How 'mogging' went from toxic term to mainstream
'Mogging' has seen its usage soar over the past year, with the Gen Z slang term being named Collins English Dictionary's word of the year.
TL;DR
- The Gen Z slang term 'mogging' has been named Collins English Dictionary's word of the year.
- It originated in the manosphere, an online community with hyper-masculine and often misogynistic content.
- Collins defines 'mogging' as 'the act of outshining or outperforming someone or something'.
- The term's usage has expanded through celebrity culture and everyday vocabulary, often used playfully or ironically.
- Origins trace back to the 2010s on bodybuilding and incel forums as 'AMOG' (Alpha Male of the Group) and has been described as a 'toxic term about extreme competitiveness'.
- Influencer Clavicular is known for 'looksmaxxing' content and posting clips of himself attempting to 'mog' people.
- Arnold Schwarzenegger humorously acknowledged the trend by referencing his bodybuilding past.
- Language consultant Tony Thorne suggests the term has been 'largely detoxified' and retains 'a tinge of mockery or irony'.
- Examples of mainstream usage include British Vogue describing actor Hudson Williams as 'mogging at the Golden Globes' and figure skater Alysa Liu stating her goal was to 'mog'.
- The term is still used in competitive contexts, such as fans comparing singers Zara Larsson and Tate McRae, or discussions around actors Noah Wyle and Jonathan Bailey.
- It is also used to describe someone appearing commanding, as seen in commentary about Maya Jama during Celebrity Traitors.
- The application of 'mogging' has broadened to include various categories like 'style-mogging', 'height-mogging', and 'car-mogging'.