Meme Culture

In modern internet slang, 'aura' refers to the distinct vibe, energy, or presence that a person, place, or thing gives off. While the word has spiritual origins, its slang usage is more about an intuitive feeling or impression. The concept has been heavily meme-ified, with users creating 'aura points' or describing the 'color' of someone's aura based on their actions, often humorously.

'Boy math' is a viral internet trend and the humorous counterpart to 'girl math.' It describes a specific type of flawed or hypocritical logic, often stereotypically attributed to men. Examples of 'boy math' include things like measuring height inaccurately, misunderstanding women's expenses while spending lavishly on their own hobbies, or having contradictory dating standards.

'Chad' is an archetype, primarily from incel and manosphere subcultures, for a stereotypically attractive, confident, and sexually successful 'alpha male.' In its original context, the term was used with resentment by incels to describe the men they believed were effortlessly successful with women. The term has since been co-opted by mainstream meme culture, where it is often used ironically to praise someone who is confident and unapologetic, as in the 'Virgin vs. Chad' meme format.

'Copium' is a satirical slang term for a fictional drug one 'huffs' or 'ingests' to cope with loss, failure, or defeat. It's a portmanteau of 'cope' and 'opium.' The term is used to mock someone who is seen as being in denial or making up irrational excuses for why their preferred sports team, political candidate, or investment failed. It implies that their reasoning is a form of self-deception to soothe the pain of loss.

A 'copypasta' is a block of text that has been copied and pasted repeatedly across the internet, often as a joke or a meme. These blocks of text are typically shared on forums, social media, and in chat rooms. Copypastas are often absurd, humorous, or lengthy stories or rants that are posted over and over again until they become an inside joke within a community.

'Creepypasta' is a genre of online horror fiction. The name is a portmanteau of 'creepy' and 'copypasta' (blocks of text copied and pasted across the internet). These are user-generated scary stories or urban legends that are shared on forums and social media, often presented as true accounts to make them more unsettling. Famous examples include Slender Man, Jeff the Killer, and The Russian Sleep Experiment.

In internet slang, 'cursed' is an adjective used to describe an image, video, or comment that is deeply unsettling, bizarre, or just plain wrong. Cursed content evokes a feeling of unease and confusion. It's not about being scary in a horror movie sense, but about being unnerving due to its strange contents, poor quality, and inexplicable context.

In internet slang, 'dank' is an adjective used to describe something as being of excellent or high quality, especially a meme. 'Dank memes' are typically absurd, surreal, and ironically humorous, often deviating from mainstream meme formats. The term has an ironic coolness to it, evolving from its original meaning of 'damp and musty.'

'Diamond hands' is a slang term from the online investment community for holding onto a stock or cryptocurrency with extreme conviction, refusing to sell even in the face of massive price drops, losses, or high volatility. It represents a belief that the asset will eventually pay off. The term is often represented by the 💎🙌 emojis.

'F' is used as a quick and universal way to express sympathy, condolences, or to acknowledge a failure or unfortunate situation. Commenting 'F' on a post about something sad or unfortunate is the internet's equivalent of a moment of silence or saying 'my condolences.' It can be used for both serious and comically minor misfortunes.

'Generational trauma' is a clinical psychology term for trauma that is passed down from one generation to the next. In internet slang, however, the term is used humorously and hyperbolically to describe trivial, inherited habits, anxieties, or quirks passed down from one's parents or grandparents. For example, being unable to throw away old containers or feeling the need to arrive at the airport 5 hours early.

'Girl math' is a viral internet trend and humorous concept that describes a specific type of flawed, but internally consistent, logic used to justify spending money. It involves a series of mental gymnastics to rationalize purchases, such as considering anything paid for with cash as 'free,' calculating the cost of an item on a 'cost-per-wear' basis, or viewing a refund as 'new money.'

'Goblin mode' is a state of being that is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms and expectations. It describes the behavior of someone who is happily embracing their most slovenly, creature-comfort state, like spending all day in bed watching TV and eating junk food without any guilt.

'HODL' is a slang term in the cryptocurrency community that means to hold onto an investment rather than selling it, especially during a volatile or declining market. It represents a long-term investment philosophy that ignores short-term price fluctuations. While originating from a typo of 'hold,' it is often retrofitted as the backronym 'Hold On for Dear Life.'

