Subtweet
what it means
A public complaint with plausible deniability. The whole design is that the target recognises themselves while the poster can claim it was about someone else.
Posting about someone without naming or tagging them, so they'll know but others won't.
the origin story
A Twitter-native term from around 2010, blending "subliminal" and "tweet".
It named a behaviour that predates the platform — indirect public complaint — but Twitter's mix of public posting and personal networks made it endemic. The term has since spread to describe the same behaviour on any platform.
in the wild
"Some people don't know how to say thank you."
That's a subtweet about me, isn't it?
Just message him.
Absolutely not. Subtweeting is easier.
how to use it
- Identifying indirect public complaints
- Discussing social media dynamics
- Casual conversation
- As a way to avoid a direct conversation you should have
- Professionally
- In situations that could escalate
related terms
receipts
Community feedback
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