rickroll
/RIK-rohl/noun · verb
Meaning
A rickroll is an internet prank in which a seemingly useful, relevant, or exciting link unexpectedly leads to Rick Astley’s 1987 music video for “Never Gonna Give You Up.” As a verb, to rickroll someone is to carry out that deception; the term can also describe surprising an audience with the song through a live performance, lyric reference, or other indirect setup.[4][5]
- 1. A misleading link, button, QR code, or preview that redirects someone to Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up.”
- 2. The act of sending or directing someone to that unexpected song or video.
- 3. A broader surprise appearance of the song in an unrelated setting, such as a speech, event, playlist, or live performance.
Examples
“That download button is a rickroll. I knew it looked too helpful.”
“You just got rickrolled.”
“The QR code at the party was a rickroll.”
“I rickrolled the group chat with a fake concert announcement.”
“The DJ rickrolled everyone between the serious speeches.”
Origin and spread
Rickroll developed in the spring of 2007 on 4chan as a variation of duckrolling, an earlier bait-and-switch prank involving a picture of a duck on wheels. The format used misleading links that promised something relevant—famously, a supposed Grand Theft Auto IV trailer—but opened the video for Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up.” One of the earliest documented examples is the YouTube upload “Rickroll’D,” posted by cotter548 on May 15, 2007. The exact first post is difficult to establish because early 4chan material was poorly preserved. The prank spread through forums, gaming communities, and link-sharing sites during 2007, then reached mainstream attention in 2008, including YouTube’s April 1 homepage stunt that redirected featured videos to Astley’s clip. The word is generally understood as a blend of Rick, from Rick Astley, and duckroll; the older 1987 song is a precursor to the meme’s destination, not the origin of the modern slang term.[2][3][4]
How to use it
Rickroll is informal and usually playful, especially in online conversations, gaming communities, group chats, and social media. It works best when the target understands that the deception is harmless and brief. Use rickroll as a noun for the prank or destination and as a verb in forms such as rickrolls, rickrolling, and rickrolled. A misleading link can be mistaken for a real scam or malicious redirect, so the term is clearest when the joke is obvious after the reveal.
Sources
- 1. MemePulse — RickrollSupports: earliest documented use.
- 2. ABC News — The song behind one of the most enduring internet memes turns 30Supports: origin, earliest documented use.
- 3. The Guardian — Taking the RickSupports: origin.
- 4. YouTube Blog — YouTube Year-End Video Roundup: A Look Back at Some of the Most Memorable Videos of 2008Supports: meaning, origin.
- 5. Wiktionary — rickrollSupports: form, meaning.
- 6. Rick Astley — Never Gonna Give You Up (Official Video)
