goblin mode

• goblinmode

From modern fantasy depictions of goblins as filthy, brutish, cave-dwelling creatures, a departure from older folkloric traditions introduced by J. R. R. Tolkien in The Hobbit (1937).^[1][2] The term is first attested on Twitter in 2009, but gained popularity in 2022.^[3] Compare god mode, boymode.

goblin mode (uncountable)

1. (slang, neologism) The state of being unapologetically lethargic, slovenly, and prone to odd and self-indulgent behaviour.
   • 2019 September 20, dr. ovi (@jirtenergy), Twitter‎^[4]:

     Mac and cheese, vodka soda, and 90 Day Fiancé. Truly my PEAK of goblin mode

   • 2022 March 14, Kari Paul, “Slobbing out and giving up: why are so many people going ‘goblin mode’ ?”, in The Guardian:

     Although many people tweeting about goblin mode have characterized it as an almost spiritual-level embrace of our most debased tendencies, Marnell says there is “healthy goblin mode and destructive goblin mode”. For her, it embodies a certain air of harmless mischief.

   • 2022 March 14, Ben Cost, “Workers face ditching slobbish ‘goblin mode’ as they return to office”, in The New York Post:

     With employees prepping to flock back to the office amid easing COVID restrictions, many are faced with the same dilemma — how to switch off “goblin mode” now that they’re around other people.

   • 2022 April 2, Kalhan Rosenblatt, “'Goblin mode' is becoming part of people's everyday vocabulary. Language and meme experts share why.”, in NBC News website‎^[5], NBC News:

     While some see it as a harmless way to describe a messy phase, some have suggested the phrase is offensive. One argument is that some people who live with mental health issues or have disabilities are living in "goblin mode" not by choice but rather due to circumstance.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:goblin mode.

• Imogen James (5 December 2022), “Oxford Word of the Year 2022 Revealed as ‘Goblin Mode’”, in BBC News‎^[6], retrieved 5 December 2022.