Fanum tax is a popular and humorous term in internet slang that refers to the act of jokingly taking a portion of someone’s food or claiming entitlement to it. It’s a lighthearted expression widely recognized as a meme and a nonsensical phrase online, often used to inject humor into everyday situations.
The Origin of Fanum Tax: From Streamer Gag to Viral Meme
The phrase “Fanum tax” originated in 2022 from the comedic content of Roberto Escanio, a well-known gaming streamer online who goes by the moniker Fanum. In his videos, Fanum would playfully demand a “tax” from his friends who were eating, usually in the form of a bite or share of their food. This behavior, which they jokingly termed “Fanum tax,” quickly caught on.
The term and the associated gag gained significant traction in 2023 across gaming platforms and various social media channels. Its popularity exploded further when Fanum playfully “taxed” other prominent streamers, including Kai Cenat, who is himself known for popularizing the slang term “rizz,” meaning charm or attractiveness. This cross-streamer interaction amplified the reach of “Fanum tax.”
The phrase truly catapulted into mainstream awareness in October 2023, largely due to a TikTok video by @ovp.9. The TikToker featured “Fanum tax” in the lyrics of a viral song and video titled Sticking Out Your Gyatt for the Rizzler (Fanum Tax). The deliberately nonsensical lyrics, “Sticking out your gyatt for the Rizzler / You’re so Skibidi, you’re so Fanum Tax / I just want to be your Sigma,” parodied the overuse and perceived meaninglessness of many internet slang terms like “gyatt” and “skibidi,” especially among younger generations.
Decoding Fanum Tax: Meanings and Usage
Primarily, “Fanum tax” is used in its original context: playfully stealing a bite of someone’s food. This usage is still strongly linked to the streamer Fanum and his online persona. You might hear someone say, “I’m gonna hit you with the Fanum tax” when reaching for a friend’s fries. This application often lends itself to puns and wordplay, such as jokes about “Fanum tax evasion” or implementing a “10% Fanum tax.”
Beyond its literal food-related sense, “Fanum tax” is sometimes used metaphorically to describe situations where someone feels unfairly deprived of something or experiences an aggressive diminishment. In this broader sense, it can function as a verb. For example, “My parking spot got Fanum taxed!” humorously expresses frustration at losing a parking space. Or, “The promotion totally got Fanum taxed by budget cuts,” indicating a desired outcome was unfairly reduced.
In a less common twist, inspired by the lyric “you’re so Fanum tax,” the term can also be used to express “attractiveness” or “excellence.” This usage is rarer but highlights the term’s flexible and evolving nature.
However, arguably the most prevalent contemporary use of “Fanum tax,” especially after its surge in online popularity in 2023, is ironic and deliberately absurd. It’s employed as a nonsense expression, often spontaneously and impulsively. The intention behind this usage is multifaceted. It can serve as a marker of in-group belonging among internet culture enthusiasts, function as a playful mockery of internet trends, or simply be a way to joke around and confuse those unfamiliar with the slang.
In this nonsensical context, “Fanum tax” frequently appears alongside other internet slang terms that have also taken on a gibberish quality, terms like “gyatt,” “skibidi,” “rizz,” and “Ohio.” This combination of terms is sometimes referred to as “brain rot,” stereotypically associated with Generation Alpha’s digital habits. A humorous, albeit exaggerated, example might be: “That’s so skibidi Fanum tax sigma of those Ohio rizzlers!”
Ultimately, “Fanum tax” encapsulates the fast-paced, often absurd, and ever-evolving nature of internet slang. It started as a simple joke about sharing food and morphed into a multifaceted term reflecting broader internet culture and trends.
Last Updated: 23 Jan 2025
