texting lexicon.
    • “We been knew” was first defined on Urban Dictionary in 2017. [3]
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Section 4 of 6:

Is “we been knew” grammatically correct?

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  1. AAVE has its own grammar rules that might be different from Standard English rules, but aren’t any less “correct.” [4] The phrase “we been knew” uses the invariant/habitual “be,” which is commonly used in sentences in AAVE to emphasize that something is routine or happens often and frequently. [5] It also uses the stressed “been,” which emphasizes that something has been happening for a long time. [6]
    • For instance, you might hear someone say “I be tired after work” (“I am usually tired after work”) or “I been seen that show on Netflix” (“I saw that show on Netflix a while ago”).
    • While “We been knew” is a grammatically correct and valid phrase in AAVE, it is broadly considered a slang term. So, people might find it too casual to say to authority figures, like a teacher or boss.
    • The “correct” way to say, “We been knew” in Standard English is “We’ve known” or “We already knew.”
Section 5 of 6:

Less Common Meanings of “WBK”

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  1. Some people shorten the slang phrases “we back” and “ we are so back ” as “wbk.” These expressions are another way to say that things are going well for you again after you experienced a challenge or issue.
    • “Wow, wbk! I thought I got locked out of my apartment, but I remembered I put a spare key in the bushes. Crisis averted!”
  2. Sports fans often refer to women’s basketball as “WBK.” If you see people talking about catching the next WBK game online, they’re probably referencing women’s basketball (either national or collegiate).
    • “Did you see the WBK game last night? I’m so glad NC State won!”
  3. “WBK” can also be short for “welcome back.” You might see people use this in online chats and forums to greet people after they’ve been offline for a while.
    • “WBK! I haven’t seen you in the chat for so long! How’s it going?”
  4. In Microsoft Word, “.wbk” is a file format that stands for “Microsoft Word Backup File.” A “.wbk” file is a copy of your original document that acts as a backup in case your original file gets deleted or corrupted. [7]
    • “Thankfully, I had a .wbk file for my manuscript. If I didn’t, I would’ve lost everything and had to start over from scratch!”
  5. “Wbk” is sometimes short for “workbook.” You might see people using it online to refer to their school books, or to refer to an Excel file containing multiple spreadsheets. [8]
    • “Can you send me the Excel wbk? I want to check some of the numbers for our report tomorrow.”
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Section 6 of 6:

Related Slang

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  1. 1
    Duh or dur “Duh” and “dur” are common exclamations that you use in response to someone saying something very obvious. You usually use it mockingly or in a slightly snarky way to tell the person that they already should have known something. [9]
    • Them : “Wait, Abel and Daniela are dating?”
      You : “Duh! They started dating last week. Didn’t you see them holding hands at the game last Friday?”
  2. 2
    Obvi “Obvi” is a short way to say or write “Obviously.” You usually use this to jokingly point out that someone said something very apparent or extremely obvious. [10]
    • Them : “Are you going to Miguel’s party tonight?”
      You : “Uh, obvi! He is my boyfriend, you know.”
  3. 3
    No sh*t, Sherlock “No sh*t, Sherlock,” which is commonly abbreviated as “NSS,” is a sarcastic way to tell someone that they made an obvious observation that everyone already knew or could easily figure out. This phrase comes from the popular detective character Sherlock Holmes, who solves complicated crimes and mysteries with his deduction and reasoning skills. [11]
    • Them : “So, I think Becca might be mad at us.”
      You : “No sh*t, Sherlock! We forgot her birthday. I’d be mad, too!”
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=we%20been%20knew
      2. ↑ https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2023-02-17/language-gen-z-slang-culture-appropriation-twitter-tiktok-generations
      3. ↑ https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=we%20been%20knew
      4. ↑ https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2023-02-17/language-gen-z-slang-culture-appropriation-twitter-tiktok-generations
      5. ↑ https://ygdp.yale.edu/phenomena/invariant-be
      6. ↑ https://ygdp.yale.edu/phenomena/stressed-bin-been
      7. ↑ https://docs.fileformat.com/word-processing/wbk/
      8. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/create-a-new-workbook-ae99f19b-cecb-4aa0-92c8-7126d6212a83
      9. ↑ https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/duh
      1. ↑ https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=obvi
      2. ↑ https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=No%20Shit%2C%20Sherlock

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