OG

What Does OG Mean in a Text?

The Quick Answer

OG means "Original Gangster" and "Original" when used in a social-media context. In a sporting context, OG means "Own Goal."

Original Gangster/Original

When OG means "Original Gangster," it refers to a person who has been around for a long time and is considered "old school." More recently, OG has come to be used as a straightforward abbreviation of the word "Original." In this context, it is a term of appreciation or admiration that marks the originality of a person or something they did. For example:

• Toni: Have you heard that The Donald is still claiming that the election was rigged?
• Jo: He's the OG, man!
(Here, OG means "Original Gangster.")

• Ali: The dog ate my homework.
• Teacher: That's OG.
(Here, OG could be being used to mean either "Original Gangster" or "Original.")

The phrase "Original Gangster" is thought to have originated in gang circles in Los Angeles in the 1970s, as a term of respect for senior gang members. It gained wider circulation in 1991, when rapper Ice-T released a successful album entitled "OG Original Gangster." The LA rap group Cypress Hill is widely credited with inventing the name "OG Kush" (Original Kush) to refer to the Kush strain of cannabis.

Own Goal

In sport (particularly soccer), OG means "Own Goal." It refers to the defending team accidentally scoring in their own net. For example:

• Alex: Liverpool lost 1-0 to Milan.
• Sal: It was another OG!

In military circles, the "Own Goal" meaning has been extended to refer to an adversary bomb-maker who is killed when his own bomb detonates prematurely.

Image for OG

When I write OG, I mean this:

OG also means "Original" and "Own Goal."

Summary of Key Points for First Definition

"Original Gangster" is a common definition for OG on Snapchat, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.

OG
Definition:	Original Gangster
Type:	Abbreviation
Guessability:	3: Guessable
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

Summary of Key Points for Second Definition

"Original" is another common definition for OG.

OG
Definition:	Original
Type:	Abbreviation
Guessability:	2: Quite easy to guess
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

Summary of Key Points for Third Definition

"Own Goal" is another common definition for OG.

OG
Definition:	Own Goal
Type:	Abbreviation
Guessability:	4: Difficult to guess
Typical Users:	Specialists

An Academic Look at OG

Whether used with the meaning "Original Gangster" or "Own Goal," OG is classified as an initialism abbreviation, because it is pronounced using its individual letters (i.e., "Oh Gee") and its letters represent words. Initialisms are different to acronyms, which are spoken like words (e.g., NATO, UNICEF). When used to mean "Original," OG is classified as a contraction (much like ADR is a contraction of "address").

Example of OG Used in a Text

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