OG

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noun

ˌō-ˈjē

variants or less commonly O.G.

plural OGs also OG's or O.G.s or O.G.'s

slang

: someone or something that is an original or originator and especially one that is highly respected or regarded

The Nashville Tennessean recently tweeted, "What does the owner of Prince's think about all these hot-chicken imitators?" One Prince's fan replied, "… Prince's is the OG. And that's that on that."—

Paige Williams

"… We had veterans [in that cast]. … I learned so much from watching them. They are the OG's of this theatre game."—

Joshua Henry

When it came time to tackle the recipe, I had two options—keep it classic … or embrace Lizzo's updated version. … I decided to go with the O.G.—

Florence O'Connor

And indeed, mead dates back over 3,000 years, making it a real OG of the alcoholic beverage scene.—

Taylor Tobin

—often used before another noun

… Snoop unveiled the official track list for [the album] Neva Left, bringing OG rappers and hip-hop's new guard together to celebrate his career.—

Nerisha Penrose

… this time … [singer-songwriter Christina] Aguilera came across as a Broadway-style diva in the O.G. mode of Barbra Streisand …—

Rolling Stone

"… And we have really tried to keep it authentically like the O.G. Punky [Brewster, television sitcom], and it's still got spunk … but it also has the realness and authenticity of the original. …"—

Soleil Moon Frye

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Word History

Etymology

Noun

Original Gangster

Note: According to an essay by Steve Champion and Anthony Ross, former members of the Crips street gang in Los Angeles, the initialism O.G. was first used by the Crips in the early 1970's; see Champion and Ross, "The Making of an O.G.: Transcending Gang Mentality," written in 2006 and available on the website indybay.org as of 7/12/21. The release of the album O.G. Original Gangster by the rapper Ice-T (Tracy Lauren Morrow) in 1991 likely contributed to the migration of the word from gang culture to more general use.

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1991, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of OG was circa 1991

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