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It seems there’s no shortage of video game terms that seep into social media spaces, and the phrase “lock in” is no exception. Gamer vernacular is not new––AFK, noob, grinding, and myriad other terms have been used as slang since the early 2000s, if not earlier. “Lock in” is the latest to appear in conversations both online and off. However, this new buzz phrase has nothing to do with being trapped somewhere with no way out.
What does it mean to ‘lock in’
You’ll likely hear the phrase “lock in” when someone is referring to their videogame play, but more netizens are using it to mean they are concentrating. To “lock in” means to become uber-focused, so much so that you “zone in” on the issue or subject at hand.
For instance, in gaming, one user may say they are “locking in” to get ready to smash some zombies or headshot opponents. In real life, others may use “locking in” to let people know it’s time to get serious, whether that’s focusing on writing a school paper or something general, like getting their sh–t together.
While the catchphrase gained popularity in early 2023, Know Your Meme tracks the first usage to Twitter back in 2011 when a poster used it in reference to his college paper.
In 2023, the meme went viral after an Instagram sh*t-post account shared an image that said, “When Face ID f–cking up and I gotta lock in.” In other words, they have to focus and concentrate on unlocking their phone.
Where did it come from?
Many wonder how the catchphrase came about and while there is no official backstory per online archives, some Redditors have speculated about the phrase’s origin.
On the r/words subreddit, one user inquired as to the term’s usage, and the highest upvoted comment shared the following:
“I don’t have a source, but in military type movies and stories first you do some calculating to figure out the coordinates of your missile or bomb or torpedo and once you know the coordinates you lock them in. They lock in the coordinates and lock onto the target. So I think the etymology is military in that lock-in means to commit.”
Another provided their input, stating, “My guess is that it was a derivative of the earlier colloquial meaning ‘to secure or confirm’… For example, ‘we’re ordering the entrees now, have you locked in your choice?’…This then morphed into just being a way to say ‘ready’ or ‘prepared’ for something.”
While these speculations are unconfirmed, they do seem like good guesses as to where “lock in” came from.
How to use ‘lock in’
Over on TikTok, creators have fun using the phrase for everything from stating they have to focus on school to concentrating on “rizzing” up a girl when she walks by.
In one video that earned 2.5 million views, a creator wrote, “When there’s 5 minutes left on the test and you suddenly understand so you gotta lock in.” The clip showed the protagonist of the “LEGO Movie” suddenly springing into action to fight the bad guys.
In another TikTok, one woman claims she is “locked in” at the beginning of all her relationships, meaning she is committed to her partner from the get-go.
So if you find yourself ready to continue that one abandoned project you promised yourself you’d finish, or are suddenly serious about focusing on your health goals, just know you gotta lock in first.
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