So the other day my friend said this on a group chat (see above image).

BAE definitionMy first thought was, ‘No way, I don’t want to be third-wheeling!’ – because bae most commonly means ‘before-anyone-else’, a term of endearment for your significant other.

BabeMy second thought was – oh wait…plural ‘baes’, she must mean her close girlfriends (babes).

What it actually meant – I’m the Baeshaving dinner with Mr and Mrs Bae (the Baes).

Yes, Bae is a surname. And here is an example of how some punctuation would have worked miracles. See if it was Baes-capital-B, then there wouldn’t be so much confusion would there?

I chatted to the Baes to see how they felt about having their surname used by tweenagers, teenagers and adults alike, in phrases like ‘You da bae’ or ‘Goin’ on Baecation’.

So, let’s welcome Mr Graham Bae and Mrs Bora Bae!

Bora and Graham

First off, have you heard this word before? Do you hear people around you using it?

Bora: Yes, I hear it quite often on social media and in memes, but not so much in person!

So how do you feel having your surname being the same as this new internet slang word?

Graham: It was super weird when I started seeing my surname randomly appearing all over the internet, and to this day my heart skips a beat when I read it and think someone is stalking me or talking about me online.

Any funny stories about it?

Bora: Not so much funny stories, but I get a surprising number of compliments about my name, especially because of the alliteration with my first name 🙂

Do you know where the origins of your surname came from?

Graham: It’s quite an uncommon surname for Koreans (about 1% of the population), so much so that people with the surname are generally blood related. Our particular brand of Bae comes from a place in Korea called Gyeongju.

What is your favourite definition of bae?

A) ‘Before anyone else’
B) short for ‘babe/baby’, for people who are too lazy to say the last syllable
C) Bacon and Eggs
D) My surname
E) the Danish word for poop

Bora: B) short for ‘babe/baby’, for people who are too lazy to say the last syllable

Graham: D) My surname

Next time you use the word ‘bae’, you might want to give it a bit more thought. People may interpret it totally wrong!

What’s your favourite definition of bae? Leave a comment!

#corkthedigitalk

-LH

Advertisement