Daddy

2013catchphraseclassic

Daddy is an internet slang term of affection used to address male authority figures or celebrity crushes in a sexualized way. The teen fandom usage took off around 2013 and 2014 on Twitter and Instagram, though the sexual sense of the word traces back to 'sugar daddy' terminology from the 1920s.

slang memesthirst memeshornyposting memeslgbtq memesfandom hype memes

Overview

Daddy is normally an English word for one's biological father, but online the term took on a completely separate sexual meaning aimed at hot older men1. In tweet replies and Instagram comments, calling a male celebrity 'daddy' signals attraction to someone who reads as older, dominant, or powerful2. Teens started dropping the single word under posts from famous men, like an updated version of the old comment board 'first,' except this daddy version came with obvious sexual charge2.

The daddy target is a specific archetype rather than any older man. GQ described him as a guy who commands respect and power but never fear, stays active on social media, and posts a steady stream of selfies2. He does not need to be a literal father. Politicians, actors, singers, athletes, and even religious leaders qualify if enough people online decide they want him. Urban Dictionary's kink oriented entries also document the bedroom usage, where a partner gets addressed as 'daddy' during sex as a dominance signal7.

How It Spread

On June 14, 2013, New York Magazine ran an essay titled 'Rise of the "Daddies": A New (and Sexy) Gay Niche,' which traced how the leather-daddy identity was moving out of the traditional scene and getting picked up by younger gay men beyond leather land1. The writer opened by describing being called daddy at 38 by his 26-year-old boyfriend, and argued the label was expanding past its old stereotype of the dominant older top who always pays the bill1.

The teen version broke into mainstream press in November 2014. New Zealand singer Lorde tweeted 'mom' in reply to Kim Kardashian's Paper Magazine cover, which confused a lot of people until she explained the fandom slang in a Tumblr blog post5. On November 19, 2014, BuzzFeed published 'Teens Are Now Referring To Their Favorite Celebrities As "Mom,"' rounding up examples of teens tweeting 'mom' at Selena Gomez, Katy Perry, Kendall Jenner, and Fifth Harmony the same way 'daddy' was aimed at male stars5.

By March 23, 2016, GQ published a mock scientific ranking of eight likely 'daddies' on social media, tallying reply counts to figure out who got called daddy most often. Then-One Direction member Zayn Malik ended up on top with more than 9,900 mentions2. Around the same 2016 election cycle, alt-right supporters of Donald Trump on Reddit and Twitter, including conservative writer Milo Yiannopoulos, adopted 'daddy' as a nickname for Trump6.

How to Use This Meme

Using 'daddy' online typically means dropping the single word as a reply or comment on a male celebrity's post to signal attraction. The word is often paired with sexual demands like 'choke me daddy' or the boy band derived compliment 'daddy af'4. During sex, some partners scream 'daddy' at a man they find dominant, an older kink-adjacent usage still catalogued on Urban Dictionary7. The female counterpart 'mom' works the same way when aimed at female celebrities like Selena Gomez or Katy Perry5.

Frequently Asked Questions

Daddy

2013catchphraseclassic

Daddy is an internet slang term of affection used to address male authority figures or celebrity crushes in a sexualized way. The teen fandom usage took off around 2013 and 2014 on Twitter and Instagram, though the sexual sense of the word traces back to 'sugar daddy' terminology from the 1920s.

slang memes thirst memes hornyposting memes lgbtq memes fandom hype memes

Overview

Daddy is normally an English word for one's biological father, but online the term took on a completely separate sexual meaning aimed at hot older men1. In tweet replies and Instagram comments, calling a male celebrity 'daddy' signals attraction to someone who reads as older, dominant, or powerful2. Teens started dropping the single word under posts from famous men, like an updated version of the old comment board 'first,' except this daddy version came with obvious sexual charge2.

The daddy target is a specific archetype rather than any older man. GQ described him as a guy who commands respect and power but never fear, stays active on social media, and posts a steady stream of selfies2. He does not need to be a literal father. Politicians, actors, singers, athletes, and even religious leaders qualify if enough people online decide they want him. Urban Dictionary's kink oriented entries also document the bedroom usage, where a partner gets addressed as 'daddy' during sex as a dominance signal7.

How It Spread

On June 14, 2013, New York Magazine ran an essay titled 'Rise of the "Daddies": A New (and Sexy) Gay Niche,' which traced how the leather-daddy identity was moving out of the traditional scene and getting picked up by younger gay men beyond leather land1. The writer opened by describing being called daddy at 38 by his 26-year-old boyfriend, and argued the label was expanding past its old stereotype of the dominant older top who always pays the bill1.

The teen version broke into mainstream press in November 2014. New Zealand singer Lorde tweeted 'mom' in reply to Kim Kardashian's Paper Magazine cover, which confused a lot of people until she explained the fandom slang in a Tumblr blog post5. On November 19, 2014, BuzzFeed published 'Teens Are Now Referring To Their Favorite Celebrities As "Mom,"' rounding up examples of teens tweeting 'mom' at Selena Gomez, Katy Perry, Kendall Jenner, and Fifth Harmony the same way 'daddy' was aimed at male stars5.

By March 23, 2016, GQ published a mock scientific ranking of eight likely 'daddies' on social media, tallying reply counts to figure out who got called daddy most often. Then-One Direction member Zayn Malik ended up on top with more than 9,900 mentions2. Around the same 2016 election cycle, alt-right supporters of Donald Trump on Reddit and Twitter, including conservative writer Milo Yiannopoulos, adopted 'daddy' as a nickname for Trump6.

How to Use This Meme

Using 'daddy' online typically means dropping the single word as a reply or comment on a male celebrity's post to signal attraction. The word is often paired with sexual demands like 'choke me daddy' or the boy band derived compliment 'daddy af'4. During sex, some partners scream 'daddy' at a man they find dominant, an older kink-adjacent usage still catalogued on Urban Dictionary7. The female counterpart 'mom' works the same way when aimed at female celebrities like Selena Gomez or Katy Perry5.

Frequently Asked Questions