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Scrolling In The Deep: Are you serving face?

We’re not talking about being served food at a restaurant.

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Gisselle Hernandez

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Scrolling In The Deep is a weekly column that defines internet slang you need to know to operate online. It runs on Wednesdays in the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter—but only our most dedicated readers get it.

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You don’t have to be chronically online to know the phrase “she’s serving,” but if you’re unacquainted, allow me to introduce you to yet another Gen Z slang stolen borrowed from drag culture.

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What does serving mean in slang?

From “she served” to “always serving face,” the term “serve” is a load-bearing turn of phrase in the Stan community. Stans, aka stalker fans or super fans, are known to have innumerable ways to praise their idols. Whether that’s calling their body tea, talking about their face cards, or claiming they’re “giving.” And since the 2010s, “serving” has been the ultimate go-to compliment that remains in Gen Zalpha’s lexicon today.

Serving c*nt

In essence, “serving” is quite similar to “it’s giving,” but while the latter can be used both negatively and positively, serving is almost always wielded as a compliment. Originating from Black drag culture and popularized by the reality show RuPaul’s Drag Race, “serving” wasn’t always used as a standalone slang. In fact, the phrase “serving c*nt” went viral a few years ago after RuPaul’s Drag Face used it to commend its actors.

The Daily Dot issued an explainer in 2023 on the surprising use of the previously frowned-upon word “c*nt.” The piece claimed that the slang serving c*nt “typically describes a person with an aggressively cool, bold outfit and/or attitude.” It spurred a plethora of memes on Twitter and TikTok, involving both celebrities and fictional characters within diverse fandoms. For instance, a popular example is when a netizen posted about the fairy Godmother from Shrek, writing in a post, “She lived, she served c*nt, then she died.”

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However, Gen Z does not always use c*nt when flattering someone–as mentioned previously, just the verb is used to flatter someone’s outfit, looks, or overall vibe.

How to use serve slang

Today, across TikTok and Twitter, social media users use “serve” in myriad ways. You can say someone’s “Serving face” if they are deemed attractive. Or you can note that someone “never serves,” as one poster wrote about Kendall Jenner’s latest modeling stunt.

“Cant believe this is one of the highest paid model out there. shes extremely boring and her ability to never serve is insane,” they wrote in a tweet.

In contrast, one Bridgerton stan shared a video of actress Simone Ashley by writing, “There was not a single frame where she looked bad like serving face every single episode.”

Sometimes, folks use “serving” almost interchangeably with “it’s giving.” For instance, you can say someone is “serving talent” like this tweet about Demi Lovato. Or even a general vibe, like “it’s serving enemies to lovers” when talking about an angsty TV romance.

In short, if there’s anything mildly impressive that you’d want to recommend to your Gen Z oomfs IRL, just tell them it’s a total serve.


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Want more Scrolling in the Deep?
Check out our previous explainers:

1) Scrolling In The Deep: Are you on someone’s opp list?

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2) Scrolling In The Deep: Have you been gagged?

3) Scrolling in the Deep: I’m gonna hold your hand when I say this…

 
The Daily Dot