{{Short description|Vernacular of My Little Pony fans}} {{DISPLAYTITLE:Slang of the ''My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic'' fandom}} {{Use American English|date=November 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2025}} [[File:Love_and_tolerate_meme.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.2|A meme from the early days of the brony fandom. This meme would lead to the popularization of the phrase "love and tolerate" within the brony fandom, leading some to describe it as its unofficial motto.<ref name="Robertson-2014"/><ref name="Ellis-2015"/>]] {{My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic sidebar}} The ''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' fandom (also known as the ''brony fandom'') has developed a distinctive vernacular language and fanspeak, often referred to as '''bronyspeak''', since the show's premiere in 2010.
The vocabulary draws heavily from the show's content, character names, and fictional universe of Equestria, and speakers often adapt standard English words with pony-themed prefixes or creating portmanteaus that blend pony-related terms with existing concepts. Notable examples include ''ponysona'' (a personalized pony character representing the creator), ''ponification'' (transforming non-pony entities into pony form), and music terms like ''dubtrot'' (a brony version of dubstep). Bronyspeak emerged as part of what researchers term ''bronylore'', which builds upon the show's official '''ponyspeak''' where human phrases were recast in equine terms. The language encompasses direct adoptions from show dialogue (e.g. ''everypony'' as a substitution for ''everybody''), portmanteaus, and snowclone variations of popular quotes from the show itself or from its derivative works.
Hasbro officially acknowledged the fandom and its distinctive language in 2011 through promotional materials referencing bronies directly. The vernacular has since attracted academic attention as an example of Internet-enabled folk culture; researchers have noted its functions in creating community belonging, establishing behavioral boundaries, and enforcing codes of niceness that prevent social rejection within the fandom. Studies have identified bronyspeak as both a gatekeeping mechanism requiring learning for full community membership and a continuous performance of group identity in online spaces. Researchers have also noted that bronyspeak extends outside of Internet communities, often pervading into real life via brony conventions or meetups.
== History == {{See also|My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic fandom#History}} === 2010–2011: Early development === [[File:MLP_Watch_for_the_plot.jpg|thumb|right|"I watch it for the plot", one of the brony fandom's earliest Internet memes, that spawned the use of the term ''plot'' to refer to a fictional character's perceived attractive physical attributes.]] ''Bronyspeak'' emerged and developed as part of what Bill Ellis termed ''bronylore'', a distinctive form of web-based verbal and visual art created by the show's adult fanbase.<ref name="Ellis-2015"/> The fanspeak built upon the show's official '''ponyspeak''', where human social phrases were recast in equine terms within the series itself.<ref name="Crome-2014">{{cite journal |last=Crome |first=Andrew |date=2014 |title=Reconsidering religion and fandom: Christian fan works in My Little Pony fandom |journal=Culture and Religion |volume=15 |issue=4 |pages=399–418 |doi=10.1080/14755610.2014.984234 |url=https://e-space.mmu.ac.uk/619586/1/Reconsidering%20Religion%20and%20Fandom%20submission%208%20September%20NOT%20FOR%20REVIEW%20.pdf }} </ref> For example, words like ''everybody'' and ''anyone'' became ''everypony'' and ''anypony''.<ref name="macleans1">{{cite journal | url = http://www.macleans.ca/2011/09/07/men-who-love-my-little-pony/ | title = Men who love 'My Little Pony' | first = Jaime | last = Weinman | date = 2011-09-07 | access-date = 2011-09-08 | journal = Maclean's }}</ref> The term ''brony'' itself was an early example of this wordplay, created as a portmanteau of ''bro'' and ''pony'', to describe an adult fan of the show regardless of gender.<ref name="Ellis-2015"/><ref name="pegasister">{{cite journal |last=Palmer |first=Zachary D. |date=2021 |title='I don't like to separate myself by gender': how women navigate hybrid masculinities in the brony community |journal=Journal of Gender Studies |volume=32 |issue=3 |pages=296–307 |doi=10.1080/09589236.2021.1979480 |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/09589236.2021.1979480|url-access=subscription }}</ref> The less common ''pegasister'' (a portmanteau of ''pegasus'' and ''sister'') was also coined to describe a ''female'' adult fan of the show, though a 2021 study found that the majority of female fans of the show dislike the term and prefer to identify as a ''brony'' over ''pegasister''.<ref name="pegasister"/>