A 'jumpscare' is a technique used in horror movies, video games, and online videos to frighten the audience by appearing suddenly, usually accompanied by a loud, startling sound. In internet culture, jumpscares are a common feature of prank videos and memes, often appearing unexpectedly in otherwise normal content.

'Karen' is a pejorative slang term for a person, typically a middle-aged white woman, who is perceived as entitled, obnoxious, and demanding beyond the scope of what is considered appropriate or necessary. The archetype often involves demanding to 'speak to the manager,' asserting her privilege, and sometimes exhibiting racist behavior. The term is a stereotype and used to criticize a specific type of public behavior.

An internet meme is a piece of media, often humorous, that spreads rapidly across the internet. It can be an image, video, phrase, or concept that is shared, remixed, and reinterpreted by many different users. Memes are a fundamental part of online culture, evolving quickly and serving as a shared cultural touchstone for online communities.

MFW is an acronym for 'My Face When.' It is a meme format used to introduce a relatable situation, which is then paired with a reaction image or GIF that is meant to represent the user's facial expression in that scenario. It is a way to visually and humorously convey a specific emotional reaction.

NPC stands for 'Non-Player Character,' a term from video games for characters controlled by the game's AI, not a human player. As slang, it's a derogatory term for someone who doesn't think for themselves, follows trends blindly, or seems to lack independent thought and internal monologue, as if they're just following a script.

POV is an acronym for 'Point of View.' In internet culture, especially on TikTok and in memes, it's used as a caption to frame a video or image as if the viewer is experiencing a specific situation firsthand. It sets the scene and tells the audience what perspective they should be adopting.

A 'rickroll' is one of the most famous internet pranks of all time. It involves tricking someone into clicking a hyperlink that they believe will lead to a specific piece of content, but instead redirects them to the music video for Rick Astley's 1987 song 'Never Gonna Give You Up.' To be 'rickrolled' is to fall for this bait-and-switch prank.

'Shitposting' is the act of posting content online that is intentionally of low quality, nonsensical, ironic, or aggressively off-topic. The goal of shitposting is not to engage in constructive dialogue, but to entertain, confuse, or derail a conversation with absurd humor. It is a defining feature of many online subcultures and is seen as an art form in its own right.

In the online 'manosphere,' a 'sigma male' is an archetype of a man who is successful and popular like an 'alpha male,' but who operates outside of the normal social hierarchy by choice. He is the quintessential 'lone wolf'—introverted, self-reliant, and indifferent to the opinions of others. The term is often used both sincerely within its subculture and ironically in memes to parody the concept.

In internet slang, 'sleep paralysis demon' is a humorous term for a person, animal, or object that is strange, unsettling, or just sitting in a dark corner of a room. The term is a hyperbolic and comedic co-opting of the clinical phenomenon of sleep paralysis, where individuals may experience frightening hallucinations. It's used to describe anything that looks out of place or creepy in a funny way.

'Stonks' is an intentional misspelling of 'stocks,' associated with a popular internet meme. The meme features the 'Meme Man' character in front of a stock market chart with the caption 'Stonks.' The term is used humorously and ironically to refer to the stock market, financial decisions, and often, questionable or amusing financial gains.

Sus is a shortened version of 'suspicious' or 'suspect.' It's used to describe someone or something that seems shady, questionable, or dishonest. The term existed for years but exploded in popularity with the release of the online multiplayer game 'Among Us' in 2018, where players use it to call out others they believe to be an impostor.

TFW is an acronym for 'That Feeling When.' It's used to introduce a relatable, often specific, emotional situation. It's typically followed by a description of that situation and accompanied by an image, GIF, or video that captures the associated emotion. It is a foundational meme format.

'To the moon' is a rallying cry used by investors, especially in cryptocurrency and stock communities, to express strong belief that the price of an asset is going to experience a massive, rapid increase. It's a statement of extreme optimism and hype, often represented by the rocket emoji (🚀).

A 'vibe check' is the act of spontaneously assessing someone's mood, energy, or overall 'vibe.' It can be a genuine question about how someone is feeling, or a humorous, often aggressive, meme about judging someone's energy. To 'pass the vibe check' means you have a good, agreeable energy. To 'fail the vibe check' means your energy is off, negative, or weird.

Yeet is a versatile exclamation that can be used as a verb to mean throwing something, typically with high velocity and a lack of concern for the object being thrown. It can also be used as a general expression of excitement, approval, or surprise. Its meaning is heavily dependent on context.