I’m not from the US, and the usage from the 1800s was “to throw a shade on”, and all the other usages on Wikipedia’s article are from the 1980’s and later. I don’t think it’s fair to say it’s been used for hundreds of years.
The 2015 popularization sounds about right for when I first started hearing “throwing shade”, but this is legitimately my first time seeing “shades” used like this in its own.
When readers hate the word “slams”, but you still need a word that fits the same role.
“Shades” means protecting something from the sun. Isn’t there a better word that doesn’t mean “protects”? Lol
deleted by creator
Thanks for that!
I’m not from the US, and the usage from the 1800s was “to throw a shade on”, and all the other usages on Wikipedia’s article are from the 1980’s and later. I don’t think it’s fair to say it’s been used for hundreds of years.
The 2015 popularization sounds about right for when I first started hearing “throwing shade”, but this is legitimately my first time seeing “shades” used like this in its own.
Well slamming means closing a door so it also means protects.
It is, unfortunately, a property of the English language that every word means everything.
Slamming means closing something hard. It has an exclusively negative connotation unless you’re talking about sex, I guess.
Slam dunk
Good point! Not protecting, but definitely a positive connotation.