Slang has always been a powerful shorthand, not only for the young but for any niche subculture. Corporatespeak, for example, has its vocabulary of slang (though in corporate cultures, we usually call it “jargon”); busy executives “circle back” to decisions that need to be delayed, “stay on target” (a Star Wars reference) to meet objectives, “seek buy-in” (meaning consent or collaboration), and try to take a “30,000-foot view” to examine a problem more strategically rather than getting lost in minutiae.
Each generation of teenagers also has created its unique slang, so people tried to avoid being “square” in the 1950s, hoped to be “groovy” in the 1970s, and admired things that “slay” in the 2020s.
Slang provides shorthand communication, allowing members of a subculture—whether teens from a particular region or B-school graduates—to communicate ideas, affirm or negate them, and reassure each other that they are still on the same page quickly and often humorously.
The internet has accelerated the evolution of slang, as social media platforms allow the proliferation of niche subcultures online. This slang is often opaque to people outside the group using it, leaving others who encounter it asking, “What does it mean?”
The Opacity of Internet Slang
Internet slang tends to be derived from memes, gaming culture, and social media communications that went viral. Those who “blinked and missed” whatever went viral or haven’t seen the source meme can have difficulty deciding what is meant.
Some slang is simply acronyms, and while most everyone today recognizes “lol” as shorthand for “laughing out loud,” people who haven’t played multiplayer strategy or roleplaying games may not recognize “gg” (which is “good game,” a sportsmanlike concession of defeat) or might miss what their colleague means when they say a recent update has “nerfed” a product. (“Nerf” happens when something is revised or updated to make it worse or weaker rather than better.)
It’s a mark of how opaque slang from different Internet subcultures can be that services like WhatDoesIt.com now exist to provide searchable online lexicons or glossaries. Here are three recent slang terms that this online dictionary has helped decode. Notice that each has its origin in a different online community.
1. Sigma
This comes from online discussions of self-improvement, dating culture, and social hierarchy. A decade ago, it was common for people online to categorize individuals, especially men, as “alphas” or “betas,” a reference to the now-debunked theory that wolf packs organize themselves around a social hierarchy of an alpha male, alpha female, and beta wolves.
Finding the binary of alpha/beta too restrictive, people started to adopt a more varied nomenclature, though still based on letters of the Greek alphabet: gammas, deltas, and omegas were all alleged to embody particular social characteristics and communication strategies.
In today’s slang, the most popular or hip designation is “sigma.” So, what does sigma mean? A sigma is an independent, ambitious person who defines their style and doesn’t operate within traditional social structures. A sigma commands respect not by throwing their weight around but by being stylishly, insistently individualistic.
2. OG
So, what is the OG meaning? This term originated in hip-hop but was popularized widely in gaming culture. It refers to the “original gangster,” someone who was a forerunner in their field, an early adopter and influencer, someone who—in the parlance of the previous generation—was “doing it before it was cool” and someone who had a hand in making it cool.
An OG might be a veteran gamer who hit high scores in the original Starcraft or the pioneer of an artistic movement that has since become trendy. Like “sigma,” OG is usually a term of respect; this is someone experienced and authentic. (Online, you might also encounter someone who is a “GOAT” or the Greatest of All Time, someone who embodies the very best of their field; that term initially referred to the boxer Muhammad Ali.).
3. Doge
And then there’s the Doge meaning. This term comes from a popular Internet meme that was viral for quite a while. The meme featured a Shiba Inu dog whose captions were written in broken English. For example, Doge might respond to a clever observation with the caption, “Such wise, much wow.”
Today, there is a cryptocurrency named after Doge (Dogecoin), and Dogespeak has appeared in unexpected places online, achieving an influence that has long outlasted the meme that began it.
The Future of Internet Subculture
Five years from now, no one may be talking about sigmas, no one will be seen as an OG or a GOAT, and no one will remember Dogespeak. Even if a few of these will persist, what is certain is that the memes, games, and internet subcultures of the years ahead will spawn entirely new slang and shorthand that becomes widespread within specific online communities.
Luckily, online dictionaries like WhatDoesIt.com will help people translate and keep up.