blue check en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
Etymology
From the blue check mark badge that was previously displayed beside the names of such users. The second sense derives from the rude behavior from an influx of users who paid for extra features in their Twitter accounts from early 2023 onwards.
Meanings
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(Internet, derogatory, sometimes) A Twitter user whose account was verified by Twitter as authentic (i.e. not a parody or imposter account) and deemed to be of public interest prior to this system's replacement by a paid verification scheme in early 2023.
Other blue checks on Twitter also weighed including Questlove and John Mayer.
2016 January 27, Adelle Platon, “Wiz Khalifa, John Mayer & More React to Kanye West's 'Waves' Album Name Change”, in Billboard:It is a cardboard gold crown, but it helps in certain cases; for example, Twitter support will prioritize intervention requests when trolls attack a blue check.
2020, Joanne McNeil, Lurking: How a Person Became a User, unnumbered page:Some posted images of the French Revolution or the Korean film ‘Parasite’ as a way to show the feelings of the masses when the powerful “elites” of Twitter could not use their accounts. This is due to a perception that many “blue checks” only retweet each other and that the social media giant somehow prioritizes these verified accounts.
2020 July 16, Seth J. Frantzman, “Many celebrate as verified Twitter users unable to tweet due to hack”, in The Jerusalem Post:
- (Internet, derogatory) An online troll, provocateur, or grifter who uses a paid account to attract greater attention after the early 2023 change on Twitter.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| bluecheck | alternative | lexicographic | |
| blue checks | Number=Plur | lexicographic |