Talk:YOLO (aphorism)

Should there be an explanation of what the phrase means and how it's commonly used, or at least a link to a Wiktionary entry? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Wizofaus (talk • contribs) 17:47, 29 February 2024 (UTC)

Proposed deletion
This article was moved from "YOLO movement" which was initially tagged with "notability". This article (the moved one) kept the notability tag but it was removed by an editor who said: "notable enough". Should it be kept? Otherwise move it to combine it with the article for The Motto. - Kylelovesyou (talk) 06:01, 2 June 2012 (UTC)
 * You could just go ahead and redirect this to The Motto and add any relevant content and citations to that section. The idea of having a separate page for this phrase sort of irks me, but I'm not sure I represent the majority viewpoint of Wikipedians. Killiondude (talk) 07:19, 2 June 2012 (UTC)

This s*it is so retarded :--D yololloloSwag420 ebin :D — Preceding unsigned comment added by 212.149.201.35 (talk) 14:50, 28 November 2012 (UTC)


 * LOL. I only came to this page because it just came up in a Facebook thread, and I had no idea what it meant. What could be a better sign of notability than that people want to look it up? Moving it to a page about a song makes even less sense to those of us who never heard of the song. Who would think of looking for it there? Even the disambiguator "motto" I took in its ordinary meaning when it might better have been termed "acronym". Eclecticology (talk) 09:41, 14 December 2012 (UTC)

Clinton trying to copyright YOLO??
The source for copyrighting the phrase is about Drake. There is a mention of Clinton trying to "make it her own" but nothing about copyrighting it. Then if you follow the link to the article about Clinton you see it's just the author who makes the connection to YOLO in the title (renamed from a previous title, perhaps to get more eyeballs). Clinton never says anything about YOLO in the article. Joja lozzo  03:33, 6 January 2013 (UTC)
 * Neither the phrase "you only live once" and the acronym "YOLO" are copyrightable - a trademark is possible, but according to that article Drake doesn't possess one, and i's unclear if he could get one. Dcoetzee 20:02, 18 March 2013 (UTC)

Suggested move
Anybody have any objections if I move this page from YOLO (motto) to YOLO (acronym)? "Acronym" seems like a more accurate descriptor to me. --Bongwarrior (talk) 22:33, 12 February 2013 (UTC)
 * While it is an acronym (obviously) that doesn't really say much about what it is. For example "YOLO" as an acronym could refer to a spaceship, or a band, or a restaurant. I find the current disambiguator more useful. Dcoetzee 19:07, 19 February 2013 (UTC)
 * However, motto would only be an appropriate descriptor if it were attributed with any specific entity. This page should be moved to YOLO (aphorism). SloppyG (talk) 13:34, 28 October 2016 (UTC)

Edit request on 11 May 2013
"YOLO IBIZA" With all the hype surrounding the phrase Yolo, there is now a new shop in IBIZA, called "Yolo Ibiza". Based in the centre of San Antonio, just next to the West End.

83.38.62.92 (talk) 11:08, 11 May 2013 (UTC)
 * Not done. -Nathan Johnson (talk) 12:42, 11 May 2013 (UTC)

Move and expand trademark comment
The mention of the Florida restaurant's trademark seems out of place in the initial Background section: it strikes me as an interesting piece of trivia unrelated to the origin or evolution of the acronym.

According to the two citations, there are in fact two trademarks on YOLO: one by the Florida restaurant, and another by the Yogurt Lounge chain in California.

I propose that the trademark statement be moved to a new section, perhaps "In business" or "In commerce" after "In youth culture", and that it be split into two sentences, one for each citation. Nsd 16:08, 25 May 2013 (UTC)

YOLO contributes to many forms of music; mostly pop and hip-hop. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 124.176.62.39 (talk) 08:52, 18 July 2014 (UTC)

add
Category:2010s slang — Preceding unsigned comment added by Kjljkjjklj (talk • contribs) 18:18, 1 July 2013 (UTC)

Edit request on November 7 2016
The acronym "YOLO" = You Only Live Once, was actually coined in 1984 by Julio Gonzalez and Ed Lake in Atlanta GA.

