Street voices
Janna
·
United States
"UNC. Basically, it's short for uncle. It's used for someone who's older. It's mainly used by, let's say, late teens. So people that are like 16, 17, 18, 19 as well. Just to refer to anyone older than them, even if they're referring to someone who's like 21 or 22. Literally anyone older than you, by just a couple of years, can be an UNC. An example would be, what do you mean you don't have a Timothee Chalamet on your For You page? You're such an UNC."
What it means
Unc is a playful, affectionate way to call a guy who’s older, or just moving a little too old-man-coded for the moment. You can use it for an actual older man, but people also throw it at friends who are acting out of touch, low-energy, or weirdly grown.
Usage examples
"Unc is on the dance floor again, somebody film this."
"Take a seat, unc, and tell us the old stories."
"Bro said he still downloads music off random sites, he’s really unc now."
"Why unc standing by the grill with his hands behind his back like he owns the function?"
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Where it comes from
Unc comes from uncle, clipped down in African American English and used as a familiar title for an older man. From there it spread wider online and in everyday slang, especially as a teasing label for someone who feels older than the room, even if he’s not actually old.
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