What Does “Chopped” Mean? The Insulting Slang Term Is Rooted in Black and LGBTQ+ Culture

As the world continues evolving, so do popular slang terms. In the '90s, saying someone was "all that and a bag of chips" was a terrific way to tell someone you enjoy their physical appearance or aura. Then, the early 2000s gave us words like "bling bling," which many people have used to describe their affinity for the finer things in life.

While slang terms popularized in society and pop culture feel like they've been around forever, as the wise Crissle West of The Read often says, "Words mean things."

So, when words seem to enter the zeitgeist randomly, chances are there's an origin story.

Take the term "chopped" for instance. If you're active on social media, particularly TikTok, you've heard chopped used in multiple content creators' vernaculars. But many don't know that the social media lingo is strongly tied to Black and LGBTQ+ culture.

Let's have a little history lesson, shall we?

Many TikTok users felt old and exhausted after seeing yet another slang term on their For You Pages when chopped began making its rounds online. However, the word isn't a new phenomenon, as it has been around for years in other countries before it was popularized in the U.S. and is a way to call someone "ugly" or just not their type of hype.

According to a 2017 article from The City University of New York (CUNY), there is "no specific place the slang word chopped originated from." However, the term became known in Toronto, Canada, and South Africa. Toronto rapper Jazz Cartier sat down with The Fader to discuss the term in 2016 and said it is best defined as something that is "not normal" and used examples like selling drugs or former Florida governor Jeb Bush posting a photo of his handgun on X (formerly Twitter) as ways someone can be "chopped."

"A person can be chopped, a situation can be chopped, an object can be chopped," Jazz explained in the video.

In addition to Toronto and South Africa, chopped was also adopted into New York slang, though it means the same thing. Rapper Lola Brooke explained how someone she isn't attracted to is instantly labeled chopped in her group chats.

"If someone isn't my type of speed, they're definitely chopped," Lola said during a game with Cocoa Butter.

Lola added that New Yorkers put their own spin on chopped by adding that someone can be "chopped cheese." The term, inspired by a beloved New York sandwich.

"With our lingo, we like, put some seasoning into it sometimes," Lola explained. "Instead of saying 'Yo, you chopped' we say 'Yo, you chopped cheese.' That means you extra unattractive."

In addition to calling someone unattractive by saying they're "chopped," the term is also a way to call someone in when their skills aren't up to par. The term has often been used in the LGBTQ+ ballroom culture, which has been shown in pop culture through the 1990 documentary Paris Is Burning and FX's scripted series, Pose, starring MJ Rodriguez and Billy Porter. When someone in the culture says someone was "chopped," it means they were cut from one of the ballroom's performance categories.

Drag queen legend RuPaul made the queer definition of mainstream on RuPaul's Drag Race. During each elimination round of the popular series, RuPaul tells the eliminated contestant they're "chopped," and won't move forward in the competition. While the Emmy-winning host isn't calling the contestant ugly by saying they're chopped, it's still used as a way of rejection.

Moral of the story, if someone says you're chopped, they're simply not the person for you. However, when you love yourself, anyone who doesn't see your beauty and worth is the real chopped cheese!