OVARIES

Submission 25,591

About

"OVARIES" is a common type of reaction image which usually involves the word "ovaries" superimposed on top of an explosion -- or at the very least a person gesturing an explosion with their hands. Alternatively, the usage of the term ovaries in a phrase superimposed on an attractive individual is also prevalent. It is commonly used by female users to express sexual arousal towards celebrities and fictional characters.

Origin

The earliest known instance of the term ovaries being used as a way for female users to express attraction can be found on Urban Dictionary where user Voxy_ uploaded a definition for the phrase 'ovary explosion' on September 29, 2009.^[2] The definition explains that the explosion effect is due to the large build-up of estrogen a woman experiences when faced with an attractive individual.

Although the earliest known instance is evident in Urban Dictionary, the website Crushable's author Natalie Zutter stated in her article All The Feels! My 10 Favorite Pieces Of Tumblr Lingo, published on August 8, 2012, that ovaries is one of the infamous terms that tumblr is held accountable for.^[4]

Spread

The "ovaries" tag on tumblr is full of reaction gifs.^[1] The usage of the term ovaries in the same manner as stated above can be found in an article from Buzz Feed Can You Make It Through This Post Without Your Ovaries Exploding? by Jenna Guillaume on Apr. 17, 2014.^[3] The article received 1,731,061 views.

Various Examples

Boom Pregnant!

Boom Pregnant! is a catchphrase or image caption most often found in response to a photo of a handsome man. The expression may have originated from Boom Headshot! a phrase popularized by an episode of web mockumentary Pure Pwnage.