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idiot: I attached the ethernet cable like it says in the manual, why can't I print?

annoyed observer: RTWFM

For attention deficit geeks who only read enough of the manual to get themselves into trouble then ask the same stupid questions which would elicit "RTFM".
RTWFM by CurlySurmudgeon November 23, 2011
Urban Dictionary Merch
<Skilless15> what's rtfm
<Skilless15> i forgot
<@avaxx> read the fucking manual.
<Skilless15> why
<Skilless15> you could just tell me
RTFM by nekholm November 19, 2003
Related Words
RTWFM RTFM RTFMFM RTFMN RTFMA rtfmfn rtfmotd rtfmp RTFMTTFN RTPFMB
Literally "Read The F**king Manual"; a term showing the frustration of being bothered with questions so trivial that the asker could have quickly figured out the answer on their own with minimal effort, usually by reading readily-available documents. People who say "RTFM!" might be considered rude, but the true rude ones are the annoying people who take absolutely no self-responibility and expect to have all the answers handed to them personally.
"Damn, that's the twelveth time that somebody posted this question to the messageboard today! RTFM, already!"
rtfm by Bill M. July 27, 2004
Read
The
Fucking
Manual

The First Commandment of Technology.
The Commandments of Technology

1. Thou shalt read the fucking manual.
2. Thou shalt treat technology with care and love.
3. Thou may covet thy neighbor's technology, but thou shalt not steal it.
rtfm by Scott Lanway September 3, 2004
Proponents of such acronyms encouraging new users to look the information up themselves are often discouraging questions that could easily be answered using the FAQs, Wiki or Google.

RTFM frequents questions that common sense should have precluded asking.

Some may choose to reply in this fashion rather than leaving the newbie without a response so as to clarify what types of questions are considered inappropriate, unintelligent or inconsiderate of others' time.

originally: "read the field manual" used by WWII soldiers when asked basic questions by new enlistees.

rtfm quickly spread to engineering, computer & technical fields, and has gained popularity with internet usage.

its applicability has increased dramatically with the advent of wiki, where the answer is already at everyone's fingertips.
then:

rookie: how am i supposed to clean this m1?
veteran: read the field manual.

now:

noob: how do i install linux?
1337: rtfm @ linux.org/docs/beginner/install.html

polite usage that will increase likelihood of a helpful response:

newbie: how do i...? i have already rtfm.
rtfm by kajiem January 3, 2010
RTFM - Read the fucking manual
A reply to when people go on internet message boards asking for technical advice on subjects where the obvious solution is usually given in products user manual:

"why is my printer speaking in German?"
"RTFM ;o)"

"Why wont my scanner work?"
"RTFM!!"
RTFM by DeusBrackers October 16, 2005
"Read the fucking manual." The most obvious solution to most tech problems. Also the most overlooked solution.
"How do I format the text this way?"

"RTFM. F1 works, you know..."
RTFM by Maerc January 13, 2005
More from Urban Dictionary
In sales terms, a whale is a prospect that is significantly larger than an organization’s average customer.

Whales are large and extremely difficult to close. Due to their immense size, they are highly sought-after.

A whale is typically identified at first by a whale hunter on the sales team, but often requires cross-discipline participation in order to close; this includes assistance from operations, engineering, creative, client success, and business development teams.
"Shit...the sales director chewed me out on the sales call this morning. He's totally pissed that I have nothing in my pipeline. I've been focused on this one whale for so long that I haven't had time to prospect for normal-sized deals."
Whale by FQ_GFY February 3, 2020
Word of the Day on September 21, 2026

Concrete cowboy 

A guy who thinks he's a country kinda guy, but in reality lives a comfortable city / suburban life.
Eugene: Look at that dude in the cowboy hat!
Todd: He's just a concrete cowboy.
Word of the Day on September 20, 2026
any hard liquor that is cheap & potent.. eg. relska, popov, potters, evan williams, kamchatka, fireball, rumpleminze, southern comfort, everclear
hey let's get a drink of that?

go ahead
*takes drink* ugh wtf is that?

everclear & bepsi
fucking hobo loko eeessshh
hobo loko by d i z k o 2 0 8 September 14, 2026
Word of the Day on September 19, 2026

God Shot 

A chance happening with profound meaning, an unexpected blessing, a "sign".
Dr. Drew on Celebrity Rehab said "All of a sudden what had been just another Hollywood proposal became for him an unexpected blessing, an opportunity for growth. In drug recovery language, that's called a "God shot."
God Shot by Imogen1564 February 25, 2011
Word of the Day on September 18, 2026

city chicken 

A food native to Pittsburgh/Western Pennsylvania in which cubes of pork and/or veal are put on a short, wooden skewer, breaded, then baked and/or fried.

I've heard that city chicken originated during the Great Depression, when folks didn't have enough money to buy full cuts of meat, so they assembled meat scraps on a wooden skewer, creating a make-shift drumstick. Hence the name.
Are yinz havin' city chicken for dinner?
city chicken by TRF August 31, 2006
Word of the Day on September 17, 2026

Is that cake?

Another way to say is this fake? Like the show real or cake
“Slayyyter just announced another album last night”
“No way, is that cake?”
“Yeah whoops this isn’t real”
Is that cake? by Sexyyred September 15, 2026
Word of the Day on September 16, 2026
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