Thot

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About

Thot is a denigrative slang term, originally defined as an acronym of “That hoe over there” but now generally used as a synonym for hoe or slut, especially in the context of trap music or modern rap.

Origin

The exact origin of thot is unknown, however word was first defined on Urban Dictionary on December 5th, 2012 and has since been independently defined 127 times.

Complex magazine claims that it originated in the Chicago Drill music community, and was first popularized by the local rapper Katie Got Bandz in her song “Ridin’ Round and We Drillin,”(below left) released on March 12th, 2012.^[2] On April 30th, 2012, another Chicago rapper named TKO released a single called “I Need a Thot” (below right).

Also according to Complex, a man named Duan Gaines claims to have first heard the term on set for a video shoot with Chief Keef. He then began using it on social media, popularizing the term.

Spread

In 2013, the word was used in many other song lyrics and titles, including KB’s “No Love for a Thot”, Chief Keef’s “Shine” and “Love No Thotties,” which received over 19 million plays on YouTube. It has also been used in songs by The Game, Juicy J, and Wash.

The term maintains a steady usage on all social media platforms, averaging between 10,000-15,000 uses per day on Twitter.^[3] Parody accounts like @Thotverses, created in April of 2012, have become popular, with more than 25,000 followers. In different Twitter and Instagram arguments, celebrities like Rihanna, T.I., Chris Brown, Azealia Banks, and 2Chainz have used the term against each other and overzealous fans.^[4]

More than 20 top search results for the term on Reddit have received more than 1000 points, including 10 which originated in /r/blackpeopletwitter.^[5]

The term is popularly integrated into several hashtags, including #thotsbelike, which is more popular on Instagram, and #youknowyouathot, which is more popular on Twitter.^[7] On Instagram, the tag #thotsbelike has over 91,000 posts as of June 2015.^[6] The term “thot” returns over 91,000 results on Vine in the same period.

Criticism

The criticisms for thot are similar to that of its synonyms. Writers have called the term misogynistic^[4], but some have identified it as also being a classist slur, similar to basic bitch and ratchet, identifying a woman who is not only sexually open but also interested in using her sexuality to receive inexpensive goods.^[9]

Thot Walk

Thot Walk is a style of dance marked by bouncy stepping in slow, rhythmic motion popularized by a 2014 hip hop song with the same name by Atlanta-based rappers Kayleb, Yung Cyph and John Boy. Since its debut in June 2014, both the song and the dance has spawned a series of audio-dubbed parodies and tribute performances on the video-sharing platform Vine.