DAE is a semi-popular internet slang term that you might see on Reddit or Twitter. But what does it mean, where does it come from and how do you use it?
Someone else…?
DAE is an Internet initialism which means “does anyone else …”. Often times someone will use it to ask if others share a particular habit or experience. You don’t see as much DAE outside of Reddit, but it sometimes appears in chat rooms or on social media.
Some people use DAE to poke fun at the opinions or habits of others. For example, if someone had a ridiculous habit, like putting ketchup on ice cream, you might respond sarcastically, “DAE wants ketchup-flavored Ben and Jerry’s?”
You can use DAE to make fun of someone who thinks their traditional opinions or habits are special. If someone brags about only buying soft toothbrushes, you might say, “DAE owns a toothbrush?”
A product of Reddit
DAE was probably invented on the / r / AskReddit subdirectory. There, people ask deep questions, like, “What would you do differently if you were 15 again?”
Obviously, though, everyone on / r / AskReddit got fed up with the ‘made someone else’ style posts because, in 2009, they pushed everything to the / r / DoesAnybodyElse subreddit (not to be confused with / r / DAE, a clone forum created a month after / r / DoesAnybodyElse.)
From the beginning, / r / DoesAnybodyElse messages began with the abbreviation DAE. While this seems like a thin reference to Reddit’s AMA posts (ask me anything), / r / DoesAnybodyElse is older than the / r / AMA subdirectory by about a month. (/ r / AMA was technically created first, but it was not active until September 2009).
The abbreviation has spread from Reddit, although it is not as popular as other internet slang terms. If you use it on Facebook or Twitter (or even some subreddits), there’s a good chance people won’t know what you’re talking about. But hey, it’s a useful abbreviation, so let’s try to make it more popular.
How to use DAE
You will most often see DAE at the start of a sentence, but you can use it anywhere you use the phrase “is anyone else?” In a sentence.
For example, you might ask, “DAE hates the taste of orange soda?” You could also say, “I put peanut butter on my eggs, DAE?”
Again, DAE is also used to make fun of people online. It’s hard to achieve without a heavy dose of sarcasm, absurdism, or reductionism, however.
If someone brags about brushing their teeth every day, for example, you can laugh at them saying, “Do AEDs have basic hygiene?” You could take it a different direction by asking, “DAE thinks brushing your teeth every day is crazy?”
DAE is an Internet initialism that isn’t used much outside of Reddit. If you’re interested in learning more about Internet slang, check out our articles on IIRC, FWIW, and Yeet.
