Man who saved 3 seconds messaging friend: ‘HBD’ instead of ‘Happy birthday,’ now unsure what to do with those extra seconds
March 6, 2026
TIME IS MONEY: A Sydney man has found himself with some extra free time after abbreviating his friend’s birthday wish to “HBD” instead of typing out “Happy birthday.”
“It’s such a good abbreviation,” claims Ben Lee. “It saves time and also makes you seem busy and cool.”
However DBT can reveal, Mr Lee is neither busy, nor cool.
And his critics say whittling down a birthday wish to just three letters comes off as apathetic.
“If your friend can’t be bothered typing out the full 13 letters, do they even want you to have a happy birthday at all?” said one disgruntled birthday girl.
