According to the multiple slang
dictionaries, boo is an affectionate term
for referring to your significant other.
Mostly, people call their boyfriends and
girlfriends boo, especially on social
media. However, sometimes this term
can also be used for expressing
endearment towards your family
members and close friends.
Where did the word “boo†come from?
This term is supposedly derived from
the word beau, which means beautiful
in French. The word had a common use
back in the 18th century in England,
when it meant a male admirer. Later,
when the French colonization of the
Caribbean islands happened, the word
made its way into the Afro-Caribbean
language. Recently, the slang word boo
gained its popularity in Africa,
including Nigeria.
Sometimes, people can use this word for
defining the relationship which is not
official. For example, you go on dates
and do romantic stuff with some boy or
girl, but you are not officially dating,
and instead of calling them boyfriend or
girlfriend, the slang term boo can be
used.
While the word is mostly used for the
romantic relationships, the use of it
between friends or family members can
be possible in the same way you use the
word “honey†or “hun†with them. It
depends on how well you know the
friend, and what kind of relationship
you have. Mainly, people use it when
they want either to tease their friends
or come up with a pet name for them.
The word “boo†is not used in a plural
form, so you can not say that you have a
lot of boos. Originally, the term is
supposed to be used only for one
person, to indicate how special this
person is for you, that is why it is mostly
used to refer to the closest people.
The most popular slang synonym for the
word "boo" is "bae", which basically
means the same thing. "Bae" is a term
which we use to refer to the most
important person in our life, no matter
if it is your significant other, crush,
lover, or even best friend sometimes. It
stands for before anyone else and is
widely used in popular culture. The
slight difference is that the word "boo"
is used in real life more often, while
"bae" is more of a social media term.
Some people find the words like "boo"
and "bae" annoying, questioning why
people are unable to say just boyfriend,
girlfriend, or friend instead. However,
many people, especially young ones, like
using it, especially when they caption
their photos on social media like
Instagram. You can often stumble upon
young people being like “hanging out
with boo†or “just had the best date with
bae†under their new photos.
Basically, boo means the same thing as
bae or babe, it is an affectionate word
for describing someone you love and
care about, mostly spread on social
media platforms by teens and young
adults.
