Some have, some don’t: the editor of the Oxford English Dictionary designated as word of the year 2023 the term of slang (slang) “rizz”, appeared in 2022 on the networks, and popularized this year by a BuzzFeed interview with Tom Holland. Originally, streamer Kai Cenat and his friends used it to “have some game » in terms of dating, but since then, the expression has become, especially via TikTok, a shortcut for “charisma”, with the middle syllable pronounced [RIZZ] in English.
“Rizz” notably beat:
– “ swiftie »: a Taylor Swift fan)
– “ de-influencing »: discourage a practice, particularly in terms of eco-responsibility
– “ heat dome »: a dome of heat during summer heatwaves
– “ beige flag »: like a red flag, but for a sign of an annoying characteristic
– “ prompt »: a command given to artificial intelligence
– “ situation »: when you see a person without being officially a couple in a “relationship”
– “ parasocial »: a relationship on networks between celebrities or influencers and their fans
Origin of “rizz”
The phrase became ultra-popular on TikTok after Tom Holland’s interview with BuzzFeed last June. “Oh I have zero rizzI have one rizz limit. My brother Paddy has the rizz ultimate. I don’t know, I need people to fall in love with me over time,” explained Zendaya’s boyfriend, with whom he stars in the saga. Spiderman.
Oxford University Press notes that it is rare for the middle of a word to become a common shorthand, such as “rizzz” for “charisma”, but that it does happen from time to time. Like “flu” for “influenza” or “fridge” for “refrigerator”.
Streamer Kai Cenat explained on the set of the show No Jumper that he “disagrees” with the etymological explanation of a shortcut for “charisma”. According to him, a person has “rizz” when they are not necessarily charismatic or attractive, but they manage to turn around a bad situation by being a “smooth talker”.