Begone Thot is a 2015 catchphrase used to dismiss someone labeled a 'thot,' which broke out in early 2017 as an image macro format featuring characters with glowing red eyes casting out the offender.
Origin
The phrase traces back to April 28, 2015, when Twitter user @HollywoodHefner posted a mock advertisement for a spray bottle labeled 'Thot / Bitch be gone spray'[1]. That single tweet built up more than 820 retweets and 550 likes over the following two years[1]. The tweet sat mostly dormant for almost two years before the exact 'begone thot' wording peeled off the spray-bottle joke and started spreading as its own line.
- Platform: Twitter (2015 origin) / Reddit + YouTube (2017 viral spread)
- Creator: @HollywoodHefner
- Date: 2015
Overview
'Begone Thot' is a slang dismissal aimed at someone labeled a 'thot,' internet shorthand for a promiscuous woman[5]. The line broke out of pure text and fused with a specific image macro format: characters, usually cartoons or video game figures, given photoshopped glowing red eyes as they cast out the offending party.
As a standalone catchphrase, the phrase circulated in comment sections, YouTube clips, and reply threads[4]. Urban Dictionary logged it as 'the expulsion of a thot' or a 'banishment of the sort,' with example entries describing the target vanishing on the spot[4]. Its cadence, part joke incantation and part shitpost, made it a favorite reply on Reddit and Twitter during the early 2017 meme cycle[2].
How It Spread
'Begone Thot' broke into the wider meme cycle in early 2017. On January 5, 2017, Redditor HanzK posted 'Begone, Thot Memes on the Rise' to r/MemeEconomy, flagging the format as a trending investment[2]. About two weeks later, on January 22, Malik Obama tweeted 'Cucks and Thots begone!,' pulling in over 3,100 likes and 1,500 retweets within three months[5].
February brought the visual template that stuck. On February 12, 2017, YouTuber producesasan uploaded an edited clip of Reggie Fils-Aime shooting lasers from his eyes at a woman while a deep voice intoned 'Begone, thot'[5]. Two weeks later, DeviantArt user hakike--guro posted a photoshopped Fred Jones from Scooby-Doo with glowing eyes and the split 'Be Gone / Thot' caption[7], locking in the red-eyed exorcism look.
The catchphrase went fully viral in spring. On March 28, YouTuber NVan Gaming posted a clip of a young man yelling 'Begone, thot!' directly into the camera, which pulled over 61,000 views within a month[3]. On April 3, an Urban Dictionary entry defined 'begone thot' as an 'expulsion' or 'banishment' of a thot[4]. The NVan Gaming video hit r/YouTubeHaiku on April 14, sealing the meme's place in the 2017 rotation[6].
How to Use
The template typically pairs a character with edited glowing red eyes and the caption 'Be Gone / Thot' split across two lines[7]. Common swaps use Reggie Fils-Aime, Fred Jones, and assorted anime figures, but the exorcism framing stays intact. The bare catchphrase also works on its own in replies, sometimes paired with a pointing or shoving reaction image.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Begone Thot?
It's a slang dismissal aimed at a 'thot,' most often paired with an image of a character with glowing red eyes casting the target out[5].
Where did Begone Thot come from?
It traces back to an April 28, 2015 tweet by @HollywoodHefner showing a fake 'Thot / Bitch be gone spray' bottle[1].
What does Begone Thot mean?
Urban Dictionary defines it as the 'expulsion' or 'banishment' of a thot, framed like a mock exorcism[4].
How do you use Begone Thot?
People slap the split 'Be Gone / Thot' caption on a photoshopped character with glowing red eyes, or drop the phrase as a text-only reply[7].
Is Begone Thot still popular?
Peak virality was spring 2017 across Reddit, YouTube, and Twitter, driven by clips like NVan Gaming's video and the Reggie Fils-Aime edit[3][5].
