About

Neurospicy is a slang term used by some as a euphemism for the word "neurodivergent." The term grew popular in the late 2010s, predominantly on sites like X (Twitter), Tumblr, and TikTok and particularly among Millennials. While some treat the phrase as a lighthearted way to refer to their own mental health issues, others deem the term "neurospicy" to be inappropriate, saying that it further stigmatises words for specific mental illnesses.

Origin

One of the earliest known uses of the term "Neurospicy" online can be traced to a now-deleted tweet posted in March 2017. The post was made by X user @aimeilian, with various replies and quote tweets^[1] noting the post's use of the term "neurospicy." X^[2][3] users @Wild_Tanuki and @Mahounasu posted tweets interacting with @aimeilian's post on March 10th, 2017 (seen below).

Spread

Use of the term "neurospicy" grew exponentially in 2022, with TikToker^[4] @danabanafofana posting a video reacting to learning the word on December 22nd, 2021, and gathering over 300,000 plays and 30,000 likes in two years (seen below, left). On December 30th, 2021, TikToker^[5] @theweirdocoach posted a video using the term as well, gathering over 400,000 plays and 80,000 likes in two years (seen below, right).

On August 3rd, 2023, X^[6] user @wizardsofautism posted a meme showing coins stacked by "Normal People" and "Neurospicy" people, gathering over 4,000 likes in a day. The post garnered some criticism, as seen in a post by X^[7] user @quebecween where they write, "please call me retarded instead of neurospicy."

Various Examples

Search Interest

Unavailable.

External References