In this paper, I examine the reasons for language change in Present-Day English by focusing on the changing frequency of slang words originating from the internet and memes. Drawing on the notion that external motivations are a primary factor in explaining their shifting relevance, I found that social norms—particularly the privileging of the popular—account for the falling out of favor or rise of certain terms. I argue that a meme word stays in use relative to its cool factor, by which I mean that the more perceived popularity a person believes the word holds, the higher the prestige the person feels. In order to maintain this prestige or “coolness,” the person will continue to use the word until he senses that its popularity has decreased. Reasons for the decline stem from the loss of exclusivity caused by oversaturation of the word or phrase. Using the word shows that the person is in “the know” as she’s up to date with the new slang and therefore enters into a group exclusive to those who recognize the word’s meaning. Over time, people outside the group discover the word and once these non-memers claim it as their own, the coolness of the word rapidly depreciates until it falls out of use altogether. To demonstrate this phenomenon, I detail the fall and rise of phrases with equivalent meanings: deez nuts and ligma/sigma. In essence, slang is tied to its perceived popularity; the cool factor is its exaltation while overexposure is its bane.

Carly Vordtriede would like to thank Dr. Ruth Evans for their support of this project.