+1, funny -- but for the sake of non-native English speakers, FTR, it's pronounced the same as "psych" and is colloquial for a sarcastic "ha-ha, just kidding"
I often don't think to explain these things, so thank you for taking the time to explain to others the context.
For additional cultural context, I think this usage was popularized by Eddie Murphy in Delirious (NSFW language: https://youtu.be/Ft4kEk5CHrE, you'll want to listen to at least 2:15)
Given that Eddie is telling a story from his youth it's probably fair to say it was in common use 10+ years earlier - which is consistent with my vernacular at the time.
Further, "sike" has become a common spelling when used to indicate "not really." At least, according to urban dictionary and other online dictionaries.
> it's pronounced the same as "psych"
It’s actually spelled “psych.” It’s a derivative of “to psych out.”
We're agreed in how and why to spell it that way. But the bastardized phonetic spelling "sike" is fairly common too.
If you're going to address non-native English speakers, using acronyms like FTR (I suppose that refers to for-the-record, but one can never be sure on the Internet... could easily be something like for-the-retarded in some circles) may not be the best idea, BTW (by the way :D).
Thanks. Native speaker, no idea it was used like this.