KYM Review: The Internet Slang of 2018

Editor’s Note: This article is part of Know Your Meme’s annual review series looking back at some of the most memorable and popular memes, events and people that defined internet culture in 2018 as we know it.

he year 2018 was a tough year for a lot of people. A constant stream of surreal, dumpster-fire political news, fiery hot takes, global disasters, school shootings, and kidnapped children made scrolling through social media feeds at times unbearable. Perhaps that’s why most of the popular slang of the year is pretty wholesome. Many of the most popular phrases of the year have an upbeat twist to them, the equivalent of a pat on the back and an understanding nod. Some are straight up compliments, others words of encouragement. It’s as though when faced with a collectively difficult set of circumstances, the internet took a break from firing negativity back and forth (though there was still plenty of negativity, mind you) and adopted a new parlance that, even at its most biting, was pretty nice.

Chonk

Oh lawd he comin! Cats, as always, had another great year online, and this year that took the form of the excellent Cats Wanting Fruit Loops meme and Chonk. Chonk is an excellent way to describe a fat cat, and the Chonk Facebook group grew into one of the biggest cat-sharing pages of 2018. The community of wholesome cat lovers use their chonkers to brighten each other’s days, making for one of the lovelier experiences you can have online.

This Ain’t It, Chief

For some reason, 2018 featured two memes featuring the word “chief” (the other is "Imma Keep It Real With U Chief"). The word “Chief” is a perfect backhanded term of endearment, barbed with condescension and affection, and it became the premiere way to address those with bad takes in 2018. A solid “This ain’t it chief” undercuts the effort a person made in making an Important Point, dismissing it with the just right amount of bite. It's as though your kid presented you with just a horrible project they worked really hard on, so you pat them on the back and say, gently, "Chief… this ain't it."

Weird Flex But Ok

Like many slang spawned in 2018, “Weird Flex But Ok” is an update of a long-running meme but given a slight tweak to fit the general 2018 attitude of letting things pass with a chill-but- condescending dismissal. “Weird Flex But Ok” is the 2018 update of “retweeted by Humblebrag,” a shot at the a-little-too-full-of-themselves posters of Twitter. “Weird Flex But Ok” works best for the bizarre brags, like Brett Kavanaugh bragging he was a virgin for many years or a guy bragging he spends hundreds of dollars on gummie bears. It’s a slightly biting comment to let these braggadocious ducks know that their arrogance is noted, and ignored, which is what Twitter should be.

Big Dick Energy

“Energy” as a concept was a massive trend in 2018, and it all started with “Big Dick Energy.” Thanks in part to Ariana Grande, much of the internet spent their summer identifying which celebrities had “Big Dick Energy” (BDE). Of note, one does not need a penis to have Big Dick Energy, but rather the confidence one carries when they have a big penis. For example, Bob Ross definitely has Big Dick Energy, but Dr. Strange doesn’t have BDE. It’s a term with a fuzzy definition--you either sense it or you don’t. This made it perfect for endless debate, as topics neither party fully understands make for the best arguments.

Same Energy

After “Big Dick Energy,” it seemed like everything on the internet was emitting an energy. This took the form of “Same Energy,” which was essentially an update of the Totally Looks Like meme. It wasn’t the most creative format, but for months of 2018, one couldn’t check Twitter without seeing two pictures that sort of looked similar with the comment “Same Energy.” Perhaps “Energy” as a meme reached its saturation point and we won’t see it in 2019, but there’s no doubt 2018 was the year all of the internet shared the same, well, energy.

Absolute Unit

As “Chonk” could be considered a body positive meme for cats, “Absolute Unit” could be considered a body positive meme for large, beefy boys. It started with a tweet about British hotelier David Morgan-Hewitt, who is genuinely one of the largest men ever. A Twitter user saw him and sparked the phrase. “In awe at the size of this lad. Absolute unit.” is not only one of the most well-crafted phrases in modern English, it offers respect to the portlier among us, not mocking their size, but appreciating the sheer scope of it.

Let’s Get This Bread

As the prophet Delonge once said: “Work sucks. I know.” We’ve all had days where we don’t want to get out of bed, but somehow, “Let’s Get This Bread” makes that all better. The phrase is one of the most motivating I’ve ever heard. Though it started spreading in 2017, a series of Mascot Selfies paired with the phrase helped it go viral in 2018. Nothing revs the engines like seeing a Baskin Robbins ice cream cone say “Rise and grind. Let’s get this bread. No days off.” It almost make work ethic seem cool, which is frankly stunning.

Oopsie Woopsie

As internet companies try to get more “in touch” with their millennial audiences, they sometimes go overboard with cutesy speak to appear relatable. This trend was skewered brilliantly by a tweet from @cherrikissu that read "OOPSIE WOOPSIE!! Uwu We made a fucky wucky!! A wittle fucko boingo! The code monkeys at our headquarters are working VEWY HAWD to fix this!" The tweet later became a hit on /r/me_irl, as edits mocked every mishap and PR disaster, from Tumblr shooting itself in the foot to Bethesda riding the Oopsie Woopsie nuke to their own destruction. It even became a running gag in the KYM office whenever the site experienced an error. I'll always fondly remember IM-ing Don letting him know the site made a fucky wucky uwu :O.

30 Year Old Boomer

If you’re a regular at Know Your Meme, you probably know that the 30 Year Old Boomer is one of the staff’s favorite memes. He’s just so jolly! Mowing the lawn, playing Quake, drinking Monster, listening to AC/DC; how could you not like the guy? The character spawned several Wojak variations over the year, from the surreal Zoomer to the depressed, kinda anti-semitic Doomer. In some ways, the character represents the early meme generation getting older and shifting to adulthood, falling into its comfortable habits and finding the peace in being a functioning adult. That certainly struck a chord with our staff, and our smirking Boomer friend is, for us, undoubtedly most entertaining memes of 2018.

It Really Do Be Like That Sometimes

In a world of confusing circumstances, “It really do be like that sometimes” is a terrific phrase which underlines the universal emotions we all feel. Originally, the meme was used as a type of deep-fried shitpost, but in 2018, it took off as a way for people to offer the meme equivalent of a solemn head nod. It's Feels Guy come to life. TFW No GF? It really do be like that sometimes. Stuck in a dead-end job? It really do be like that sometimes. Sometimes you don’t think it be like that, but it really do. A wholesome mantra that helped us all get through 2018.