How 'mogging' went from toxic term to mainstream

"Mogging" has seen its usage soar over the past year, with the Gen Z slang term being named Collins English Dictionary's word of the year. Finding its origins in the online language of the manosphere, an online community built around hyper-masculine and often misogynistic content, the term broke out into the mainstream this year, being used by celebrities and the media. "I heard someone the other day say they were 'walk-mogged' - basically just someone else in the street about their age walking faster than them," says Tony Thorne, a language consultant at King's College London.

The term has grown in usage through its association with Clavicular, an influencer known for "looksmaxxing" content, who recently pleaded not guilty to charges including rape . He regularly posts clips of himself attempting to "mog" people in public spaces. The word reached a wider audience when posts describing the controversial streamer as having been "brutally frame mogged" went viral earlier this year.

"It was a toxic term about extreme competitiveness, the urge to dominate.