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For once, Gen Z has not invented––or stolen––a word for something that already exists but has instead reclaimed it in a new way. “Yapping” has seen a resurgence on social media in the past year, with the main culprit being TikTok users. But does “yap” still mean what it used to mean? In short, yes.
What does yapping mean on TikTok?
The old-fashioned term for talking someone’s ear off has gotten its hooks into Gen Z lately. From netizens declaring themselves “certified yappers,” to mocking chatterboxes with “what is bro yapping about,” the slang term is all anyone is yapping about these days (sorry.) The definition of yap is to talk annoyingly or loudly at great length. That hasn’t changed–but for some reason, Gen Z has taken the word and used it to describe any sort of talking, irritating or not.
Origin of yapping
The term didn’t always mean talking excessively–according to the Oxford English Dictionary, the “earliest known use of the noun yap is in the early 1600s” to describe the bark of a small dog. According to Yahoo News, a linguistics professor at Syracuse University attributed the change of using it to mean chattering to a process called “semantic drift.” Since then, the word has been used to describe chatty people, often women, in a demeaning way. But in today’s social media, its wielders have changed.
How to use ‘yapping’ online
As mentioned, “yappers” or “yapping” was historically used to ridicule women whenever they spoke, with the insult eventually defining anybody who likes to talk with little substance. Today, however, Gen Z and Alpha proudly declare themselves “yappers” if they like to chat or are extroverts. Where the original definition was used as a way to invalidate someone’s meaningless musings, TikTokers have embraced this part of their personality. You’ll see 10-minute rants on TikTok with the caption “yap session,” or memes of folks being forced to work but “born to yap.”
The most recent trend is one where folks are sharing places engineered for a perfect yammering session. A TikToker will share the inside of a Goodwill store and caption it, “this and yap,” implying there’s nothing better in this life than digging through musty old bins while gossiping with your friend. Or similarly, one may post a clip of a beautiful mountaintop in Switzerland, with the caption “this and yap.” Because the meaning of life is obviously rooted in enjoying breathtaking vistas while ranting to your friend about your own life’s drama.
So if you find yourself reeling it in when blabbing away, don’t be embarrassed. Let it out and enjoy the stream of consciousness. It means you’re simply a yapper at heart.
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