Word Of The Week: ‘While-Fi’

 
Commentary

Do you feel overwhelmed or intimidated by the rapid expansion of the English lexicon? You’re not alone. A lethal combination of celebrity culture and twitter has given rise to a host of new and at times seemingly unintelligible words. As such, we shall be taking an in-depth look at one word each week, exploring its etymology, meaning and significance in pop culture and beyond. It’ll be just like learning your ABCs again. Welcome to Word of the Week.


‘While-Fi’

[Whyl-Fy]

Noun.

1. Slang. The socially acceptable amount of time to wait before asking for the wi-fi password at a party.

 

What does it say about house parties that while-fi has become a fixture in the lexicon of youth? Its existence is a damning indictment of the state of house parties in the 21st Century. More than that, it’s a reflection on the state of communication. 

Call us traditionalists but what happened to having a conversation with someone? Sadly, we have become accustomed to the reality that people use their phones in cinemas, theatres and other such places, but surely while-fi takes us to another echelon? 

The existence of the word seems to indicate a presumption that the user will not enjoy the party enough to avoid staring at their phone. If that is the case, why stay at the party, why even go in the first place? 

Maybe it’s to take dick pics in the toilet and Snapchat them to your host. Maybe it’s to take group selfies and send them to your mates who aren’t at the party #fomo. 

This is a confusing one for us and makes us think about what is socially acceptable at a house party. Conversation is at the heart of a house party. It’s about meeting new people, catching up with old friends and creating memories. If that sounds sentimental then well, it is. 

Is it acceptable to take a dump at a house party? Most people say no. A lot of people can’t even get over the idea of having to use someone else’s toilet at all. Is it acceptable to take drugs at a house party? If you know your host has them, then surely it is but some people still go to bathroom in their mate’s house to rack up. So, it’s not ok to defecate but it’s ok to take drugs. And yet asking for a wi-fi password has become such an issue that a phrase has been invented for it? As we said, this one baffles us, but that’s nothing unusual here at WOTW…


 

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