密歇根新闻广播 IMHO中的"H"正在将互联网分开（在线收听）

When it comes to the internet, seemingly innocuous topics are often the grounds for heated debates. Is the dress blue and black or gold and white? Is this voice saying "yanny" or saying "laurel"?

A writer at Buzzfeed recently asked readers to help settle a workplace debate over whether IMHO means "in my humble opinion" or "in my honest opinion."

Since this is the internet, where people will fight about literally anything, things quickly devolved into what will likely be a centuries-long blood feud.

Of the nearly 200,000 people who took part in Buzzfeed's poll, 57 percent voted that the "H" stands for honest. The Detroit Free Press conducted its own poll and got similar results.

So does that mean people in the "humble" camp are wrong? Not if we’re going by which "H" word was used first.

The earliest known instances of IMHO use "humble." The Oxford English Dictionary cites this 1984 Usenet post that’s oozing with nostalgia: "The Sony and Maxell tapes are, imho (in my honest opinion), almost indistinguishable in quality, and are the only kind I buy now."

Another early reference came in this 1986 edition of PC Magazine, which included a glossary with an entry for IMHO that used "humble." Additionally, early electronic language guides typically list "humble" first, with "honest" as a variant. In some entries, like this one from the Jargon File, "honest" isn't listed at all.

That said, remember that language changes over time. If the Buzzfeed poll is any indication, it’s very possible we may be witnessing a change in progress, where more people think the "H" stands for honest, regardless of which came first.

Where do you stand on this one? Let us know below. And remember, if you bring this question up at the dinner table, we're not responsible for any relationships that are destroyed as a result.