Why Are People Using 'TS' To Mean 'This?' The Failed Appropriation Of The AAVE Slang Term Explained

Over the past year, a lot of people have been using the slang term "TS" incorrectly. Discourse and memes concerning its misuse have since spread online referencing the misinterpretation.

Many Black internet users seem to be fed up with the appropriation of African American Vernacular English, also known as AAVE. In fact, a lot of what the internet likes to call "brainrot slang" is really just AAVE after a few cycles of linguistic gentrification.

"TS" is no different, so let's explain what it means and why so many people think it means "this."

What Does 'TS' Mean In Slang?

"TS" is an abbreviation for "this shit" or "that shit." If you see it out in the wild, you should read it like that. Common sentences include, "TS frying me" or "TS got me dead," often referring to a funny viral video or meme that has a person loling.

It's most commonly written in all lowercase (like "ts") or with the T capitalized (like "Ts").

Why Do People Think 'TS' Means 'This?'

Last summer, "TS" gained viral usage on TikTok, Instagram and Twitter / X from people who knew what it meant. Somewhere along the way, the meaning got misconstrued and some began using it as a replacement for the word "this."

This led to some hilarious misuse. People were outing themselves as ignorant and, likely, also outing themselves as non-Black. For instance, many Black creators began making fun of its misuse, like TikToker @hatchbak, who couldn't believe that people would "rather die than admit that TikTokers take AAVE and bastardize it."

What Is The 'AAVE To Brainrot' Slang Pipeline?

There's a cultural phenomenon that some might call the "AAVE to Brainrot" slang pipeline, which has only ramped up this decade. The word "brainrot" is an umbrella term for any type of internet content that rots one's brain, like sludge content, AI slop or overly ironic memes.

"Brainrot" is also used to describe slang terms popular among Gen Z and Gen Alpha. Words like "skibidi" come to mind, but outside of that, most of the so-called brainrot slang terms were originally AAVE.

"Why is AAVE being called brainrot/TikTok slang?" X user @bubblypinkfreak asked her followers last year. Her post received over 71,000 likes and numerous replies. "The misuse of AAVE by white people is brainrot, not AAVE itself," one user suggested.

Slang terms like rizz and gyatt are two examples. They gained mainstream use in 2022 when streamer Kai Cenat and his friends used them constantly, which then rubbed off on their audience (that many speculate are just children).

Anonymity on social media has no doubt masked the age and race of many users, but the misuse of "TS" as "this" perhaps acts as a good litmus test.

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For the full history of Ts (This), be sure to check out Know Your Meme's entry for even more information.