A bi-weekly updated list of sticky words and phrases for creatives, word smiths, strategists, and writers to go to town with. Think internet speak, overheard subway convos, a friend’s made-up phrase, quaint euphemisms, and more! ❀ enjoy ✎
week of dec 8
〰️
week of dec 8 〰️
“like
water off a duck’s back.”
1.
💡 it means to feel no effect on an insult, criticism, or unpleasant moment, like water simply rolling off feathers.
🔎 heard first when my friend, Meera, said it in reference to brushing off something annoying.
🌏 popularized by Jinkx Monsoon, who used it as her mantra in RuPaul’s Drag Race to stay strong against harsh judges.
🍯 sticky because the idiom has a strong (and cute) visual that feels cathartic.
🗣️ also used in this 1894 newspaper ad for Pearline Soap // Gucci Mane talking about haters // someone describing it as a duck twerk.
💡 it means (or stands for) Just Another Guy or Just Another Girl, someone ordinary/not special, commonly used in sports for average, replaceable players.
🔎 heard first when a friend used it to describe a guy she was dating.
🌏 coined by NFL coach, Bill Parcells, who used a system of acronyms to evaluate players in the early 80s.
🍯 sticky because it’s short and easy acronym with flex to be used in worlds beyond sports, like dating.
🗣️ also used in this self-help video // how NFL player Steve Smith Sr describes wide receiver Jerry Jeudy.
“he’s a jag and you deserve better.”
2.
“if you’ll excuse us just
a clock tick.”
3.
💡 it means “just a sec” or “wait a moment” in Ozian slang.
🔎 spotted first in the new Wicked: For Good, where almost every character says it.
🌏 coined by Gregory Maguire in his original Wicked novel in reference to the “clock of the time dragon”: traveling show with mechanized puppets, a clock, and a tik-tok dragon. Elphaba was said to be born inside it, & in the musical, the stage is designed to look like said clock.
🍯 sticky because there’s just an antiquated charm when you measure time with a tick.
🗣️ also used in this TikTok and this making fun of it // this threads about Jonathan Bailey // this threads of someone claiming it as their fave measure of time.
“that story did not make a lick of sense.”
4.
💡 it means to have any small sense of judgment or common sense.
🔎 heard first in this Nov 19 episode of Ride The Podcast from 22:43 - 23:19!
🌏 coined by…the jury is still out! But it’s known to be a Southern saying, as seen here and here.
🍯 sticky because “lick” is a ridiculous yet funny (and uncommon) way to measure how little something makes sense.
🗣️ also used by this threads post about a woman’s secret superpower // a TikTok about how rare it is to find decent men
“we’re such cidiots for getting lost in this hike.”
5.
💡 it means a mashup of “city” + “idiot” as an insult to city dwellers who lack rural knowledge. basically the opposite of “bumpkin”.
🔎 spotted first by my friend, Sydney, who saw it in the comments section of a TikTok that made fun of how Fishkill, NY is getting taken over by city people.
🌏 coined by …the jury is out! But the phrase gained prominence in the Hudson Valley/Catskills region of upstate NY to describe rich people who visit the area seasonally.
🍯 sticky because it’s a catchy combo of two simple words that gives birth to an archetype.
🗣️ also used as the title of this podcast hosted by Mat Zucker who embraces his cidiot status himself // a TikTok about labor day // this tweet about someone making jam.
stay tuned for next-next week's list!
〰️
stay tuned for next-next week's list! 〰️
submit a
something!
Did you and your friends make up a better word for “ghosting” over dinner? Is there a Shakesperean phrase that you think deserves a comeback? Let’s get your word out there.
the archives
-
“Y’all bodied this.”
💡 it means to have done something so profoundly well that nothing else compares.
🔎 spotted first on my friend’s IG comment on me & my boyfriend’s Nosferatu costume for Halloween.
🌏 popularized by hip hop culture and rappers to mean “defeat” or “dominate” someone else in a rap battle.
🍯 sticky because it’s several clicks above “ate” but feels more all-encompassing and visceral.
🗣️ also used as the title of Eminem's rap battle movie // this kpop stan tweet -
“My body bluetooth connected to the toilet before I got there.”
💡 it means your body’s ability to sync up with an object related to that highly anticipated state of being.
🔎 spotted first in a podcast episode of “Brooke & Connor Make a Podcast” when Connor spoke about his need to pee.
🌏 coined by… the jury is still out!
🍯 sticky because it encapsulates a primal need in a hilariously modernized way.
🗣️ also used in this ultra relatable TikTok. -
“Crazymakers create storm centers.”
💡 it means someone in your life who stirs up nothing but chaos, drama, and is manipulative beyond belief.
🔎 spotted first in Chapter 2 of the book I’m reading, “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron.
🌏 coined by Julia Cameron herself! What a queen. Read more about it here.
🍯 sticky because it combines two simple words to define disruption in human form.
🗣️ also used inthis Oprah article // not a lot yet! you could be one of the first… -
“I’m feeling a bit overstimmy.”
💡 it means to feel overwhelmed through all your sense receptors, like “overstimulated” but said in a more playful way.
🔎 spotted first honestly not sure where. the word came to mind recently when I actually was a bit overstimmy!
🌏 invented by … the jury is out! “Overstimulated” dates back to the 1800s , and “stimmy” is short for “stimulus”, which became popular in 2020 in reference to the economic impact payments.
🍯 sticky because it brings a sort of lightness & humor to what is felt as a negative feeling, in a similar to way that “crashout” or “menti-b” is.
🗣️ also used in this TikTok post about going into monk mode // this cat adoption video // this super valid Threads post -
“She has a seraphic look to her.”
💡 it means beautiful in an angelic way, from the Late Latin word “seraphin” = angelic being.
🔎 spotted first on a tweet with a photo of Katseye’s Daniela.
🌏 coined by (most likely) John Milton in his epic poem “Paradise Lost” in 1667.
🍯 sticky because it rolls off the tongue beautifully… the “se” and “ph” give it a mystical feel.
🗣️ also used as inspo for the kpop group’s name “LE SSERAFIM” // this quote about Cosette from Les Misérables