[CNN] Bae: How one Korean last name became Internet slang

[CNN / By  Hannah Bae] – ”Bae caught me tumblin,” my friend Tim tweeted back in April.

“Psst why you gotta be jackin my surname?” I replied.

“Wait i just realized you are the bae we’ve all been looking for,” he tweeted back within seconds.

A quick Google search turned up the result “bae caught me sleeping,” an Internet meme about dishonest selfies meant to look as if your significant other snapped a photo of you sleeping. “Bae” hadn’t even made it to Urban Dictionary yet.

“I think my name just became Internet slang,” I announced to my best friend.

“Uh yeah,” she responded, “that’s what all the kids are using on Instagram now.”

As I scrolled through my Instagram feed, it dawned on me that my name had become a term of endearment. Everyone seems to agree that it’s used for your significant other. Some say it’s an abbreviated version of “babe,” while others insist it’s an acronym for “Before Anyone Else.” [READ MORE]

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