About

Hit the Oil Rig, also known as It's Time for the Oil Rig, refers to a catchphrase used online to mock men for having a job or participating in a hobby that's not masculine enough, suggesting that they should start working on an oil rig instead. Its use often correlates to the male subject's age, inferring that they've aged out of whatever they're doing and should be "hitting the oil rig" at this point in their life. Popular usage surfaced on Twitter / X in 2024 and 2025, aimed at aging e-boys and male waiters, among others.

Origin

On February 24th, 2023, X^[1] user @lordrickx tweeted, "I never tip male waiters hit the oil rig nigga," gaining over 1,800 likes in two years (shown below). The tweet is the first known use of the catchphrase and X^[4] user @lordrickx later claimed its creation in a separate 2024 tweet.

Precursor

Jokes about men working on oil rigs predate the abovementioned tweet, like a viral tweet shared by X^[8] user @HOSTAGEKILLER on November 9th, 2021, which relayed the inner narrations of an unemployed girlfriend and her boyfriend who's on an oil rig, gaining over 23,000 likes in four years (shown below).

Spread

The concept of hitting the oil rig spread in viral tweets heading into 2023. For instance, on August 16th, X^[2] user @GRITCULT tweeted about people going to therapy, writing, "The mass adoption of therapy has been a relative net negative. Most people don’t need therapy. They need to hit the oil rig," gaining over 4,200 likes in two years (shown below).

On December 10th, 2023, X^[3] user @shibuyafternoon tweeted, "Delete that photo dump and hit the oil rig big fella," gaining over 26,000 likes in a little over a year (shown below).

The phrase continued to spread in 2024, evident in a quote tweet shared by X^[5] user @sigmatic_ on April 16th, humorously aiming the insult at a cat licking female cat artwork on a computer monitor, writing, "To be this grown lusting over 2D women… good grief. Hit the oil rig pal." The quote tweet received over 32,000 likes in nine months (shown below).

to be this grown lusting over 2D women… good grief. hit the oil rig, pal. https://t.co/dcJHuqZ8or

— Sigmatic (@sigmatic_) April 17, 2024

The phrase resurfaced in 2025, like in a quote tweet shared by X^[6] user @thaboyjozu on January 21st, aimed at X^[7] user @jordanianxo who shared photos of himself on his 25th birthday. @thaboyjozu wrote, "E-boy thirst traps in the big 2025 at the age of 25 is nasty work. It's time for the oil rig man," gaining over 29,000 likes in a day (shown below).

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References