General
wig out
What does wig out mean?
To behave in an eccentric or unrestrained way.
"After three sodas and no sleep, he just wigged out."
Origin
Slang rooted in 1940s-50s jazz and Black American hipster culture, where the 'wig' stood for the head or mind; to 'wig out' was to lose one's mind. It crossed into white teen and rock-n-roll slang during the 1950s.
Frequently asked questions
What does wig out mean in slang?
It means to lose your composure, panic, or get extremely excited — to 'lose your mind' in either a bad or thrilling way.
Where did wig out come from?
It came from 1940s-50s jazz and Black American hipster slang, where 'wig' meant the head or mind, and crossed into mainstream teen talk in the 1950s.
Is wig out positive or negative?
It can be either — wigging out can mean freaking out from stress or going wild with excitement, depending on context.
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