‘Caught in 4k’: What the slang phrase really means
Your teen is “caught in 4K” — and boy, they’re in trouble.
This is the definition of the slang expression, according to Dictionary.com: “Caught in 4k is a phrase that means someone was caught in the act of doing something wrong or foolish and there is undeniable evidence to prove it.”
The online dictionary explains that “4k” number “Refers to 4,000 pixel resolution, a very high resolution for video and digital photography that results in clear images.”
Unfortunately, if your teen is “caught in 4k” they have some explaining to do.
Learn more about the slang phrase, “Caught in 4K.”
What does ‘caught in 4K’ mean?
While getting “caught in 4K” can, and often does, include getting video proof — Urban Dictionary defines the phrase as, “To be incriminated with concrete digital evidence, typically on social media/on film” — it’s not always necessary, according to Benjamin Morse, a visiting lecturer in New Media at the University of Las Vegas, Nevada.
“It (can also) mean, ‘I already have the clearest understanding of what happened,’” Morse tells TODAY.com.
“If you catch someone in 4K, you may not even need to record it,” adds Morse. “It’s saying, 'My optics are as valuable as a 4K camera’ and that all you need is personal experience (to validate it).”
Read more about teen slang:
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“It’s Gen Z’s slang equivalent to being caught red-handed, in living color — so vivid you can’t miss it,” Renée Blake, an associate professor of linguistics and social and cultural analysis, tells TODAY.com.
Blake adds, “4K shows the impact of the evolution of technology on language. It is noteworthy that this lexical innovation seems to originate in the African American community and is appropriated by youth culture more generally.”
As Blake co-writes in Mental Floss of this language, “African American cultural expression has extended into hip hop discourse and music, and is one of the largest exports of U.S. culture. Look at youth around the world, and the impact of African American culture on dance, dress, hairstyles, and language is obvious.”
According to Know Your Meme and other sources, the phrase was used in a 2016 viral video on YouTube titled, “How Lawyers Always Get Rappers Off,” which Blake notes is satire.
“This is the clearest video I’ve ever seen!” says the lawyer in the sketch, showing video proof to his rapper client. “This is the most HD sh*t ever. This is 4K! How did they catch you in 4K?!”
The slang is used on TikTok to hashtag videos of cheating lovers, crimes and other scandals.
If you’re feeling like a clueless parent, know that Cardi B understands.
In 2021, the rapper wrote on X, “Please don’t make fun of me guys or I will have a very depressing lonely night but what does 4K means.”
Cardi B didn’t explain whether she was asking about a camera’s image resolution or the slang phrase.
X users replied: “Like you caught them in high definition. Crystal clear. There’s no denying it” and “High quality video.”
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
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