You’re sitting at a cat café enjoying a hot tea and catching up on a celebrity gossip magazine when your phone lights up. “Omg Jlo and Ben Affleck got married!!!”, a text from your best friend reads. You saw the post on social media last week, so you shoot back: “ofn”.
This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression.
Meaning
OFN is an acronym meaning “Old F**king News”. It is a quippy and concise way to tell your friends or message recipient that what they are sharing with you is, in fact, very old news that you (and the rest of the world) already know about and are over it.
OFN can also communicate that whatever is being shared is common knowledge and no longer exciting. This piece of news has expired its shock value and you have already moved past it. It is most often used between close friends who would likely not be offended by such a straightforward, backhanded or sarcastic comment, as OFN carries a condescending connotation. That said, when used, OFN is often completely subjective as one may consider news from the day or week before as current while others may find it old. More information can be found in the video (here).
Example Usage
“Did you see that Kim Kardashian is dating Pete Davidson??” “That’s ofn”
“I think I’m going to get back together with Brad.” “Omg ofn Janet, you always do.”
“I know this is ofn, but I still can’t believe how ridiculous Ramona is when she fights with the other RHONY girls!”
“Did you hear about the fight in the math hall yesterday?” “OFN, I was there!”
Origin of OFN
“Old news” is a common everyday phrase which dates back to the 1960’s when it was first printed in The Sun. It is a noun used to define a person or thing considered to be no longer of interest, relevance, or importance due to over-familiarity.
The addition of “f**king” in “old f**king news” brings emphasis to exactly how old the news being received is. With the invention of modern technology, the internet, and social media, news travels more quickly and breaking news does not stay current for very long. The most common shorthand of “old f**king news” is OFN.
Phrases Similar to OFN
- Yesterday’s gravy: A phrase meaning old news or no longer trending
- “The new season of Stranger Things is out!” “That’s yesterday’s gravy.”
- Aduh: An expression used to convey that you already know something that has been shared with you
- “Tom and Gavin hooked up after football practice last week” “aduh”
- Throwback: A term meaning something old that you are recalling
- “Throwback to when we dressed up as Simon & Garfunkel for Halloween!”
- IGTNT: An acronym for “I Got the News Today”
- “IGTNT that I got into CSU!”
Phrases Opposite to OFN
- Shook: A term to describe feeling a mix of emotions, such as shock and surprise
- “That new filter got everybody shook”
- Whaaa: A term used to convey disbelief after hearing something shocking
- “Whaaa omg shut up I don’t believe it”
- Keel over: A phrase meaning that one is so shocked that they are going to faint or die
- “When I told her about it, I thought she was going to cry or keel over.”
- Rattled: A term to describe how someone is feeling when they cannot believe something or are extremely shaken
- “This double rejection on Love Island has me rattled”
What is the Correct Saying?
- OFN: Old f**king news
Ways People May Incorrectly Say OFN
People may also use OFN as an acronym for “Out for Now” or “On Foe Nem”. The context in which it is used will clearly indicate its intended meaning.
Some ways that OFN is used incorrectly are:
- To kindly tell someone you know something already
- In response to news that is truly unknown or just breaking
Acceptable Ways to Phrase OFN
- Did you just find out that the test was canceled? Its ofn dude!
- NTF’s are ofn, the new craze is crypto.