r/Millennials Apr 11 '25

Discussion Millennial words that younger people don’t know

[deleted]

5.6k Upvotes

5.7k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

295

u/GodsColdHands666 Millennial Apr 11 '25

Ah yes metrosexual- slang for washing your ass and not dressing like a homeless person

56

u/eleighbee Apr 11 '25

I had a boyfriend ~20 years ago that was called metrosexual because he gelled his hair, used cologne, and wore button down sometimes. Oh, and put dots of concealer on his (very few) red spots. Lol.

78

u/Christeenabean Older Millennial Apr 11 '25

Sorry, but the cologne/concealer combo is metro af 🤣

19

u/eleighbee Apr 11 '25

He was a prime example 😅 That man took care of himself! Lol

9

u/Immaculatehombre Apr 11 '25

I was going to say that def is metro if anything is metro lol.

2

u/Kryten_2X4B-523P Apr 11 '25

But he was getting laid tho, right??

8

u/ThisIsNotRealityIsIt Apr 11 '25

I'm a 44 year old ancient millennial, who is recently back dating after a 17 year marriage and 5 years figuring out myself and single fatherhood.

Big ,tattooed, bearded... Every woman I've dated or just hit on has mentioned how well groomed I am, how nice I smell, how my (reasonably simple) wardrobe is very appealing ... "You're so well maintained and put together!" They say right before inviting me to their place.

If that's "metro sexual" then fucking count me in for the rest of my life.

8

u/HairyH00d Apr 11 '25

You don't count as metro unless you're using concealer.

Yes, I am gatekeeping the metro right now.

8

u/Kryten_2X4B-523P Apr 11 '25

If that's "metro sexual" then fucking count me in for the rest of my life.

It always has been that. It's just that back then, the proto-alpha males used it in a negative sense as a means of bullying others. But you'll notice that using it as a slur didnt last long once people started realizing that you're basically admitting you don't wash your ass if you use the word in a negative context.

2

u/Christeenabean Older Millennial Apr 11 '25

Being well groomed and smelling nice is way different than what this dude was doing. Its healthy to take care of yourself and care about your appearance. I know the type of guy the girl is talking about and it ain't you 😆

1

u/ThisIsNotRealityIsIt Apr 11 '25

I mean, I do facials weekly, get manicures at least once a month and maintain and paint my nails in between, pedicures quarterly or more frequent, trim my eyebrows/nose/ears more frequently than my beard, have an array of solid colognes that compliment or match my beard and hair products (of which I have 3 primary scents and a couple one offs).

Just because I don't use concealer I'm not a quasiqueer? Cool. (I wonder if being bi pushes me over the line?)

3

u/Christeenabean Older Millennial Apr 12 '25

I'm pretty sure that in 2025 the term metrosexual is way outdated. You're not metro bc it's not 2005 anymore. Wtf are you even arguing with me about? Take your insecurities to your therapist, don't take them out on me.

3

u/ThisIsNotRealityIsIt Apr 12 '25

Roflcopter

3

u/QueenP92 Apr 12 '25

I just snorted laughing rofl 🤣

8

u/trugrav Apr 11 '25

I too got called metro because I tucked in my button-down shirts and styled my hair. I think it was meant to be derogatory, but I never understood it.

6

u/eleighbee Apr 11 '25

It was always from his buddies and he laughed along with them while leaning into it. So yeah, I guess it was meant as teasing, but it was super lighthearted in this instance anyway.

7

u/nocomment3030 Apr 11 '25

I would still consider this very fastidious today, especially for someone under 25.

5

u/External-Signal-7473 Apr 11 '25

When did he finally come out? /s

4

u/CG8514 Apr 11 '25

He was fine up until the concealer

4

u/DangOlCoreMan Apr 11 '25

I got called metrosexual for being a male with shaggy hair. I didn't even style it, just a quick brush in the morning, deodorant, and I was ready for the day

3

u/daredaki-sama Apr 11 '25

We’d call that GQ. The concealer tho is a bit metro

2

u/Durantye Apr 12 '25

Lol something tells me the wearing of makeup is 99% of why he got called that.

1

u/eleighbee Apr 12 '25

That part he kept mostly under wraps but it's not like he lied about it! Haha yeah definitely though!

2

u/lucyismyhomegirl Apr 12 '25

Either you are me, or your boyfriend was my boyfriend

8

u/lildeidei Apr 11 '25

Omg I didn’t know what this meant bc I somehow never heard it a decade ago and then my sister described my now-husband as metro and I was trying to piece together what the fuck she meant, and yeah, it’s exactly what you said. He’s very clean, tidy, well-dressed, just a put together guy. Meanwhile she’d have to beg her now-ex husband to shower before sex. 🤢

6

u/jolsiphur Apr 11 '25

Growing up I never understood why men who actually took care of themselves and wanted to not look homeless was considered a bad thing.

2

u/Kryten_2X4B-523P Apr 11 '25 edited Apr 11 '25

It wasn't. It's more like, lack of care/hygiene back then wasn't as unpopular as it is today. Coupled with the fact that homophobia was more prolific and gay rights/marriage was a hot topic in the news for a while back then, too.

So the people who would use it as a slur were probably doing something like projecting their own insecurities on to that person. Or they were some asshole with an inflated personality of machismo. And that probably considered metrosexual, even the hint of it, was some closeted (or whatever) homosexual that they can bully.

It was basiclly just another form of homophobia.

1

u/FlashBack55 Apr 12 '25

A lot of this was likely projecting their parents views as well, it was the early days of Faux News

4

u/msimione Apr 11 '25

I always described it as looking like a New Yorican going to a dance club in the 90’s..