Hey there, you have A Way with Words. This is Katina Bettencourt-Norton from Abilene, Texas.
So I am calling because I have a 13-year-old daughter and her friend who started using this interesting word. I think it’s kind of, they’re using it as a term of endearment, and it’s the word sigma. So I think it’s kind of like if you’re saying chica or girlfriend or dude or something like that. They said it means cool or awesome. And I thought, this is unusual. I’ve never heard it like that. So I wanted to get your thoughts and ideas on the nuances and how long this sigma has been used in this context. Sigma, like the Greek letter, like S-I-G-M-A?
Okay. S-I-G-M-A, yes. Exactly. Yeah. As we record this, sigma is undergoing a bit of a slang surge. And it does sometimes mean cool or successful or popular, but originally it comes from this misunderstanding that wolf packs have alphas, that is leaders of the groups. And they, wolf packs, even though this is widespread, particularly like in the fan fiction community, wolves do not have alphas. They’re collaborative. And so this whole idea of a male alpha in the human world was borrowed, as well as beta and sigma. So an alpha refers to men, usually, who are seen as dominant or natural leaders. Beta is for men who are not dominant. A more polite way of looking at it would be they’re kind and gentle. And then a sigma is someone who is like an alpha, but they’re an outsider. They’re not part of the pack. And so they operate outside the normal structure of the group. And all three of these terms are widely used in what is called the manosphere, which is this world of men talking to men about how to be a man.
And there’s a little bit of a, how should I put this? You will sometimes find the less savory parts of the men’s rights movements use these terms in not very nice ways, particularly beta. And you will find them used, beta in particular, used as an insult. Sigma, not so much. But sigma has kind of left the manosphere. I know that’s a ridiculous word, but that’s what they call it. Sigma has left the manosphere.
If her 13-year-old daughter is using it.
It has indeed, yeah.
And now it just is more generically used to refer to somebody who is, I don’t know, I’m kind of thinking of like a James Dean in his motorcycle jacket kind of character with the cool hair, smoking a cigarette, looking smoky at the camera. You know what I’m saying?
Yes, definitely.
On all these terms, you usually refer to men, but you’ll find them used to refer to women. But that’s where we are. There’s so much more to say with this. But sigma has been used this way since about 2010. There was an alt-right writer who used it on their blog, and it kind of caught on from there. And there have been books published using sigma male in the title. And a lot of this stuff has to do with, like I said, some of it is unsavory and kind of gross. It’s used in writing and videos used on how to lure women to date you.
Oh, no.
Yeah.
I’ve got to definitely make sure my daughter knows that history.
Yeah.
Yeah, Katina, I think it’s fascinating that your daughter and her friend are using it as affectionate terms, like my buddy, my pal.
Exactly.
I thought it was just kind of interesting. I’m like, what are you saying? And it was the funniest thing to hear them trying to explain to me what they’re trying to say, you know, and I’m like, sigma, you know, just everything was sigma this, sigma that, sigma everything. And I was like, okay, we need to send this to Martha and Graham. We can get more information on this. It’s very interesting.
So that’s where we are with that. So it looks like sigma has left its original kind of unsavory origins and just become more generic. And that can be okay. That’s good. I’m glad to know that. Wow, this is really great. I can’t wait to share this with my daughter and her friends. And hopefully they’re as excited as I am to, you know, find out the history of this word and, you know, the nuances and everything.
So thank you.
Thank you, sigma.
It’s our pleasure, Christina. Take care of yourself. Give our best to your daughter. Thank you for taking my calls. Take care. Bye-bye.
Bye-bye.
Well, maybe a word is wafted into your life from the lingo sphere and you’re puzzling over what it means. We can try to puzzle it out with you. 877-929-9673.
