props

Props means respect or credit: “Props to you for finishing the marathon.” Giving someone props is giving them the recognition they deserve.

What props means

It’s a quick, friendly way to hand out credit. “Props to the chef.” “Major props for staying calm.” “Mad props” is the extra-strength version. The word is plural in form but treated as one thing: you give someone props.

Examples

• “Props to whoever brought snacks.”
• “Mad props to my mom for raising four of us.”
• “He never got the props he deserved.”

Where it came from

Merriam-Webster says props is short for “proper dues” and dates its first known use to 1979. Dictionary.com calls it an Americanism from the early 1990s, a shortening of the earlier slang “propers.” Either way, the idea is giving someone what they’re properly due. It has been everyday slang ever since.

It has nothing to do with theater props or propellers, though it’s easy to see how a first-time reader might wonder.

Related terms

• W: a win worth celebrating.
• GOAT: greatest of all time.
• Slay: to do something brilliantly.
• Attaboy and attagirl: “nice job!”

More throwback words are in our 90s slang guide.