Bronies also coined the term ''brohoof'' to describe a ponified version of high-fiving (a portmanteau of ''brofist'' and ''hoof''), where characters touched their hooves together in greeting.<ref name="Kirkland-2025">{{cite book|last=Kirkland|first=Ewan|year=2025|title=Subculture in the 21st Century|chapter=Case study 3: Bronies|language=English |doi=10.4324/9781003637837-18|publisher=Routledge|editor1-first=Steven|editor1-last=Threadgold|editor2-first=David|editor2-last=Muggleton}}</ref> Words like ''everypony'' and ''brohoof'' became standard within the fandom's online spaces.<ref name="Ellis-2015"/><ref name="Robertson-2014">{{cite journal |last=Robertson |first=Venetia Laura Delano |title=Of ponies and men: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and the Brony fandom |journal=International Journal of Cultural Studies |volume=17 |issue=1 |year=2014 |pages=21–37 |doi=10.1177/1367877912464368 |publisher=SAGE Publishing}}</ref>
Fans described their communication system as ''bronyspeak'', conducting it almost exclusively in English with references to the show mixed in as "just a different register, solely created online."<ref name="Cantwell-2017">{{cite journal |last=Cantwell |first=Christiane-Marie |title=The Language of the Masses (of Online Media) |year=2020|publisher=McGill University|journal=JournalLing}}</ref> Researchers described the incorporation of elements of oral urban slang in the fan-created language as a hybrid of official show terminology with transgressive digital communication styles. This evolution included playful use of abbreviations and emoticons, and also vulgar and adult terminology.<ref name="Ellis-2015">{{cite journal |last=Ellis |first=Bill |title=What Bronies See When They Brohoof: Queering Animation on the Dark and Evil Internet |journal=Journal of American Folklore |volume=128 |issue=509 |year=2015 |pages=298–314 |doi=10.5406/jamerfolk.128.509.0298 |publisher=University of Illinois Press}}</ref>
=== 2011–present: Growth, spread, and official recognition === Hasbro officially recognized the brony fandom and, implicitly, their distinctive lingo on May 27, 2011, when The Hub released a promotional video for the series called "Equestria Girls" done in the style of a music video parodying Katy Perry's "California Gurls". The song features the lyrics: "Our Bronies, Hang out too, 'Cause they know we're awesome fillies" accompanied by Spike shouting: "Come on, Bronies!" The exclusive online premiere of the video was given to Equestria Daily a day before the promo would air on television. According to Shaun Scotellaro, the e-mail he received from The Hub claimed that the reference to Bronies was done explicitly as a "tribute to our favorite Pony fans."<ref name="Mullis-2015"/>
In July 2011, a 26-page long bronyspeak dictionary called ''Mareiam-Websteed Dictionary''<ref name="Mareiam-Websteed Dictionary" group="note">A play on Merriam-Webster, ''mare'' and ''steed'' being equestrian terms.</ref> was published on Equestria Daily.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.equestriadaily.com/2011/07/extensive-brony-dictionary.html|title=Extensive Brony Dictionary|first=Shaun|last=Scotellaro|website=Equestria Daily|date=2011-07-08|access-date=2025-06-10}}</ref> The ''New York Daily News'' reported on this dictionary, specifying words like ''Scootabuse'' with the definition "You should be ashamed of yourself." and ''zebra'' as "Cheap racism simulator." Other words included ''Cutie Mark Failure Insanity Syndrome'', ''neighsayer'', and ''horseapples''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/2015/10/29/brony-speak-the-best-phrases-from-the-my-little-pony-fandom-dictionary/|title=Brony speak: The best phrases from the 'My Little Pony' fandom dictionary|first1=Kate|last1=Feldman|first2=Nicole|last2=Bietette|website=New York Daily News|date=2015-10-29|access-date=2025-06-10}}</ref>
