F in the chat

Originally a call for streamers on the online platform Twitch to type “F” in chat windows as a way to express sympathy when an unfortunate event occurs. This refers to the prompt “Press F to Pay Respects” in the PC version of the video game Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (2014) which directs the player during a funeral cut scene to press the F key to touch the coffin of a soldier who was killed in battle saving the player’s life. The prompt became a meme, where people would be asked to “press F to pay respects” in non-gaming contexts to suggest that credit, recognition, or sympathy should be given.^[1][2]

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /ˌɛf‿ɪn ðə ˈt͡ʃæt/

• Audio (General American):

  (file)

F in the chat (plural Fs in the chat)

1. (idiomatic, Internet slang, figurative, chiefly in the plural) condolences, regret, or sympathy.

   Coordinate terms: L in the chat, W in the chat

   • 2021 November 5, Leonardo Biazzi, “Gaules banned from Twitch”, in Dot Esports‎^[3], archived from the original on 9 October 2022:

     One hour ago, however, Gaules [pseudonym; Alexandre Borba Chiqueta] put out a mysterious tweet. "If you have faith, leave your F in the chat," he wrote. The word F, in gaming culture, means to pay your respects when someone dies.

   • 2021 November 15, Ethan Gach, “Battlefield 2042 Feels Like the Wrong Game at the Wrong Time”, in Kotaku‎^[4], archived from the original on 12 September 2024, subtitle:

     Some players are already throwing Fs in the chat for EA's latest shooter.

   • 2022 July 3, Will Carnevale, “[Joe] Biden Asks Americans to Get Some Fs Going in the Chat for Abortion Rights”, in Hard Drive‎^[5], archived from the original on 9 October 2022:

     Drop some Fs in the chat for abortion rights because we gotta find someone who can solve this thing […]

     A satirical article.

• press F to pay respects

• press F to pay respects on Wikipedia.Wikipedia