FAIL

added Dec 12, 2008 at 08:17PM UTC

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part of a series on Internet Slang

Update (Aug 8,2009): Subsequent to the above episode, the New York Times repeated, almost verbatim, information found in the our video investigation. This now gives us some kind of authoritative definition of “fail” with sound sentence structure and tight vocabulary usage:


This punchy stand-alone fail most likely originated as a shortened form of “You fail” or, more fully, “You fail it,” the taunting “game over” message in the late-’90s Japanese video game Blazing Star, notorious for its fractured English.

About

Traditionally, “fail” has been a used as a verb to signify the opposite of “succeed,” becoming a “failure.” To fail is to fall short of achieving a goal.

In recent times, “fail” has become a form of Internet slang in which it can be used not only as a verb, but as a noun that serves the same purpose as the word “failure.”

Today, “fail” is found commonly not only in text, but in image macros, videos, and all sorts of online media.

Spread

The precise origin of “fail” as an interjection isn’t completely known. It is likely this repurposed use of “fail” was popularized due to an Engrish line “YOU FAIL IT” from the 1998 Neo Geo video game Blazing Star.

The earliest definition for Fail on Urban Dictionary date back to July 22nd, 2003.

either an interjection used when one disapproves of something, or a verb meaning approximately the same thing as the slang form of suck.
1] “you actually bought that? FAIL”
2] “this movie fails.”

This use of “fail” not as a part of speech but as a stand-alone interjection was further popularized by sites like 4chan.com.

Due to the increase in popularity of Fail image macros, the Cheezburger Network launched Failblog May of 2008.

Google Trend

Search traffic for the word “FAIL”:



h2. Media

A fail image compilation video (one of many):

Showing 1-100 of 210 photos

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16 Comments

EpilepticMoose
Jan 14, 2009 at 07:14PM UTC , EpilepticMoose wrote:

These Fails were pretty good but that term is sooooo overused now. Everything is Fail this, or Fail that… I guess that’s what happens to a successful meme: overuse/overexposure

Jamie Dubs
Mar 24, 2009 at 09:43PM UTC , Jamie Dubs wrote:

overuse of ‘FAIL’ fail

ano nymous
Apr 23, 2009 at 12:40AM UTC , ano nymous wrote:

the overuse of the saying overuse is fail, oh wai! yo dawg

Made Of Win
Jun 25, 2009 at 02:11AM UTC , Made Of Win wrote:

The overuse of epic is much worse. Such a fail.

finalsora120
Jul 23, 2009 at 10:19PM UTC , finalsora120 wrote:

Any website forum u go 2 there will always be FAIL
FACT!

Senor "Conando" F
Aug 23, 2009 at 12:03AM UTC , Senor "Conando" F wrote:

failblog.org

Jack Smack
Sep 12, 2009 at 12:50AM UTC , Jack Smack wrote:

Fail s everything, to sustain happiness and not utter depression, the human race must realize once again, that fail surrounds us… WTF.

David Hanson
Sep 14, 2009 at 08:32PM UTC , David Hanson wrote:

Really, how do you get in the middle of that?

David Hanson
Sep 14, 2009 at 08:34PM UTC , David Hanson wrote:

This is win, or is it because the original picture was reversed? (As there is a bikini-clad woman just behind him)

B33D13Z
Sep 28, 2009 at 09:32PM UTC , B33D13Z wrote:

This article = win!

Toyota Venza
Oct 04, 2009 at 03:42PM UTC , Toyota Venza wrote:

Satoshi Fundoshi requesting account deletion. His alter-ego tells that he will get into more trouble and does not want to know the consequences of what will happen when he gets into trouble. He will get into more trouble as long as Satoshi Fundoshi and his account is active at knowyourmeme.com unless the account name and all the account’s contributions including the account’s comments the account has posted and the account’s images the account has uploaded are completely suspended and deleted and removed and totally obliterated out of history. His alter-ego tells that account deletion is the way to lead Satoshi Fundoshi to settle on the right path of living. His alter-ego also tells that the reason why his alter-ego explains is that Satoshi Fundoshi is taking the blame for the four-letter meme because Satoshi Fundoshi is experiencing trouble-making problems somewhen on December 2007, after experiencing the four-letter meme vlogged on Rocketboom on Friday, October 24, 2008, after the “Think Before You Speak” situation on YouTube, on the same day, which led Satoshi Fundoshi on creating an account on knowyourmeme.com to upload FAIL images, which Satoshi Fundoshi thinks he is hooked on the four-letter meme, but his alter-ego argues that Satoshi Fundoshi and his active account on knowyourmeme.com is meaningless for Satoshi Fundoshi. That is the reason why Satoshi Fundoshi is requesting account deletion to completely suspend and delete and remove and totally obliterate the account name and all the account’s contributions including the account’s comments the account has posted and the account’s images the account has uploaded. His alter-ego tells that doing this can set Satoshi Fundoshi on the right path of life.

So what’s your decision?
Better go for account deletion, rather than make things more worse.
In fact, things might get even worse, even for writing this letter to request account deletion, so we would never write letters like this to you.

So better delete this account.
We guarantee he’ll have a better decision.

We’re just getting started, for this is a new beginning.

Toyota Venza
Oct 27, 2009 at 05:31PM UTC , Toyota Venza wrote:

Please delete my comment!
Please delete my comments!
I don’t want my life to end up like this!
Please delete my comments!

even your two dads love [enjoi]

Toyota Venza
Oct 27, 2009 at 05:32PM UTC , Toyota Venza wrote:

Oh! Wait, I think I can take care of it…
[clicking delete button next to comment]

Toyota Venza
Oct 27, 2009 at 05:32PM UTC , Toyota Venza wrote:

[clicking delete button next to comment]
[page refresh]
Oops, probably not.
FAIL

Begin
Nov 08, 2009 at 05:21AM UTC , Begin wrote:

Toyota, what drugs are you taking? I want some of that good shit.

inferior_squirrel
Mar 10, 2010 at 02:35PM UTC , inferior_squirrel wrote:

*begin
it’s speed

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