"The acronym “YOLO” used in youth culture and music, was coined by Canadian rapper Drake in the 2011 song "The Motto". Since then the phrase and acronym have been popularized." The current phrasing doesn't give credit to Drake for coining the term YOLO. He may not have come up with the saying, but his song certainly established the acronym.


 * Red information icon with gradient background.svg Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. The article already mentions both Drake and The Motto repeatedly. He certainly popularized the use of the acronym (which the article already says) but to say he coined the acronym for a phrase that has been around for many, many years is a bit of a stretch and would require an independent reliable source for reference in the article. -- El Hef  ( Meep? ) 16:03, 12 December 2013 (UTC)

"First" use in music?
I have changed the sentence that started "The phrase was first used in music by The Strokes..." because it is plainly false. First, there is the mention in the previous section of the Strauss waltz from 1855 that used the phrase as its title. But then there are many MANY more uses that can easily be found. In 1946 Louis Jordan wrote and recorded the blues standard "Let the Good Times Roll" wich used the phrase "you only live but once" in the lyrics. Metallica use the phrase in the lyrics of their song "Motorbreath" from their 1983 album Kill 'Em All. Also in 1983 a lesser known band called The Romans put out their first album, titled You Only Live Once. Yanni recorded a song titled "You Only Live Once" for his 1992 album, Dare to Dream. In 1994 a group called N.O.T.S. put out an album called True Blue II: You Only Live Once. Eminem released "Bad Influence" as the b-side to "The Real Slim Shady" in 2000. The lyrics include the phrase "you only live once".

It seems that there is confusion between the originality of the phrase ("you only live once") and the acronym ("YOLO"). The phrase is VERY old and VERY well known, so much so that it has been regarded as a cliché phrase for many MANY decades. The acronym, however, seems to be only very recent and one that was first used in music by Drake. The article title claims to be about the acronym, but somehow it has a lot of content talking about the phrase without making it clear that these are two different pieces of language. 142 and 99 (talk) 18:53, 19 January 2014 (UTC)

Please delete "memento mori"
Part - "YOLO is an acronym for "you only live once". Similar to carpe diem or memento mori," Please notice they are not similar - they are in opposition. But if author ment "things ppl repeat without thinking" then i guess its correct. But its kinda absurd to put it like that in encyclopedia... . Even in YOLO article :)

Regards — Preceding unsigned comment added by Zatonoichi (talk • contribs) 22:32, 4 March 2014 (UTC)  I second this. "memento mori" does not mean the same. At all, nor has been used in a similar way. Please remove. Thanks. --Miekec (talk) 04:53, 7 May 2014 (UTC)

memento mori is an oposite of yolo or carpe diem (anybody can check in memento mori article. Majkelx (talk) 11:10, 23 August 2014 (UTC)


 * I don't know latin and stuff, so I'm just taking this at face value as it is stated. The article of memento mori states that it means "remember that you will die", which is precisely what "yolo" means.  That's all I know.  Do you guys realize that you're just parroting this request with no explanation, for the removal of stuff that people parrot with no explanation? — Smuckola (Email) (Talk) 12:07, 23 August 2014 (UTC)


 * The literal meaning of memento mori is similar to YOLO, but after looking at the article Memento mori, it seems like the implied meaning is not the same. With that in mind, I'm going to go ahead and remove "memento mori" from this article. —Mr. Granger (talk · contribs) 16:45, 23 August 2014 (UTC)


 * No, it doesn't. Not only is "seems like" is not a criterion, but you just obliterated consensus.  So I guess I'll be the one to continue to end the parroting.  The literal meaning is it.  It's not an invention.  It's just two common words, up to the interpretation of the beholder.  "although at his peak today, tomorrow he could fall", "Remember that you'll die", the Christian "the prospect of death serves to emphasize the emptiness and fleetingness of earthly pleasures" and "Remember Man that you are dust and unto dust you shall return" (which prompts many people to thus indulge in the moment), "to ponder on mortality and the vanity of life", and "see also: carpe diem".  One may ponder it, in order to then increase piety or indulgence or do nothing.  I just don't know if I'd go so far as to put "see also: YOLO" on those pages myself, but it could be done! — Smuckola (Email) (Talk) 21:30, 23 August 2014 (UTC)