In March 2018, the suffix ''-creature'' as a more inclusive replacement for the suffix ''-pony'' (e.g. ''everycreature'', ''anycreature'') was introduced in the season 8 premiere "School Daze".<ref group="note">The ''-creature'' terms are not widely adopted by the brony fandom and have not been mentioned in academic analyses of bronyspeak.</ref>
== Usage == [[File:0c0 emoticon bronyspeak.png|thumb|right|upright=1.0|An example of an emoticon used in bronyspeak, meant to resemble a pony's face]] Some words in bronyspeak are terms adopted directly from the show, which tend to be equine versions of human terms. * ''everyone'' → ''every'''pony''''' * ''someone '' → ''some'''pony''''' * ''mankind'' → '''''pony'''kind'' * ''ladies and gentlemen'' → '''''fillies''' and '''gentlecolts''''' * ''Oh my god!'' → ''Oh my '''Celestia'''!'' Some terms are portmanteaus of a pony-related term and a non-pony-related term. * ''bro'' + ''pony'' → '''''brony''''' * ''pegasus'' + ''sister'' → '''''pegasister''''' * ''pony'' + ''persona'' → '''''ponysona''''' * ''dubstep'' + ''trot'' → '''''dubtrot''''' Some are snowclones, often derived from quotes from the show. * ''My Little Pony'' → ''My Little Human'', ''My Little Dashie'', ''My Little Romance'', etc. * ''Dear Princess Celestia'' → ''Dear Princess [X]'' * ''Friendship Is Magic'' → ''Fighting Is Magic'', ''Friendship Is Witchcraft'', etc. * ''"It needs to be about 20% cooler"'' → ''[X]% cooler''
=== Examples === {| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" |- ! Term !! Definition !! Etymology/Notes |- | ''everypony'' || everybody || Direct adoption from show dialogue |- | ''anypony'' || anybody || Direct adoption from show dialogue |- | ''somepony'' || somebody || Direct adoption from show dialogue |- | ''nopony'' || nobody || Direct adoption from show dialogue |- | ''fillies and gentlecolts'' || ladies and gentlemen || Direct adoption from show dialogue |- | ''hoofmade'' || handmade || <ref name="Hansen-2016"/> |- | ''what the hay'' || what the heck, what the fuck || <ref name="Hansen-2016">{{cite thesis |last=Hansen |first=Nicolai Puggaard |title=Fandom in the Digital Age: An exploration of value co-creation in online fan communities |publisher=Copenhagen Business School |date=1 June 2016 }}</ref> |- | /) (\ or /] [\ || hoofbump || Represents emoticons of two hooves<ref name="Hansen-2016"/> |- | ''cutie mark'' || symbol representing a pony's special talent || Direct adoption from show dialogue; a play on ''beauty mark'' |- | ''brony'' || adult fan of ''My Little Pony'' || Portmanteau of ''bro'' and ''pony'' |- | ''pegasister'' || adult female fan of ''My Little Pony'' || Combination of ''pegasus'' and ''sister'' |- | ''brohoof'' || fandom greeting gesture || Portmanteau of ''brofist'' and ''hoof'' |- | ''ponysona'' || personalized pony character representing the creator || Portmanteau of ''pony'' and ''persona'' |- | ''ponification'' || process of transforming non-pony entities into pony form || Combination of ''pony'' and suffix ''-ification'' |- | ''clop / clopping'' || masturbation || Onomatopoeia referencing hoof sounds |- | ''dubtrot'' || pony electronic dance music genre || Combination of ''dubstep'' and ''trot''<ref name="dailydot ponymusic">{{cite news | url = http://www.dailydot.com/entertainment/music-brony-friendship-is-magic-my-little-pony/ | title = For brony musicians, 'Friendship Is Magic' serves as muse | work = The Daily Dot | first = Lauren Rae | last = Orsini | date = 2012-04-21 | access-date = 2012-04-21 }}</ref> |- | ''20% cooler'' || expression of approval || Reference to Rainbow Dash's catchphrase |- | ''buck'' || fuck || Minced oath referencing bucking |- | ''plot'' || hindquarters || Reference to "I watch it for the plot"<ref name="wired defend">{{cite journal | url = http://archive.wired.com/geekmom/2012/05/in-defense-of-bronies/ | title = In Defense of Bronies | journal = Wired | date = 2012-05-27 | access-date = 2026-02-01 | first = Rebecca | last = Angel | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140731120422/https://archive.wired.com/geekmom/2012/05/in-defense-of-bronies/ | archive-date = 2014-07-31 }}</ref> |- |}
