"based"

[Stefan Ram]

So, "based" is a term that's really caught on in recent years,
especially in online circles. It's one of those words that
can leave you scratching your head if you're not in the loop.

In a nutshell, calling someone or something "based" is like saying
he's unabashedly himself, not giving a hoot about what others
think. It's used to describe someone who's expressing their opinions
without fear, even if those views might ruffle some feathers.

The word "based" has taken quite a journey through the linguistic
landscape. Originally, it was just your run-of-the-mill past
participle of "base," meaning to establish or found something.
Pretty straightforward stuff, right? But hold your horses -
things got interesting when the rapper Lil B, aka the Based God,
came on the scene. He flipped the script on this word back in
the early 2010s. See, "based" used to be a put-down, short for
"basehead" - a not-so-nice way to call someone a crack addict.
But Lil B said, "Not on my watch!" and reclaimed it to mean
being true to yourself and not giving a hoot what others think.

[Steve Hayes]

Post by Stefan Ram
In a nutshell, calling someone or something "based" is like saying
he's unabashedly himself, not giving a hoot about what others
think. It's used to describe someone who's expressing their opinions
without fear, even if those views might ruffle some feathers.

And the antonym, apparently, is "cringe", though it makes less sense
than "based".

I think I've mentioned this before, but one thing that puzzles me is
how "based on" became "based off".

If you're "based" it means you're true to yourself, you're based on
yourself. If you're not based, you're off base, which is what is
implied by "based off". Hence "based off" is cringeworthy.

[Madhu]

Post by Steve Hayes
And the antonym, apparently, is "cringe", though it makes less sense
than "based".

I think i've posted this on this thread earlier, but without checking

i think this is a limited made up etymology (perhaps to confuse the
issues). All uses of based I've seen in chat (& `forums') seem to imply
"debased" in context.

Post by Steve Hayes
I think I've mentioned this before, but one thing that puzzles me is
how "based on" became "based off".
If you're "based" it means you're true to yourself, you're based on
yourself. If you're not based, you're off base, which is what is
implied by "based off". Hence "based off" is cringeworthy.