Ratchet (slang)
Ratchet is a slang term in American hip hop culture that, in its original sense, was a derogatory term used to refer to an uncouth woman, and may be a Louisianan dialect form of the word "wretched".
In the 2000s–2010s, the word became loosely connotative of denoting overt confidence, defiance, fervor, or otherwise being descriptive of actions displaying boisterous and unruly behavior when attributed to a person. It is primarily used in street slang and is popular among African American women. Originally explicitly derogatory, the term can be interpreted as positive or derogatory, based on the subject.
The term may also be used to describe a handgun.
History
Since the late 1990s, rappers from Shreveport, Louisiana, have used the term in their songs. Its usage is recorded early as 1992 by Pimp C of UGK in the song "I'm So Bad" from the album Too Hard to Swallow. Outside of Louisiana, it was used again in 1998 in rapper E-40's "Lieutenant Roast a Botch" track from his album The Element of Surprise. The word also appears in publication in 1999, with the song "Do the Ratchet" on the album Ratchet Fight in the Ghetto by Anthony Mandigo from Shreveport, Louisiana. Mandigo reportedly learned the term from his grandmother. In 2004, Lil' Boosie, in conjunction with Mandigo, recorded a new version of "Do the Ratchet". The CD liner notes define ratchet as: "n., pron., v, adv., 1. To be ghetto, real, gutter, nasty. 2. It's whatever, bout it."Usage
In its original US sense, the term referred to an uncouth woman, and may be a Louisianan dialect form of the word "wretched". The term has since been extended to have broader meanings and connotations and is no longer strictly bound by race or gender.The term gained popularity in 2012 through music artists and celebrities. It has been used in ways similar to the word "ghetto". "Ratchet" can be used as an adjective, noun, or verb.
In 2024, on the first episode of John Mulaney Presents: Everybody's in LA, Ray J said he loved the word ratchet. He described his genre as ratchet reality TV, which he defined by saying, "Ratchet means like a high-level, high-octane, dramatic kind of television show, um, that sometimes has fights here and there."