Slang dictionary
got em
or got 鈥榚m or gotem [gawt uhm]
What does聽got em聽mean?
Often used in conjunction with memes, got em is a phrase said in triumph after successfully tricking someone, pulling off a prank, or making a joke at someone else鈥檚 expense.
Where does got em come from?
As an interjection refrain popularly used in response to a prank, got em can be found online since at least 2004. It was popularized online by the deez-nuts meme. This meme originated from a video created by Instagram user WelvenDaGreat.
The video was originally posted on March 20, 2015 on Instagram, which led to a dramatic increase in online queries for got em. In the video, WelvanDaGreat is on the phone with a friend, to whom he says that they got 鈥渟omething in the mail today.鈥� After a pause, the friend asks 鈥淲hat?鈥�, to which the response was 鈥渄eez nuts.鈥� After delivering the punchline, WelvenDaGreat laughs and hoots 鈥淕ot em!鈥�
However, since at least the 1400s, to get a person has meant to 鈥渃apture鈥� them, broadening over the centuries to 鈥渕ake them fall for a trick.鈥� 鈥楨尘 has been a colloquial pronoun for them or him since Old English.
Examples of got em
Who uses got em?
In casual speech and on social media, got em is used by pranksters and jokers as a kind of taunting punchline. It鈥檚 usually said after someone tricks or makes fun of another person. However, the most recent, popular iteration of the phrase is used in conjunction with a variation of the deez-nuts meme.
Outside of the deez-nuts meme, got em is associated with the Circle Game. This involves goading someone into looking at an OK-like hand gesture held below the waist. If the person looks at the gesture, the player will say 鈥済ot em鈥� and punch the other person. The phrase is also increasingly popular among sneakerheads, who post pictures of their new acquisitions with an accompanying “gotem” caption or hashtag. A notable exception to the typical user is the Fullerton PD Twitter account, which hashtags pursuits and arrests with 鈥�#gotem鈥� and 鈥�#winning.鈥�
Note
This is not meant to be a formal definition of got em like most terms we define on 亚洲网紅露点, but is rather an informal word summary that hopefully touches upon the key aspects of the meaning and usage of got em that will help our users expand their word mastery.