Please define the proper usage/context of the following phrases/words that I hear all the time:

Epic -

Epic Fail -

Douche / Douchebag / DB -

20 somethings use these terms a lot, please to clarify, kthx. I thought epic/epic fail was only gamer speak, but apparently not.

6/1/2009 9:55:04 AM

urbandictionary.com

6/1/2009 9:55:41 AM

Consider this an insourcing exercise, urbandictionary is out of touch with the inner nerd. tww is our only hope.

6/1/2009 9:57:06 AM

wat?

6/1/2009 10:02:32 AM

epic fail (n.) 1. this thread.

6/1/2009 10:04:23 AM

yeah, i dropped my jaw the other night when I was at a bar and heard an attractive girl (and not a nerdy hot girl either) say "epic fail"

i can't handle internet memes becoming mainstream.

6/1/2009 10:05:08 AM

Douchebagette

[Edited on June 1, 2009 at 10:06 AM. Reason : f]

6/1/2009 10:06:44 AM

epic fail is a really good phrase to use. It'll pretty much describe any huge screw up, that sometimes is funny to reflect on after the fact.

For example, lets say I spent all night working on a homework assignment, and the next day i realized i did the wrong homework. That would be an epic fail.

6/1/2009 10:15:12 AM

these "memes" were phrases in common use well before the Internet got ahold of them

you would have to be not only completely ignorant of online culture but an uneducated social pariah to have never encountered them

6/1/2009 10:52:36 AM

Quote :

"these "memes" were phrases in common use well before the Internet got ahold of them "

Can you back up this claim with any evidence?

[Edited on June 1, 2009 at 11:01 AM. Reason : specifically, "epic fail"]

6/1/2009 11:00:57 AM

I don't say "fail" or "epic" or "epic fail" anywhere except on the internet.

6/1/2009 11:02:25 AM

Douche or douchebag is way more common and not really nerdy, but epic and epic fail are definitely nerdy. I went on a date recently and the girl said all the guys in pink shirts at the bar were douches, and that she loves watching them epically fail to buy her drinks. I was impressed and also confused, because this chick was far from nerd.

6/1/2009 11:26:30 AM

nerds come in all shapes and sizes these days

6/1/2009 11:27:32 AM

I thought epic and epic fail were confined to nerdy sites on the internet.

6/1/2009 11:29:14 AM

i don't think that fail or epic fail are really nerdy. i've heard non nerdy people say it plenty of times.

6/1/2009 11:31:50 AM

Quote :

"Can you back up this claim with any evidence? specifically, "epic fail""

I was referring to "epic", "fail", "douche," and "douchebag" specifically.

I don't think "epic fail" has greater expressivity than the sum of its parts, and prior to the popularity of "epic fail" the noun form of fail was common enough to occur in several dictionaries -- take your pick.

6/1/2009 11:55:58 AM

Douchebag isn't internet related at all, people say it in real life all the time

6/1/2009 11:58:29 AM

^ to your face?

6/1/2009 12:00:04 PM

2009: "epic fail"


1989:

6/1/2009 12:08:16 PM

the over-use of epic reminds me of this t-shirt:

6/1/2009 1:41:36 PM

yeah epic fail is definitely in a lot of ppls vernacular now a days

6/1/2009 1:43:25 PM

[Edited on June 1, 2009 at 1:44 PM. Reason : double tagged that bitch]

6/1/2009 1:43:53 PM

Quote :

"^ to your face?"

usually behind my back

people are afraid to say that kind of shit to my face

6/1/2009 2:09:24 PM

nerd is now mainstream. yea they stole that from us too.

6/1/2009 2:09:29 PM

TWW is now mainstream. yea they stole that from us too.

6/1/2009 2:10:53 PM

Quote :

"I don't think "epic fail" has greater expressivity than the sum of its parts, and prior to the popularity of "epic fail" the noun form of fail was common enough to occur in several dictionaries -- take your pick."

yeah, you're being intentionally obtuse.

gay.

6/1/2009 2:12:32 PM

Quote :

"nerds come in all shapes and sizes these days"

Pretty much. I'm amazed when I hear a well-adjusted and normal person mention they play/have played WoW. And not tried it, been addicted to where they just had to quit.

It might be more accurate to say it takes more to be considered a 'nerd'.

6/1/2009 2:22:17 PM

Quote :

"usually behind my back people are afraid to say that kind of shit to my face"

Not this person.

6/1/2009 3:03:37 PM

you're 26 - you are a 20 something - how far removed from society are you?

6/1/2009 3:05:40 PM

I'm not far removed at all. I just wanted to hear what tww thought about epic fail coming into the mainstream from the nerd caves. This is not a new phenomena, it's just less clear cut as to how it leaked into the mainstream.

[Edited on June 1, 2009 at 3:11 PM. Reason : -]

6/1/2009 3:08:15 PM

This thread's off the heezy, yo!

6/1/2009 3:10:54 PM

^^I think "FAIL" clearly made it into the mainstream here:



With facebook and sharing images, stories, and videos it's pretty easy for an "internet nerd" meme to go mainstream.

6/1/2009 3:17:18 PM

epic fail is a terrible internet fad from a terrible internet forum.

6/1/2009 3:19:27 PM

So, are you saying that "epic fail" is... an epic fail?

6/1/2009 3:20:28 PM