ConnectPhrase · Ages 11-30 · In use
throwing shade
Insulting someone in a subtle, indirect way. No shade means no offence meant.
No shade, but that haircut is a choice.
For parents and educators
Mostly playful. Steady shade at one person in a group can turn into quiet bullying.
Where it came from
From the drag and ballroom scene in New York in the 1980s, made famous by the film Paris Is Burning.
Also heard as
shade, throw shade, shady, no shade