Have you ever seen a slang phrase you didn't know on Michael Schmidtsocial media? It seems new ones are popping up every day.

What about at your job? Sometimes, abbreviated terms can make their way into the workplace. While they help shorten conversation, their meanings are not always obvious.

"ICYMI", USA TODAY has been breaking down text slang. We've already covered various explainers on different phrases, such as "AFK" and "IMO". 

Now, it's time to learn a new one. Here is the meaning and how to use "OOO".  

What does 'OOO' mean?

"OOO" stands for "out of office." Often used in business settings, the term notifies coworkers, clients or employees that you cannot be reached. It can be used while messaging, such as via Slack or Teams, or emailing.

It signals that someone is not working and will be unavailable for a period of time because they are on vacation, are sick or away for whatever reason.

How to use 'OOO'

Here are some examples of how to use "OOO:"

• "Just a reminder: I will be OOO from August 17 through 25."
• "Is June OOO?" "Yeah, I think she's on vacation until next week."
• "We need to coordinate this when Kai gets back." "He's OOO until Wednesday."

Just Curious for more? We've got you covered

USA TODAY is exploring the questions you and others ask every day. From "What does 999 mean?" to "How to make Facebook private?" to "How to find cheap flights?", we're striving to find answers to the most common questions you ask every day. Head to our Just Curious section to see what else we can answer for you.

Want to learn? Catch up on more text slang explainers: 

• Ending a convo over text? Here's what 'TTYL' means and how to use it
• What does 'gts' mean? Definition of text term and how to use it
• What does 'no cap' mean? Here's the definition of the slang term and how to use it
• What does 'WYLL' mean? Here's what the text slang stands for and how to use it
• What does 'rizz' mean? Here's the definition of social media slang term and how to use it
• What does 'WTV' mean? The definition of the texting abbreviation, plus how to use it
• What does 'MBN' mean? Here's what it means and how to use for texts, social media
• What does 'IMO' mean? Make sure you're using this internet, texting acronym correctly
• What does 'tbh' mean? Here's what the acronym means and how to use it in conversation
• What does 'wyd' mean? What it means and how to use the acronym correctly in conversation
• What does 'AFK' mean? And examples of how to use it when texting friends
• What does 'OTP' mean? Breaking down the fandom term, slang
• What does 'smh' mean? Defining the texting acronym and how to use it in your conversations
• What does 'ICYMI' mean? Here's what it means and examples of it used in conversation
• What does 'ngl' mean? Make sure you're using this internet, texting acronym correctly
• What does 'hmu' mean? Get to know Internet, texting acronym
• What does 'tbh' mean? Here's what the acronym means and how to use it in conversation.
• What does 'POV' mean? Breaking down the definition of the abbreviation
• What does 'idk' mean? What the texting slang means and how to use in conversation
• What does 'mid' mean? Here's what the internet slang term means and how to use it
• What does 'OG' mean? Here is what the slang means and how to use it correctly