The Definition of Ratchet free essay sample

Do It for the Ratchets â€Å"Ugh, she so ratchet,† a common phrase when hitting the club or scrolling through any social media site. No, they’re not referring to the mechanical tool or the beloved Transformers character, their inferring to the new slang term that has established itself within a generation’s vocabulary. But how exactly does an everyday term such as ratchet become so twisted to the point where it’s new meaning no longer resembles it’s old one? As it once was mainly known as a mechanical tool used to repair clocks and roller coasters, it now has a entirely different definition. Although words may have an established meaning, as time goes by, that meaning may change, perhaps into something that is completely irrelevant. The Rise of the Ratchet As originally defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as a ‘hunting dog’ or ‘the barrel of a gun’ the word ratchet was once commonly associated with the ‘mechanical device consisting of a toothed wheel or rack engaged with a pawl that permits it to move in only one direction. We will write a custom essay sample on The Definition of Ratchet or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Many have used this meaning as inspiration for their make believe characters such as Ratchet from the Ratchet and Clank video game series. But quite recently, the definition has drastically changed. In the past two years, the word ratchet has completely taken a turn. Nowadays the word ratchet means ‘A diva, mostly from urban cities and ghettos, that has reason to believe she is every mans eye candy,† as defined by Urban Dictionary. The term is mostly used from high school students all the way to people in their late 20’s. It began to gain prominence through viral video sensations, Emmanuel and Philip Hudson. Their two videos for ‘Ratchet Girl Anthem’, one as an improv along with their official music video, has garnered nearly 42 million views on Youtube, establishing them as one of the pioneers of the ratchet movement. Another contributor to the rise of the term is rapper, Joe Moses with his one-hit wonder of a song, ‘I Do It For the Ratchets’. A more notable rapper, Tyga, is also accredited to the use of the word through his remix of Moses’s song along with many other inferences. Ratchet Culture The definition from Urban Dictionary does not allow one to fully grasp what a ratchet is. It takes real life experience to fully understand. For those who would rather stray away from sweaty clubs filled with obnoxious people ‘twerkin’ to the latest Travis Porter tracks, simply take a stroll through the many social media websites. The most common sites infested with ratchets are Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Your typical Facebook ratchet is busy posting ‘thirsty’, as in wants to hook up with someone, statuses that fill up other’s feeds. Usually asking around for ‘likes’ or in other words, an ‘lms’ (like my status), ratchets tend to become unfriended by others. Switch over to Twitter, where more annoying updates occur. The timelines of ratchets on Twitter consist of stories of their late night escapades at the club along with the usual ‘Twitter beef’ with other ratchets that all deny that they are ratchets but we all know that they ratchet. On the photo sharing site, Instagram, ratchets tend to post daily mirror shots of themselves that are bombarded with hashtags in effort for more ‘likes’. Hashtags such as #nomakeup, #nofilter, #justgotoutoftheshower, and #dontneednoman compliment pictures of their new jeggings or freshly done weave perfectly. The appearance of a ratchet is very distinguishable when seen in public. They can be spotted in jeggings, stalkings, or the pair of shorts they wore in elementary school; for they need the right amount of flexibility when the sun goes down and it’s time to hit the club. Ratchets also proudly dye their hair countless times, experimenting with different styles and looks. Another one of their psychical characteristics is the amount of makeup they use. Their make-up is usually so caked on, you would think they worked at a bakery. A ratchet’s overall appearance is not attractive. With their overly tight clothing and neon colored hairdo, you’d think that for someone who focuses so much on their looks would look a bit more decent. Making Connections But how is a mechanical tool linked to this vile beast? Looking at an actual picture of the tool, there is no resemblance to the modern day ratchet. The definition from the Oxford English Dictionary may be the driving force behind the new age definition. Ratchets may have some sort of connection to the definition, ‘a hunting dog’ . With such hair and personality, it is hard for a ratchet to find work, especially in today’s rough economy. To make ends meet to feed the countless number of children their ‘baby-daddys’ left them with or simply to maintain their weave, they need some sort of income. This is where the ‘hunting dog’ definition comes in. The ratchets are essentially gold diggers, constantly looking for a new ‘boo’ and also a new neon colored do. Perhaps this is how this word, no, this culture came to be. As time goes on, so do the meanings of words. Usually, there is some sort of context clue to these words the younger generation is using, but none have been so confusing as the the word ratchet. There has been many misconceptions to the term. Many never thought to question it’s history. Others knew what a ratchet was, as in the tool, but never linked the modern term to the old one. But now as the ratchet lifestyle continues to grow on society, its time welcome it’s new meaning with open arms. End the confusion of where this word derived from and let the urban meaning become official, for the impact of the ratchet has on our society is heavy. They are our modern day 1920’s flappers just a lot less attractive.