What Does '459' Mean? The Newer Way To Share Your Feelings With Numbers
If you ever texted someone in the heyday of Razr phones, you know exactly what it was like to memorize or know which numbers corresponded to which letters. Since we use smartphones nowadays, it might be easy to forget, but it used to take forever to type out a paragraph to someone with just a flip phone. But that’s why codes and slang started to appear, using just singular letters to spell out phrases like “LOL,” “NP” and “IDK.” This also included numbered codes like “2” for “to” or “too,” and “G2G” for “got to go.” So, what does “459” mean?
The meaning of 459 is easily traced back to those days of using a phone’s dial pad to spell things out. If you were a midwestern kid in the ‘90s and early 2000s, you can probably recite the jingle for Empire Carpet—800-588-2300 Empire—or Luna Carpet—877-241-LUNA—and understand this concept quite well. However, 459's meaning has less to do with a jingle, and more to do with a special message.
Read on to find out what 459 means and other ways to text someone your feelings in code.
Related: FWIW Meaning: What It Stands for, How To Use
What does 459 mean?
Even though the numbers “459” seem like they don’t go together or just look like a random bunch of numbers, they actually mean something significant. 459 is code for “I love you.” If you look at the dial pad on your phone, the number 4 corresponds to the letter “I,” the number 5 corresponds to the letter “L” and the 9 corresponds to the letter “Y.” So, basically, 459 means “ILY.”
This kind of slang is somewhat similar to “leetspeak," an informal language that uses code or numbers to replace letters. However, while leetspeak has a very distinct code for each letter, 459 comes just from looking at the letters on your phone. Easy, cute and to the point.
Related: 45 Common New York Slang Words Every 'Kid' Should Know
What is a 459 police code?
It's important to note, if you’re familiar with police codes or if you Google “459,” you won’t just get the meaning of “I love you.” 459 in the penal code means a burglary is being reported over a police scanner. In the California penal code, 459 can also mean any type of entering—a building, home or car—with the intent to commit a crime (not just burglary). The more you know!
Related: 75 of the Cutest Words in the Dictionary (Aww!)
What are other ways to say “I love you” with numbers?
Okay, getting back to the task at hand, 459 is a cute, newer way to tell someone you love them. But that’s not the most common texting slang that means that. Most people associate “ILY” with 143. Why? These numbers correspond to the number of letters in each word:
I — 1 letter
Love — 4 letters
You — 3 letters
Also unlike 459, 143 comes from the early 1900s according to Dictionary.com, when people sent coded messages via lantern. 143 then became popular via pagers in the 90s and the rest is digital history.
Another way to use numbers for “I love you,” is 831. Why? Well, similar to that iconic scene in Gossip Girl’s second season between Blair Waldorf and Chuck Bass—“Three words, eight letters. Say it and I’m yours.”—831 means “8 letters, 3 words, 1 meaning.”
There’s of course also “ILYSM,” “ILU” and “ILY,” but one of the more obscure ones is “K3U.” That is a way to visually represent “I <3 U,” with the “K3” shortening the “I <3.”
But no matter how you want to say “I love you”—whether it’s the fastest or easiest way for you, or whichever way is your favorite way to express your love for someone—it’s the thought that counts.
Next up, here are concepts for a 365 Reasons Why I Love You project—ideas for a daily sentimental note.
