We all know what it means to flex. Not in the literal sense of the word, which is to “move or tense a muscle by contraction,” but the slang definition that means to “stunt or show off,” according to Urban Dictionary, and which gained mainstream popularity through rap music. So by proxy, “weird flex” would logically refer to something odd or questionable to brag about.
And that brings us to the latest evolution of lingo taking over the internet: “weird flex but ok.” Essentially, you could say it’s like the phrase equivalent of Jim from The Office cocking his head and squinting his eyes with a tight-lipped smirk into the camera.
The phrase began popping up here and there on Twitter over the summer, as you can see in a handful of examples below.
https://twitter.com/ka5sh/status/1042927028343758848
https://twitter.com/abila_ariana/status/1020421200919519232
https://twitter.com/Phantuums/status/1023611192986750979
https://twitter.com/skrongmeat_/status/1040728771857448960
https://twitter.com/WallOfWizards/status/1040690467355193344
https://twitter.com/PrimePhillyHive/status/1039720360629940230
https://twitter.com/joboblu/status/1042988867182157824
The phrase didn’t really go viral, however, until earlier this week when YouTube personality Sarah Schauer used it to make a joke about U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh telling Fox News that he was a virgin in high school and “many years after.”
https://twitter.com/SJSchauer/status/1044353823769268227
Kavanaugh made the odd claim to refute allegations that he had attempted sexual assault on accuser Christine Blasey Ford at a party in high school, and exposed himself to another woman when he was in college. The punchline, of course, is that neither woman alleged that Kavanaugh had intercourse with them—forced or otherwise—which made it sort of eyebrow-raising information to volunteer.
Now it’s safe to say that “weird flex but ok” has become fully ingrained in the lexicon of the internet, as you can see in some of the recent examples, post-Schauer’s tweet.
Me: I’ve ridden this many roller coasters and know a lot of facts about theme/amusement parks
— John Michael Pasquez (@redfirtree) September 25, 2018
Everyone: weird flex but ok
I can’t stop saying “weird flex but ok” irl the entire time I was at this skatepark there was a man sleeping in his car with his ac turned on and that was my response
— kadeem: bronze kneecap (@politetobugs) September 25, 2018
Weird flex but ok
— #3 (@chuntgus) September 26, 2018
And then there’s this timely example, that roasted President Trump getting laughed at by world leaders during his United Nations General Assembly speech on Tuesday:
https://twitter.com/lacroixvevo/status/1044635061939830784
Or this one, making fun of Lil Xan’s Hot Cheetos overdose hospitalization:
https://twitter.com/jordangabrish/status/1044942472143613954
Some people are saying “odd flex” instead of “weird flex,” but the message is still the same.
https://twitter.com/Harvested/status/1042938404558651393
So next time you catch wind of someone low key bragging about something they shouldn’t be, hit ’em with one of these. Friends don’t let friends “weird flex but ok.”
READ MORE:
- What does ‘yeet’ mean—and how did it become a meme?
- What does OG mean—and where does it come from?
- Everyone’s still in a Big Mood on Twitter
