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What does POG mean? If you’re an avid gamer, or just spent enough time goofing around on the web — you may have heard of the expression “pog”. According to some sources, this term is used to express excitement at epic (i.e. awesome) times. But what are the origins of the term “pog” and how exactly do you use this term correctly? This article will explore the beginnings of “pog” as a slang term, its other meanings, and some examples of the term in use.
Pog Meaning
- “Pog” is a shortened version of “PogChamp,” used as internet slang to express excitement, amazement, or approval, often in response to something impressive or surprising, particularly within gaming and streaming communities.
What Does POG Mean?
Since the PogChamp emoticon was released in 2012, the word “pog” has come to be a slang word itself, an adjective meaning “excellent“, “cool“, “remarkable“, or “awesome“.
“Pog”, in this sense, can also be used as a stand-alone interjection, essentially meaning “Cool!”. Finally, “pog” can be used as a verb, one that describes a surprised facial expression.
Before the spread of the internet and gaming culture, “pog” was a small, circular piece of cardboard commonly used to play a game by children and young adults in the 1990s. Now, “pog” is often used in gaming to mean “play of the game.”
“Pog” can also be used with “champ” to make “POGChamp.” This is sort of an abbreviation for “play of game champion.” This means that the player performed extremely well in a match and will be the best player in the game and get the “play of the game.”
It is commonly used in online games like Overwatch and League of Legends and on streaming services like Twitch and YouTube.
Context and Origin of Pog
The “pog” slang term is a derivative reference from the PogChamp emoticon, essentially a thumbnail-sized picture (some 56 by 56 pixels) featured on the live streaming platform Twitch.
The PogChamp emoticon is a picture of Ryan “Gootecks” Gutierrez, an American Youtuber who has a Youtube Channel named “Cross Counter TV”. In 2010, Gutierrez and a co-host were featured in a blooper reel of the channel.
In one of the clips, when the camera jostles slightly out of place, Gutierrez makes a surprised expression, turning to his co-host. A still of this expression, zoomed-in to feature only Gutierrez’s face — was captured and added as an emoticon to Twitch in 2012.
This still picture became known as “PogChamp”, itself a reference to a 2011 video named “Pogs Championship” in which Gutierrez wins a game of Pogs. The PogChamp emoticon became synonymous on Twitch gaming live streams with “cool” game occurrences — giving birth to the slang term “pog”.
Terms Related to Pog
- GG: Short for “Good Game,” GG is a common expression used at the end of a match to acknowledge the opponents’ efforts, regardless of whether they won or lost. It demonstrates a sense of sportsmanship among the players.
- MVP: This acronym stands for “Most Valuable Player” and honors the player who provided the most significant contribution to their team’s success. MVP can often be synonymous with POG, as the most valuable player usually delivers a remarkable play that can alter the game’s outcome.
- Clutch: Referring to an impressive performance in a high-pressure situation, a clutch moment usually involves a single player turning the tide of the game in their team’s favor. Clutch situations can result in POG recognition for the player who excels under pressure.
Examples of Pog in Conversation, Texting and Social Media
“Pog” Usage: Some Examples
As an adjective (meaning “cool”, “awesome”, etc.):
- (In gaming) The way you jumped over that last enemy was pog!
- (In gaming) That play was pog!
As an interjection (meaning “cool”, “neat”, “great”):
- This game gives you more lives! Pog!
As a verb (meaning “to make a surprised facial expression”):
- When he saw how much his pay raise was, he pogged.
Conversation Examples
Here are a few conversation examples:
Example 1:
- Gaming Streamer: Live stream starts in 15 minutes. Check out my sick plays and the road to the finals. My goal is to get POG three times today.
- Stream Watcher 1: Yeah man, go get ’em!
- Stream Watcher 2: Can’t way, gonna be #pogchamp for sure!
For example 1, we have a young lady who streams games online. She announces her stream will be starting soon and states that she hopes to get “pog” three times in the upcoming stream. Stream Watcher 2 replies with support by using #pogchamp to say that he thinks she will be able to get the play of the game and be a champion.
Example 2
- Texter 1: Did you see PrettyPoison’s stream yesterday? It was crazy! She barely took any damage.
- Texter 2: Yeah, she did pretty good, but I don’t think she was aggressive enough. I think she only waits around and jumps in at the last minute so she can get POG.
- Texter 1: Really?
- Texter 2: Yeah, she’s good, but not POG Champ material imo.
The next example shows a texting conversation between two friends. They both watched the previous streamer play in her previous stream. Texter 1 thinks she did a great job. Texter 2 has doubts about how she performed.
While they both agree she is a good player, Texter 2 thinks that she gets the play of the game a lot but does not have what it takes to be a great all-around player. This is something that commonly happens in gaming and e-sports where players often try to execute risky plays in order to get the play of the game. It’s an “all or nothing” style of play that can payoff but can also lose games.
POG Terminology
Other Ways to Say ‘POG”
- Amazing
- Astonishing
- Astounding
- Awe-inspiring
- Awesome
- Breathtaking
- Cool
- Extraordinary
- Excellent
- Formidable
- Imposing
- Impressive
- Incredible
- Great
- Magnificent
- Mind-blowing
- Mind-boggling
- Miraculous
- Out of this world
- Phenomenal
- Prodigious
- Remarkable
- Spectacular
- Staggering
- Stunning
- Stupendous
- Sublime
- Unbelievable
- Wonderful
- Wondrous
Other Meanings of the Term “POG”
The word “Pog” originally comes from a juice beverage (one of Passion fruit, Orange, and Guava) that first appeared in Hawaii in 1971. A game based around Pog bottlecaps was termed “Pogs” in the early 1990s by the beverage’s company as a promotional gimmick.
By the mid-1990s, the game (known as “Pogs”) and the flat, round, cardboard pieces used in the game (collectively known also as “Pogs”, singularly known as a “Pog”) were extremely popular in the United States among schoolchildren.
The fad eventually died down, but the terms “Pog” (the gaming piece) and “Pogs” (the game/pieces) remained. The game itself dates to 1920s (or 1930s) Hawaii and is based around stacking milk bottle caps. It was not known as “Pogs” specifically until much later.
Here is the list of other meanings:
- Patina Oil & Gas Corporation
- Player Of The Game
- Price Of Gold
- Personnel Other than Grunt
- PC Only Gamer
- Priorities of Government
- Parents of the Groom
- Psychological Operations Group
- Play Online Games
- Property of God
- Pot of Gold
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