General
throwing shade
What does throwing shade mean?
Disrespecting someone on the slant — a backhanded remark, a look, a pointed silence that lands the insult without quite stating it. As drag legend Dorian Corey put it in Paris Is Burning: 'I don't have to tell you you're ugly because you know you're ugly.' That's shade — the curve to reading's pitch. Born in the 1980s Black and Latino gay ballroom scene, gone fully mainstream after RuPaul's Drag Race.
"She didn't say a word, just glanced at his shoes — pure shade."
Origin
From the 1980s Black and Latino gay ballroom and drag scene in New York; defined on camera by Dorian Corey in the 1990 documentary Paris Is Burning, then mainstreamed via RuPaul's Drag Race from 2010.
Frequently asked questions
What does "throwing shade" mean?
It's giving a veiled, contemptuous insult — disrespect you barely have to spell out.
How do you use "throwing shade" in a sentence?
"They spent the whole dinner throwing shade at each other."
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