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Social Media Slang: "This," "Fr tho," "OK, boomer" and More

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Social Media Slang: "This," "Fr tho," "OK, boomer" and More

Millions of people share their thoughts and feelings online every day, and even more people respond by agreeing or disagreeing them. Today, let's learn six English slang expressions that people use to do just that.

Phrases for Agreeing

Fr tho

"Fr tho" stands for "for real though," and it means "I understand your thoughts or feelings. They are real." English speakers usually use this phrase when they comment on something relatable.

For example, here is a post that uses "fr tho" with pictures of someone who looks like they're enjoying a party but actually aren't. The person who posted this ("Stakk") is saying that they understand the person pictured and that they have probably been in the same situation before.

Preach

On social media, "preach" means "This is a great point. More people should hear this!" English speakers use this phrase when they strongly agree with someone.

For example, here is a post that says "PREACH." followed by a video which says that you can be a feminist and want a boyfriend at the same time. The account that made this post ("One Day at a Time") is saying that they agree with the video and that they hope more people hear this message.

Why does "preach" have this meaning? The original meaning of "preach" is "to give a religious speech." While the word is not used in a religious context here, it implies that a thought or opinion is insightful or inspiring β€” just like a religious speech.

This

On social media, you'll often see people write "This" all by itself. Like "preach," "this" is a way to strongly agree with someone. It means "Well said!" and "This is an important message. Let's all pay attention to it."

For example, here is a post that uses "This" followed by a paragraph which says that people should not feel like they need to immediately respond to online messages. The account that made this post uses "This" to show that they strongly agree with the paragraphs below and that they feel the ideas shared are important.

Phrases for Disagreeing

Now, let's learn some phrases English speakers use to disagree with others on social media. These can be rude, so we do not recommend using them unless with people you are very close with.

Delete your account

"Delete your account" is a sarcastic way to disagree with someone. When English speakers say this, they are not actually telling someone to shut down their account. This phrase means "You are saying some very stupid or disrespectful things."

For example, in the following post, US politician Hillary Clinton replies to a tweet by another politician, Donald Trump, with the words "Delete your account."

At the time, both Clinton and Trump were running for President of the United States, and Trump had insulted Clinton on Twitter. In response, Clinton tweeted "Delete your account." We can interpret this as "What you wrote is so silly that I will not give it a proper response. Stop making a fool of yourself on Twitter."

This ain't it, chief

"This ain't it, chief" means "I'm going to be honest with you. What you are saying isn't right."

For example, here is a post by author J.K. Rowling which ends with this phrase. By saying "this ain't it, chief," J.K. Rowling disagrees with the post below. She is saying "Let's be honest with each other. What you're saying did not happen."

"Chief" originally refers to someone who is in a higher position than you. In the phrase "this ain't it, chief," it is used in an ironic way.

OK boomer

"OK boomer" is a phrase that English speakers use to disagree with people who have ideas that are old-fashioned and possibly offensive.

For example, the following post uses "OK boomer" in the caption in response to something that many people believe: "Girls should have long hair." The phrase "OK boomer" here means something like "I don't care about your old-fashioned beliefs."

@sybil.kappert ok boomer #skeletonmoves #awkwardtexts #artschool #fyp ♬ ok boomer - Peter Kuli

"Boomer" refers to the "baby boomer" generation born between 1946 and 1964. So "OK boomer" is usually used by young people towards older people.

Want to learn more English slang?

If you want to learn more English slang expressions, book a lesson with a professional online tutor! At Engoo, we have hundreds of native English-speaking tutors from the US, UK, and Australia who can teach you all the slang you want to know. Learn more here.