Next in our “What does this slang term or abbreviation really mean?” series, we have this: What does “OTP” mean. Apologies to those of you reading this who already know what that acronym means; not all of us are that trendy and "anything goes" so to speak, so sometimes, we need to catch up. How else can we keep up with the rapidly changing locale?
It turns out that "OTP" is important in the world of fandom communication. Although many of my favorite things have huge followings, I don't often get involved in specific aspects of them; for some reason, I just prefer watching Doctor Who on my own. That's just my thought, though, but it does explain why I'm not familiar with the term "OTP", although I'm starting to be very familiar with the many situations it can be applied to. Here are the results of my research so far:
Simply put, "OTP" stands for "One True Pairing." It's used in fandom to describe any given participant's favorite pairing or pairings because, perhaps contrary to the definition of the term, you don't have to limit yourself to just one OTP (and no, they don't have to be canonical) . Typically, however, the characters or characters that make up any OTP will not appear in more than one pairing for any one fandom member. Less commonly used is the term TTP, two true pairs; if you can't decide whether to use OTP, you can use TTP instead. What if you prefer romantic arrangements involving more than two people? Try on OTT ("One True Threesome") for size. Other variations include BroTP (a portmanteau between "bro" and "OTP" referring to non-romantic OTP) and parody versions. The final example given by TV Tropes involves transporting a character and their favorite food.
People with an OTP or two may write and/or read fan fiction about these couples, but that's a given. But whether you like fan fiction or not, one defining characteristic that all OTPs share is this: we become incredibly emotionally invested in them. As a voracious reader who often doesn't want my favorite books to end, I know these feelings.
So where does this word come from? According to Know Your Meme, the earliest known use of OTP appeared in LiveJournal in October 2002. The term appears to refer to potential pairings of NSYNC members: LiveJournal user Betty Plotnik wrote, “ Joey/Lance: In some ways, this is my OTP, if by ‘real’ we mean what I actually think is possible thing." However, considering the term is just casually inserted here, I suspect it may predate this particular article. But anyway, this acronym was first defined on Urban Dictionary in September 2003 - unfortunately, the definition is full of spelling errors, but it describes very clearly what the term means and how to use it:
"OTP: A True Pairing. Used in fandom to express [sic] the characters [sic] you posted (romantically paired together [sic])."
The example given was, "So, do you like CJ and Toby (from The West Wing )?" "Yes, their [sic] is my OTP!"
BTW, fun fact: the practice of fan fiction and shipping is ancient. Like, really old. I’m not talking just decades; I’m talking decades. I mean about a century. According to Know Your Meme, in 1913, a book called Old Friends, New Fantasy was published, which essentially created a new crossover story between three different Jane Austen novels. Featuring roles in: Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park and Northanger Abbey. Consider Kindle Unlimited in the pre-digital era. Interesting, isn't it? It makes you wonder if there are other, older examples.
Now let's look at a few examples. Because I feel a little uncomfortable shipping real people (because, well... they're real people ), the examples I give here are all taken from fiction. I don't know about you, but I feel weird when I read a fictional story where I, a real person, am paired up with someone I might not be interested in dating.
1. Neville and Luna
Yes, I know both ended up with other people, canonically speaking; more importantly, as Evanna Lynch, who plays Luna in the Harry Potter films, said in 2016 As mentioned in " Seventeen" , Neville may be too "homely" for the adventurous Luna. Still, I think they would make a great pairing, and apparently I'm not the only one; according to the Fanlore Wiki, the pairing of Neville and Luna has a loyal following.
2. Buffy and Angel
Not my personal OTP, but the canonical OTP. I believe that for many people, this is also the most important. After all, they are often considered one of the greatest television couples of all time. Of course, things changed once the comics that continued the show's storyline started being published - and all the characters (not just Buffy and Angel) experienced numerous romantic ups and downs over time - but if You Didn't Keep Up After Season 7 aired, the Buffyverse continued to expand and the onus no longer fell on the two star-crossed lovers.
3. Archie, Betty and Veronica
I'm referring to the Archie Comics version, not the newer Riverdale Comics version. Archie, Betty, and Veronica are lumped together as a true trio; in fact, as TV Tropes noted, the trio's coming together would indeed create "one of the longest-running dilemmas in comic book history." One’s ultimate happy ending”.
4. Shiloh and Waffles
Leslie Knope isn't the only TV character to love waffles: Heroes' resident time manipulator Hiro Nakamura also frequently cites waffles as one of his favorite foods (especially chicken and waffles). The Hiro/Waffles pairing could be seen as an example of OTP parody, as TV Tropes points out - although to be fair, Waffles is pretty awesome .
5. Theon Greyjoy, Jon Snow and Robb Stark
The internet tells me that fans of this particular OTT like to call it THEJOBB. The ending of Game of Thrones may have...well... complicated this trio a bit (although it's already pretty complicated since they all grew up as brothers and are connected in so many ways), but It does seem to be becoming a thing.
6. Kirk and Spock
The pairing of James T. Kirk and Spock is so iconic that, as SyFy Wire recently pointed out, it "virtually invented the slash (as in, literally, How fans use the '/' symbol)". Whether you like Star Trek: The Original Series or the more recent rebooted universe, both are unique.
This article was originally published on April 29, 2015. Updated on June 4, 2019.