== Analysis == Bronyspeak has gained academic attention as an example of internet-enabled vernacular culture. Folklore researchers recognized it as a distinctive emic folk speech that simultaneously expressed institutional culture while seeking to be distinct from it,<ref name="Howard-2015">{{cite journal |last=Howard |first=Robert Glenn |title=Introduction: Why Digital Network Hybridity Is the New Normal (Hey! Check This Stuff Out) |journal=Journal of American Folklore |volume=128 |issue=509 |year=2015 |pages=247–259 |doi=10.5406/jamerfolk.128.509.0247}}</ref> which they identified as the hybrid nature of digital vernacular traditions that both drew from and challenged mainstream cultural norms.<ref name="Ellis-2015"/>
According to Ellis, the anonymous nature of Internet communication platforms facilitated bronyspeak's development, as participants used pseudonyms and online handles rather than their real identities. This encouraged rule-bending and aggressive linguistic play, which allowed the community to create increasingly transgressive terminology, for example, in words like ''clopping'' (a bronyspeak word for masturbation).<ref name="Ellis-2015"/>
Justin Mullis observed in his 2015 study of the brony fandom that its lingo represented part of what could be understood as "recreational religious activity".<ref name="Mullis-2015">{{cite thesis |last=Mullis |first=Justin P |title=Playing Ponies: A Critical Evaluation of Religious Elements and Gender Politics at Work in "Brony" Fandom |degree=Master of Arts |publisher=University of North Carolina at Charlotte |year=2015}}</ref>
Venetia Robertson, in her study of the brony fandom, wrote that the use of brony slang by members of the community functions as signs of belonging and behavioral boundaries for members of the fandom. Robertson noted that bronies created catchphrases and snowclones from the lines of dialogue of the show, invented new terms like ''brohoof'', and popularized "love and tolerance" as the fandom's motto.<ref name="Robertson-2014"/>
Nicolai Hansen of the Copenhagen Business School wrote that the specialized language functions as a continuous performance of membership that is "embodied and continuously exercised". He also noted that the lingo serves as a gatekeeping mechanism, in which the dialect must be learned to fully belong to the community. Hansen also compared the lingo to that of Beliebers—fans of pop icon Justin Bieber—and characterized it as less sophisticated, describing Belieber language as "fangirl-language" and "chatter language" defined primarily by its deficiencies in punctuation, verb tenses, capitalization, and syntax, rather than as a creative linguistic innovation.<ref name="Hansen-2016"/>
According to Jon Coumes of ''The American Prospect'', brony communities developed their distinctive language alongside "codes of community-enforced niceness" designed to ensure that "nopony" would experience social rejection.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Coumes |first=Jon |title=What Do Men's Rights Activists and Bronies Have in Common? |journal=The American Prospect |date=2013-04-08 |url=https://prospect.org/culture/books-arts-culture/men-s-rights-activists-bronies-common/ |access-date=2025-06-07}}</ref>
== See also == * {{Annotated link|My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic fan fiction|''My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic'' fan fiction}} * {{Annotated link|Art of the My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic fandom|Art of the ''My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic'' fandom}} * {{Annotated link|Music of the My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic fandom|Music of the ''My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic'' fandom}} * {{Annotated link|My Little Pony fan convention|''My Little Pony'' fan convention}} * {{Annotated link|Online communities of the My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic fandom|Online communities of the ''My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic'' fandom}} * {{Annotated link|Internet slang}} * {{Annotated link|Fandom}} * {{Annotated link|Leet}} * {{Annotated link|Algospeak}}
== Notes == {{reflist|group=note}}
== References == <references />
{{Wiktionary|bronyspeak}} {{My Little Pony}} {{Fandom}} {{Internet dialects}} {{Internet slang}}
Category:Brony fandom Category:Internet slang Category:Fandom Category:Neologisms