‘It’s over for you b*tches’ is the defining meme of our generation

There’s nothing that captures the striving, hustling, stressed-out lives of young people in 2018 quite like ‘it’s over for you bitches.’

The phrase has become a hugely popular way of describing one’s goals, dreams, and daily troubles. As in, “Once I achieve my life’s ambitions, or even become able to function, it’s over for you bitches.” Fill in whatever you’re fighting to accomplish, no matter how lofty or quotidian, and you’ve got the hang of this meme.

It’s difficult to determine where “it’s over for you bitches” first started, but it’s entered the vernacular recently thanks to a handful of popular tweets. Taken as a whole, they form a meme based on identifying one’s own flaws and aspiring to overcome them.

https://twitter.com/classiciloveit/status/929840997147774976

once i defeat the chemical imbalance in my brain, its over for you hoes

— indie (@INDIEWASHERE) November 26, 2017

As soon as I abandon my corporeal form it’s over for you hoes

— post ironic rick astley (@gnomesdotcom) November 16, 2017

https://twitter.com/RyneIsMean/status/965644881090764800

The original “it’s over for you” boom hit in November 2017—although there are examples on Twitter going back years. The meme recently reemerged thanks to this viral tweet by popular YouTuber Seth Everman:

once i fix my sleep schedule, start eating healthy, get physically fit, beat depression, stop procrastinating, learn how to do taxes, get mentally strong enough to make phone calls, then it’s over for you bitches

— Seth Everman (@SethEverman) March 13, 2018

Now everyone’s ready for their big “glow up,” or at least ready to talk about all the work they’d have to do to make it happen. As Everman’s litany of challenges suggests, defeating the unnamed “bitches” in your life is much easier said than done.

Overarching themes of the meme include mental health …

https://twitter.com/pineabii/status/973432468291272704

https://twitter.com/milcacookies/status/974364981885063169

https://twitter.com/eleyynaa_/status/974324246502690817

… physical well-being …

https://twitter.com/_sharonclaud/status/974291989394010112

https://twitter.com/TahaAlhadithi98/status/974259028141527042

https://twitter.com/sadie_halsey/status/974150304529862656

… and financial stability.

when i finally get all my financial situations taken care of its over for you bitches

— AJ (@vifcafe) March 12, 2018

https://twitter.com/fleetwoodmvc/status/945362349065756672

https://twitter.com/alright_listen/status/972882296704524295

https://twitter.com/dannyzmn/status/972438230892101632

Do any of these people even have haters or doubters they need to prove wrong? Probably not, but setting up a metaphorical opponent can be more motivational and more manageable than facing up to your worst hater: yourself. That’s what makes this such a good and relatable meme—it’s funny and self-deprecating, but it’s also putting one’s struggles out into the world, where friends and followers can empathize and offer support.

Once you get a few likes and don’t feel so alone in your challenges, it’s over for these bitches.