Pupper or pupperina: Pet parents, ace thy word play!
Social media is flooded with new lingo for pets. We break down the trend for you
A tip to get in on the latest doggo lingo? Follow the famous doggo and catto accounts that have a strong following and presence on social media platforms.
JAYANTIKA ARORA, Noida-based pet parent
Pet parents behold! Here’s your guide to all those doggo and catto terms, lingo and reels on the gram! From videos with your furry baby on Kore Nani Neko to memes of hoomans taking their doggos for a walk, we break down the trending social media lingo for you.
Pupperina, pupper go together
“The Internet has been referring to puppies as puppers in memes. But, what do you say if you have a girl pup? We can’t call all of them puppers. That’s when a pet parent came up with the term pupperina!” shares Nandini Agarwal, mum of a nine-monthold pupperina who is undertaking training to become the next social media star. “Pet parents often deck up their pupperinas with a dress, accessories, click and post photos online,” she adds.
Doggo and his hooman, forever
“Humans taking dogs out for a walk is so passé. The new twist is that the doggos own us. When we talk to our dogs, we don’t talk in our language, we talk in the doggo’s language. And in dog lingo, humans are called hoomans. Haven’t you seen so many videos recently of dogs taking the Instagram challenge and referring to their humans as hoomans, in the subtitle,” asks Gurugrammer Riddhima Malkotia, a hooman to her doggo since 12 years now.
“A mlem is a soft lick and a boop is a gentle nudge that dogs and cats do with their nose. You could also boop a dog on his nose with your hand. A tip to get in on the latest doggo lingo? Follow the famous doggo and catto accounts that have a strong following on social media platforms,” suggests Noidabased Jayantika Arora.
Smol boi and long bois ruling reels
“A smol boi is a term used to refer to the likes of Chihuahua and tea cup puppies. You can also refer to a pupper or pupperina as a small boi or small gal. A long boi is obviously a Dachshund. Their barks are called borks and if they comfortably sit on the floor with their legs stretched out, it’s called a sploot. It’s a rage on social media right now!” says Navpreet Sharma, a Delhi-based pet parent and a meme lord of doggo social media pages.
Humans taking dogs out for a walk is so passé. The new twist is that doggos own us. When we talk to our dogs, we don’t talk in our language. And in dog lingo, humans are called hoomans. RIDDHIMA MALKOTIA, Gurugram-based pet parent
You’re doin’ me a concern, fren
What’s the difference between a mlem and a boop?
“When your doggo or catto is afraid or a bit anxious, this is the go-to term for it. When you delay treats or ask if they peed on the carpet, you do them a heckin’ concern,” says says Delhiite Yukti Aggarwal, adding, “Heck is also synonymous with concern in the doggo world.”