If A Young Person Calls Someone A ‘Choppelganger,’ Here’s What It Means
SeventyFour | Shutterstock Has a friend or relative ever told you that you look exactly like someone they know or possibly even a celebrity? Then you realize the person in question is Steve Buscemi? Okay, no hate to Buscemi, but even if you guys are doppelgangers, or in this case, "choppelgangers," some things are better left unsaid.
Gen Zers and Gen Alpha have coined the phrase "choppelganger," and it's making the rounds, which likely means its popularity has suddenly made it uncool. But in case you were wondering, it's a play on the classic word "doppelganger," but it doesn't quite mean the same thing. The term "choppelganger" has become a new phenomenon on social media for Gen Z and Gen Alpha, and it's definitely not the compliment it might sound like at first, but it definitely has a purpose.
What choppelganger means to Gen Z and Gen Alpha
In the simplest terms, a choppelganger is the less attractive version of a doppelganger.
"Trending word alert. I present to you 'Choppleganger.' This word is fresh on the scene, and kids are just now starting to use it," explained a teacher named Mr. Lindsay in his TikTok video about the meaning of the slang term. "Now, I found out about the word this week because a kid walked up to me and told me that I was Kirk Cousins choppelganger."
If that seems a bit confusing, we've got the breakdown.
The origin of choppelganger
Mr. Lindsay explained that choppelganger is the merging of two words. The first is "doppelganger," which most people know as someone who looks like you but isn't directly related to you. The other word is "chopped," a slang term used by young people to describe someone or something as ugly or undesirable.
A "choppelganger," with those two words put together, means an uglier version of a doppelganger. It's the off-brand lookalike of someone else.
As LadBible noted, the true origin of the word, or at least its first use, is almost impossible to pinpoint because it's all over socials now. The outlet said there are rumors that the first use was in a comment on a random TikTok in reference to someone who looked like Kendrick Lamar. The comment read: "My dyslexic [expletive] read this as 'choppelganger' and I think I just made a word for someone who looks like u but very slightly and subtly worse."
The term 'choppelganger' joins Gen Z and Gen Alpha's extensive slang vocabulary
This tends to happen in every generation, where younger people seemingly create their own language, either born of past slang or made up entirely. It's their way of bonding and joking around, while also confusing older people who might hear them use these words and phrases.
SeventyFour | Shutterstock
Slang is a unifier. It's a means to create social bonds. BYU linguistics professor Lisa Morgan Johnson explained that when slang starts, it's usually a word said among a small group of friends to relate to a very specific thing. As that group continues to use that word, it gets adopted by others, usually around the same age group, and the rest is history. Believe it or not, OK was a slang term. Let that sink in for a second. This is a word that is universally used worldwide now, but even linguists can't pinpoint how it came to be.
This generation's use of slang includes terms like "6,7" and "Skibidi Toilet," which can be both hard to decode and even harder to use. Other terms like "negative aura" have replaced the phrases older Gen Z adults used when they were younger, like "bad vibes." Choppelganger fits quite nicely into the mix for Gen Z and Gen Alpha. But like most other slang words, it's really not meant to be taken seriously.
However, there is something endearing about seeing the way young people choose to communicate with each other and the camaraderie that exists between them as they joke and tease each other with these terms. "As confusing as Gen Alpha’s communication style may seem, it's important to remember that this is developmentally appropriate and a natural part of the individuation process," pointed out psychotherapist Duygu Balan. "As parents, we have the privilege of witnessing our children’s identities unfold, and by embracing their unique expressions, we can bridge the generational gap and foster deeper connections."
If you're looking to use the term choppelganger in conversation with younger people, tread lightly. It can either mean you are the better-looking of the two people compared, or it can go the other way around. If you're unsure, test it out with a young person you trust. Better yet, stick with the slang of your own generation. It's OK (see what I did there), and healthy for kids to separate themselves and find their own identities.
It's just part of how they connect, and while we may never be fully able to keep up with the latest slang, being able to at least understand a little bit can help make it easier to laugh along.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
