RuPaul's Drag Race terminology

A number of slang terms have been used on the American reality competition television series RuPaul's Drag Race (2009–present), in which RuPaul searches for "America's next drag superstar".

Logo for RuPaul's Drag Race

During his 2018 appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, RuPaul described some of the show's terminology to host Stephen Colbert.[1]

List of terms and definitions

Slang terms used on the series have included:

  • American dream[2]
"Bam" is a joyous expression used by Alexis Mateo (pictured in 2018).
Tatianna (center) uses the catchphrase "choices".
  • choices: a catchphrase used by Tatianna (season 2; All Stars season 2)[3]
  • condragulations[2][6]
  • cooking: allowing time for face powder to set[4]
  • country realness: "authentic Southern style" and a season 2 runway category[2]
"Cucu" is Cynthia Lee Fontaine's name for the buttocks.
Yara Sofia (pictured in 2016) uses the catchphrase "echa pa lante", which translates to "go for it" in Spanish.
  • echa pa lante: a catchphrase translating to "go for it" in Spanish, used by Yara Sofia (season 3; All Stars season 1)[2][3]
  • eleganza extravaganza[6] / extravaganza eleganza[2]
  • family[4]
  • fierce[2][4]
  • fierce jazzercise realness[2]
  • fish[4][6] / fishy[2][5]
  • gag[5][6] / gagging[9]
  • garage doors[2]
  • girl / gurl[6]
  • go Mary-Kate[2]
Shangela (pictured in 2017) uses the catchphrase "halleloo".
  • halleloo: an expression of joy or praise used by Shangela (seasons 2 and 3; All Stars season 3)[2] as another way of saying "hallelujah";[3] the phrase is "impossible to forget" and "without question, the first legitimate catch phrase that came out of this franchise", according to Screen Rant's Bernardo Sim[3]
  • heather[2]
  • henny: catchphrase popularized by Stacy Layne Matthews (season 3), who returned for the All Stars season 4 episode "Super Girl Groups, Henny!"; outside Drag Race, the term is sometimes used as another way to pronounce "honey"[3]
  • hieeee: catchphrase popularized by Alaska Thunderfuck (season 5; All Stars season 2), sometimes said high-pitched; later used by other contestants, as well as RuPaul and Michelle Visage on most episodes of the podcast What's the Tea?[3]
  • house[4]
  • hunty[6][10]
  • interior illusions lounge: a backstage room where contestants wait during judge deliberations[2]
  • kai kai[2][11]
  • ki ki[6] / kiki[5][9]
  • ladyboy: a synonym for a drag queen, and a song by RuPaul performed by season 2 contestants[2]
  • leotarded: wearing a bodysuit[2]
  • library[4][6]
  • lip sync for your life[2][6]
  • Meryl Streep realness[2]
  • Miss Vanjie: a catchphrase made "instantly famous" by Vanessa Vanjie Mateo (seasons 10 and 11) when she repeated the phrase three times while walking backwards during her season 10 sashay away; according to Screen Rant, the catchphrase is "one of the most memorable" in the show's history and how some fans refer to Vanessa Vanjie Mateo[3]
  • okurrr[12]
  • party: Adore Delano's (season 6; All Stars season 2) catchphrase used "as a reaction to something that was said, and can mean a myriad of things depending on the context"[3]
Pit Crew members with RuPaul (second from left), including Shawn Morales (second from right), in 2019
"Purse first" is a catchphrase used by Bob the Drag Queen, who later released a song by this name.

See also

References
  1. Whitehead, Mathew (January 26, 2018). "RuPaul gives Stephen Colbert a masterclass in 'Drag Race' slang". Special Broadcasting Service. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  2. Etkin, Jaimie (2011-04-24). "RuPaul's Drag Race Slang: Tuck, Sickening, and More Drag Terms". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2020-07-18.
  3. Sim, Berarndo (November 3, 2019). "RuPaul's Drag Race: 10 Most Memorable Catch Phrases". Screen Rant. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  4. Borge, Jonathan (2015-03-16). "Decoding 'RuPaul's Drag Race': 16 Terms You Need to Know". Marie Claire. Retrieved 2020-07-18.
  5. Day, Harvey (2019-10-02). "RuPaul's Drag Race UK quiz: How much drag queen slang do you know?". BBC Three. Retrieved 2020-07-18.
  6. "'RuPauls Drag Race' Slang Definitions". ELLE. Retrieved 2020-07-18.
  7. "'RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 4' recap: A star is born". Xtra Magazine. Retrieved 2020-07-18.
  8. "This is what Bye Felicia actually means". PinkNews. 2018-02-07. Retrieved 2020-07-18.
  9. "How 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Fueled Pop Culture's Dominant Slang Engine". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2020-07-18.
  10. Abrams, Sean. "What 'Hunty' Means, And Why Your Gay Friends Are Calling You It". Elite Daily. Retrieved 2020-07-18.
  11. "YAAS, RuPaul's Drag Race Mainstreams Gay Slang". www.advocate.com. 2015-06-03. Retrieved 2020-07-18.
  12. "Cardi B Will Trademark "Okurrr"—Even If the Phrase Has a Long History Before Her". W Magazine | Women's Fashion & Celebrity News. Retrieved 2020-07-18.
  13. Borge, Jonathan (2019-04-12). "40 Popular Slang Words, Explained". Oprah Magazine. Retrieved 2020-07-18.
  14. Pollard, Amari D. (January 28, 2020). "Here's Where Your Favorite Slang Words Actually Came From". Reader's Digest. Retrieved 2020-07-18.
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