“Significant other ” is a term for a person’s partner in an intimate relationship. Many have pointed out that it can also mean “sign if I can’t.”
     
“I’m your significant other, so sign if I can’t” was posted on the newsgroup rec.puzzles on September 25, 2007. “thats sign if i cant - significant” was posted on Twitter by David Banes on April 28, 2009. “How to remember to spell the word significant: Sign-If-I-Cant #sohelpful” was posted on Twitter by Bailey Clark on October 4, 2011.
     
“If u in a relationship one of y’all better have good credit. That’s why it’s called significant other (Sign-if-i-Can’t)” was posted on Facebook by Jason Beezo Cooper on May 30, 2021, and this post went viral.
       
     
Wikipedia: Significant other
Significant other (SO) is colloquially used as a term for a person’s partner in an intimate relationship without disclosing or presuming anything about marital status, relationship status, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Synonyms with similar properties include: sweetheart, other half, better half, spouse, domestic partner, lover, soulmate, or life partner.
       
Google Groups: rec.puzzles
A word puzzle from a newbie
ken
Sep 25, 2007, 8:19:47 AM
(...)
I’m your significant other, so sign if I can’t.
 
Twitter
David Banes
@DaveBanesAccess
#ndi09 thats sign if i cant - significant
4:44 AM · Apr 28, 2009·Twitter Web Client
   
Twitter
Vee
@_veeperez
Ok im probably really retarded but thats just me i just realized that significant is the same as sign if i cant with spaces =P
1:26 AM · Nov 3, 2009·Twitter Web Client
   
Twitter
Bailey Clark
@baylayyx3
How to remember to spell the word significant: Sign-If-I-Cant #sohelpful
8:53 PM · Oct 4, 2011·Twitter Web Client
   
Twitter
Haw and Hem Alike #InnerFitness
@hilarryous_f
I learned how to spell significant by sayin “sign if i cant” lol
3:02 AM · Jan 8, 2012·UberSocial for Android
   
Twitter
f*guette
@virgolding
i love how i still say sign.if.i.cant to spell significant
@LaurenGuardino #SCSmemories
11:15 PM · Sep 27, 2012·Twitter Web Client
   
Twitter
LeReadAhMyTweets
@LeeLeeBibbs
Just realized Significant is Sign If I Cant . Whhaattt?
10:15 AM · Nov 29, 2020·Twitter for iPhone
 
Twitter
M Shah
@shahlock
challenge:
“significant” is an interesting word because it’s also a sentence if we allow for punctuation: “Sign, if I can’t.”
Find other sentence-words. “together” doesn’t work (non-example)
9:34 PM · Feb 14, 2021·Twitter Web App
 
Twitter
Brockstar
@brockhanley1313
Significant other, “sign-if-I-can’t” other
9:49 PM · May 29, 2021·Twitter for iPhone
     
Facebook
Jason Beezo Cooper
May 30, 2021 at 1:25 PM ·
If u in a relationship one of
y’all better have good credit.
That’s why it’s called significant
other (Sign-if-i-Can’t)
 
Twitter
hesodamncrazy
@HeSoDamnCrazy
Sign-if-I-can’t = significant other .....reason my lady gotta have good credit .... if she can’t do this why do I need her ?...
1:22 PM · May 30, 2021·Twitter for iPhone
 
Twitter
[Black heart]
@TheKingScxottyD
Significant = Sign If I Can’t ... one of y’all better have good credit in a relationship if not y’all mise well break up…
2:56 PM · May 30, 2021·Twitter for iPhone
 
Twitter
Frank Dunn PhD
@DrFrankDunn
Every relationship must have at least one person w/ a great credit score. I think that is why they call them your “significant other”. This way your partner can “sign if I can’t”
I will be following this up in my next research paper #RelationshipAdvice #Thoughts #AcademicChatter
2:37 AM · May 31, 2021·Twitter for iPhone
 
Twitter
Snowfall is wack
@MarquisBlack10
If you in a relationship, at least one of y’all better have good credit, if not y’all need to breakup, cause that’s what SIGNIFICANT OTHER means sign-if-i-can’t
2:53 AM · May 31, 2021·Twitter for Android
 
Twitter
DreamsWorthMoreThanMoney
@Tawion314
If you in a relationship one of y’all gotta have good credit. That’s why it’s called a significant other (sign-if-I-can’t)
1:13 PM · May 31, 2021·Twitter for iPhone
 
Twitter
Filmmaker
@TheLeroyuwaifo
If you’re in a relationship, one of you better have good credit. That’s why it’s called significant other (sign-if-I-can’t)
6:30 AM · Jun 2, 2021·Twitter for iPhone