If you’re a millennial, chances are that you use acronyms in your text messages and email conversations a lot. If you’re confused about what it means, read below to find out the meaning of IIRC and how should you use it correctly.
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IIRC Meaning
IIRC simply means ‘If I recall correctly’ This acronym is used when you have to put emphasis on something that you are not sure about, or something that might have happened in the past. This acronym shows that you’re just trying to recollect your past thoughts and recalling something that has happened before. This acronym is only used in conversations that are based on text messaging and emails when you want to make a genuine point, but you are still not sure if the opinion stated by you is actually true or not. This acronym gives a benefit of doubt to the one who is saying it.
How to Use IIRC the Right Way?
Now that you know what IIRC means, you can use it the correct way. The right way to use IIRC is in conversations in which you are unsure about something that might have happened in the past. It can either be a statement or an opinion by somebody else, or chances are that you might have misunderstood some facts and you are just saying IIRC to clarify that whatever you have said are based on something that has already been said in the past.
Example:
Someone: IIRC you have worked in the marketing department as an intern. Can you send me the details about it?
This example refers to a person who is recalling or remembering a fact that the person in question has worked as a marketing intern. The person who is sending the text message is unsure about the authenticity of this information, so he is typing IIRC in the start to let the other person know that he is not sure, and he is not enforcing his opinion on the other person, but rather asking if that’s true, with a follow-up question to let him know some details about his work as a marketing intern.
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Structural Use of IIRC in a Sentence
There are always some rules to use an acronym, and this one also comes with a set of rules to use it right. This acronym should always be used in the start of a sentence to give a proper sentence fragment to it. If this acronym is used in between the sentence, or after it, then it loses its actual impact and emphasis. To give you an idea, let’s consider the following example:
Someone: Orange is Emma’s favorite color. She wears it all the time, IIRC.
Now, someone has stated that orange is Emma’s favorite color. This seems like a very confident statement. At a glance, it seems like the person who is stating the fact that orange is Emma’s favorite color is pretty sure about it. Later, he says that she wears it all the time. This second sentence further puts an emphasis on how the statement is 100% true and that the person is confident about the fact that Emma does like orange very much. However, at the end, he mentions ‘IIRC’—if I recall correctly to give himself the benefit of doubt. The problem is that when he has already stated it pretty confidently, and the person who is listening to it might think of it as a firm statement when it’s actually not and the person is just recollecting his thoughts which he is unsure about.
Instead, if he uses IIRC in the start of the conversation, he might give a better impression and communicate properly. His point would be more emphasized and the person who is reading the email or text message would know that the person is not actually sure, but he is just stating something that might have happened in the past, so he is recalling it and thinking it might be true.
Another rule is to not use dots or commas between the letters of acronyms as it gives a sense of confusion and completely changes the meanings. It doesn’t give out a proper impression and changes the meaning. Moreover, it slows down the typing process so it’s always best to use it without any dots or commas.
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