SMH

What does SMH mean?

SMH (also styled as smh) stands for "shaking my head."

Where did SMH come from?

SMH is an abbreviation formed from the first letters of the phrase it stands for. Like LOL ("laugh out loud," "laughing out loud"), smh offers the reader a gesture—a shaking head—as opposed to a simple phrase or statement, the way that abbreviations like brb ("be right back") and FWIW ("for what it's worth") do.

The variant SMDH stands for "shaking my damn head." Note that SMH is also sometimes glossed as "scratching my head."

How is SMH used?

SMH often is used to impart a sense of bemused incredulity, or of frustration or disapproval.

SLG: silly little grin
SMH: shaking my head
SOSO: same old, same old
— news.newusers.questions, 15 Jul. 1994

PLEASE Philip! LOL ( SMH ) = shaking my head. I've been doing the telescope thing for a very long time!
— sci.astro.amateur, 4 Aug. 1998

What I was SMH about is—why is she being so obnoxious about Julian's relationship with Alexis? Is she JEALOUS? Does she want him back?
— alt.tv.general-hospital, 7 Jan. 2016

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