Download the article What does unc mean? And why is everyone saying that?
This article was co-authored by wikiHow writer Luke Smith, MFA. Luke Smith is a staff writer for wikiHow. He worked for literary agents, publishing houses and many authors, and his works were published in a number of literary magazines. Now Luke writes for the content team at wikiHow and hopes to help readers expand their skills and the limits of their curiosity. Luke received his master’s degree from the University of Montana. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of all quoted facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 1042 times. Find out more…
You’ve probably seen people on TikTok call each other “unc” or say someone has “unc status.” It’s a light-hearted way of calling someone old and has its roots in African-American vernacular English. We’ll explain more about what it means, the signs that someone is “unc”, how to use the word, its origins and related slang to keep you up to date with internet lingo.
“Unc” is an African American vernacular English term that is short for “unc”. People on TikTok and Twitter/X often use it to call other people old, especially when they are perceived to be acting much older than they really are.
Use “unc” or “unc status” to make a joke about a friend who is acting too old. Have a friend who seems to be slowly aging into his senior status, even though he’s only 19? Or maybe they really just get old. Call them “unc” to let them know they are not the young person they used to be.
- Example: “Sorry, uncle, I’m just too fast for you. Maybe you could have taken me 5 years ago.”
- Example: “Hey uncle, you still have your phone from 2015. Maybe it’s time to update?”
Use “unc” to refer to your actual uncle. Of course, “unc” can also just be used to talk about your real, actual uncle, even if they don’t necessarily have unc vibes. But they usually have unc vibes. That makes them your uncles. (And if they are your mom or dad’s brother, of course.)
- Example: “Uncle is picking me up in 10. We’re getting ice cream.”
- Example: “How’s it going, uncle? Long time no see, how is Aunt Carol?”
“Unc” was popularized by TikTok in 2021. In June 2021, TikTok user @callmechosen85 uploaded a video titled “When you realize you’ve OFFICIALLY reached ‘Unc Status…'” featuring someone calling him “unc” in passing, then a shot of him sitting deep in thought on sidewalk. The video garnered 900,000 views and probably helped the term take off on the internet.[2]
“Unc” was brought into the mainstream by rappers like Gucci Mane. Even before TikTok’s Gucci Mane used the word “unc” in his 2014 song “On The Way” and J. Cole used the word in his 2018 song “Brackets.”[3]
Artists like these probably helped popularize the word before it hit the internet.“Unc” is a common word in African American vernacular English. Note that “uncle” is not just a catch-all term for “uncle.” In reality, it has its roots in the African American experience and language. Traditionally, African Americans use it to talk about their own family members and to describe their specific and personal experiences with those family members, which has a lot to do with the individual’s culture.
Oldhead This is another AAVE term used for an elderly person, someone with old tastes, or someone who has a lot of life experience and is now passing it on to younger generations.[4]
- Example: “That old man Jamie taught me how to fix a car engine.”
Beekeeping age This is a light-hearted expression for an older, attractive man. It comes from the animated comedy series Rick and Morty, in a scene where two characters admire an elderly man who keeps bees.[5]
- Example: “I’m tired of immature guys. I want a man of beekeeping age.”
Categories: How to
Source: HIS Education