Are you ready to find out what this acronym means?
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It feels like Gen Zalpha invents a new slang term every day––some of which are nonsensical and a reflection of their absurdist humor––but a slew of new acronyms are now being added to the youth’s lexicon. You might be familiar with ngl, pmo, or bffr, but one in particular has been popping up on TikTok For You Pages lately, despite existing since circa 2007: FAFO.
What is FAFO?
While often abbreviated FAFO, you’ve probably seen––or most likely heard––the acronym in its entirety. FAFO stands for “Fuck around and find out,” and as the phrase implies, is akin to the proverb, “You mess with the bull, you get the horns.” In other words, actions bring consequences. But while FAFO is being used to caption many TikToks since early January, mostly to circumvent censors in the algorithm, the full phrase has been around for a while.
Where did it come from?
‘Fuck around and find out’ is a phrase that can be traced back to AAVE, like many other Gen Zalpha slang. According to Yahoo!, it’s also popular within the military community and often used in the r/Military subreddit. Fuck around and find out is often hurled by different groups of people but generally means the same thing: ‘You had it coming.’ However, in January 2025, the slang phrase became much more political after President Donald Trump took office.
Is FAFO political?
FAFO itself is not inherently political. However, it began its rounds in politics in November 2024. As Yahoo! reported, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner used the phrase during a press conference in reference to the election. He said, “…if you’re going to turn the election into some form of coercion, if you’re going to try to bully people, bully votes or voters, if you’re going to try to erase votes, if you’re going to try any of that nonsense, F around and find out.”
It seems his words rang true. As soon as President Trump took office and enacted several of his promises, Americans began mocking Republicans who voted for him when they found out they weren’t immune to certain policies. The phrase––and acronym––began trending on TikTok, where people gave examples of Republicans fucking around (voting for Trump) and then finding out (fell victim to his policies they didn’t expect.)
One viral example is of a woman bearing witness to a veteran finding out his prescription is no longer covered by his insurance. In another, a farmer is upset he is losing his farm because of funding freezes enacted by the government. Across social media, netizens are mocking these voters, saying they had it coming to them. FAFO has been the hashtag TikTokers have been using to spread awareness of this phenomenon.
How to use FAFO
Sure, right now FAFO is the term many are using as they see these extreme policies go into place, but the term can be used as a proverb for just about anything. If you want a more censored version, you can always just type the acronym and go for a good ol’ “Eff around and find out.”
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