Acoustic (Slang)

Submission 18,862

Part of a series on Internet Slang. [View Related Entries]

About

Acoustic is a euphemism or algospeak version of the word "autistic" (in reference to autism spectrum disorder), which is sometimes used as a derogatory term or insult to refer to people with mental disabilities but can also be used to describe someone or something exhibiting abnormal behavior in a more lighthearted way. The slang term has been used online since 2016 but it became increasingly prevalent online in early 2023, especially on Twitter / X and some parts of TikTok where users flooded comment sections of videos with the phrase "Is He Acoustic?" in a pejorative tone, referencing the Is He Stupid? meme.

Origin

Although it's unknown when the exact first use of the word "acoustic" as a replacement for the term "autistic" appeared online, Urban Dictionary^[1] user Medium Salsa posted an early explanation of the slang on December 12th, 2016, detailing that it refers to "A mispronunciation of 'autistic,' however, it is not synonymous with autistic. It is normally used when someone says/does something ridiculously stupid or ignorant." The post (shown below) amassed over 120 likes in seven years.

Spread

Prominent early usage of the term "acoustic" on social dates back to a photoshopped image of a baby's head shaped like a guitar paired with a WhatsApp message below it that reads, "What if your child was born acoustic?" The meme (shown below, left) was uploaded in October 2016 on several platforms, gaining more traction on X^[2] as user @NotForeign posted the photoshopped baby-face guitar on October 22nd, 2022, receiving roughly 95 likes and 63 retweets in seven years (shown below, right).

The term began appearing on other social media platforms, such as TikTok, in 2023 as it continued to spread online over the following years. For example, on October 29th, 2023, TikTok^[3] user @axlethekitty posted a video of a cat paired with the caption "Why is the car doing this, is he acoustic?" The post (shown below, left) amassed more than 1.6 million plays and 433,000 likes in five days.

On October 31st, TikTok^[4] user @lessshatemorelove posted a video with text overlay remarking on how the "is he acoustic" comments are "just a new way of people making autism seem quirky and infantilizing it instead of seeing as a disability." The post (shown below, right) garnered over 102,000 plays and 22,100 likes in three days.