# Subtweet Subtweet, short for 'subliminal tweet,' describes a Twitter post that talks about someone without tagging their handle. The term first surfaced in late 2009 among frustrated users, then blew up between 2011 and 2013 as celebrity feuds and gossip blogs turned the practice into one of Twitter's most gossiped-about social behaviors. ## Origin One of the earliest documented uses of the word 'subtweet' in this sense came from Twitter user @iChelz on December 2nd, 2009, in a post venting about mutuals who stopped texting or calling but still posted vague tweets[3]. The word is a shortening of 'subliminal tweet,' framing the post as a coded message the target is meant to notice[4]. The term picked up steam in mid-2010. On August 9th, 2010, 'subtweet' was added to Urban Dictionary, defined as 'talking about someone behind there back but sort of in their face'[4]. About a week later the #subtweet hashtag was catalogued in the Twitter hashtag database Tagdef, and on September 4th, 2010, the longer phrase 'subliminal tweeting' also got its own Urban Dictionary entry[3]. - **Platform:** Twitter - **Creator:** Unknown - **Date:** 2009 ## Overview A subtweet is a Twitter post covertly aimed at a specific person without using their @handle, letting the poster air a grievance or joke without directly summoning the target into the thread[3]. The practice is closely tied to the hashtag #OOMF, meaning 'one of my followers,' which lets people gesture at someone in their circle while keeping plausible deniability[3]. BuzzFeed writer Hillary Reinsberg framed the appeal and the ick factor of the format in a 2013 explainer, describing subtweeting as 'the online version of talking behind someone's back' and noting how it deliberately breaks Twitter's @-reply conversational structure so the subject can't easily track what's being said about them[1]. Urban Dictionary users boiled the same idea down more bluntly, calling it 'talking about someone behind their back but sort of in their face'[4]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Subtweet? A subtweet is a Twitter post that references a specific person without tagging their @handle, so the target isn't directly notified but followers can guess who it's about[1]. ### Where did Subtweet come from? One of the earliest uses of 'subtweet' in this sense came from @iChelz on December 2nd, 2009, in a tweet complaining about mutuals who wouldn't stay in touch offline[3]. ### What does Subtweet mean? It's a shortening of 'subliminal tweet,' meaning a post covertly aimed at someone without naming them, often described as talking behind their back but sort of in their face[4]. ### How do you use Subtweet? Typically you post a vague complaint, jab or reference that only the intended target and clued-in followers will recognize, often paired with the hashtag #OOMF for 'one of my followers'[3]. ### Is Subtweet still popular? The term became a fixture of Twitter vocabulary during its 2011 to 2013 peak, though by October 2013 BuzzFeed already argued heavy Twitter users were moving on and preferred to name names outright[2]. ## References 1. [https://www.buzzfeed.com/hillaryreinsberg/what-is-a-subtweet]() 2. [https://www.buzzfeed.com/mylestanzer/shots-fired-the-subtweet-is-dead]() 3. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subtweet]() 4. [https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Subtweet]() 5. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5aYYZOZxEQ]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/subtweet Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library