 * I obliterated consensus? By my count, four of the five people in this discussion support the removal of "memento mori" from this article.
 * I also don't understand what any of the quotes you listed have to do with YOLO. Are you arguing that there's a connection between how the two phrases are used? —Mr. Granger (talk · contribs) 22:22, 23 August 2014 (UTC)


 * Because our article Memento mori suggests that that phrase memento mori lacks the "enjoy life and take risks" connotation of YOLO, and because four of the five participants in this discussion clearly support the removal of the phrase, I'm removing memento mori from the article again. If you disagree, please discuss it here. —Mr. Granger (talk · contribs) 21:02, 24 August 2014 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 26 March 2014
I wanted to add another trademark held in regards to YOLO. Besides the Florida frozen yogurt trademark, G Adventures has held a trademark on the phrase for years in regards to one of their styles of adventure travel. You can find more information about this brand over at https://www.gadventures.com/travel-styles/yolo/. I think this is a significant and more mainstream trademarked use of YOLO that deserves mention here. Thanks for helping me add this to the YOLO page.

I would like to add the following as an additional paragraph at the end of "Background":

"Additionally, tour provider G Adventures holds a trademark on YOLO in the context of adventure travel packages. These trips cater towards younger, more physically active tourists with extreme conditions and fast-paced schedules."

P1pgadtim (talk) 16:19, 26 March 2014 (UTC)
 * Red question icon with gradient background.svg Not done: it's not clear what changes you want made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format. — &#123;&#123;U&#124;Technical 13&#125;&#125; (t • e • c) 16:46, 26 March 2014 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 22 December 2014
The idea dates back much further, however. It is even mentioned in the bible. Heb 9:27 "...it is laid up to men once to die, and after this--judgment"

75.70.99.171 (talk) 16:44, 22 December 2014 (UTC)


 * Red information icon with gradient background.svg Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. Sources are needed for the statement that the quote you provided has a connection to the word "YOLO". —Granger (talk · contribs) 17:39, 22 December 2014 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 29 December 2014
In the References section, reference 4 is listed as:

"Johann Wolfgang von Goethe". Qikiqoute. Retrieved August 4, 2012.

It should be Wikiquote, not Qikiquote.

193.171.40.125 (talk) 02:51, 29 December 2014 (UTC)
 * Yes check.svg Done — Smuckola (Email) (Talk) 03:54, 29 December 2014 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 31 December 2014
In Glasgow, Scotland people often use 'Yolo' as a combination of 'Yo' and 'Hello' as a greeting or salutation on an email/blog post.

95.172.74.39 (talk) 15:26, 31 December 2014 (UTC)
 * Red information icon with gradient background.svg Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. Cannolis (talk) 16:05, 31 December 2014 (UTC)
 * Except please don't, because that story is totally irrelevant to this article. :) — Smuckola (Email) (Talk) 08:35, 1 January 2015 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 25 September 2015
Monologue is misspelled in the last paragraph as "monolog".

24.230.111.183 (talk) 14:47, 25 September 2015 (UTC)
 * ✅ - although monolog is a US alternative spelling, it does not appear in other variations of English, whereas monologue is acceptable in all types of English, so should be used as WP:COMMONALITY - Arjayay (talk) 16:58, 25 September 2015 (UTC)

External links modified
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Semi-protected edit request on 11 January 2017
Novemberyoloyolo (talk) 16:34, 11 January 2017 (UTC) YOLO standing for you only live once can mean 2 things live life to the fullest or try to live life safest and longest. For instance the YOLO song. This word is mostly used by kids through the ages 8-32
 * Red question icon with gradient background.svg Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format.  JTP ( talk • contribs) 16:46, 11 January 2017 (UTC)

History
Oxford English Dictionary lists 'YOLO' as dating back to the 1960s (the word, not just the phrase). I can cite the OED, but I wouldn't have any details. (Source: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/yolo) — Preceding unsigned comment added by RyanDanielst (talk • contribs) 19:11, 10 March 2017 (UTC)

In Popular Culture addition
"You Only Live Once" is a song by American rock band, The Strokes. It appears on their album First Impressions of Earth released in 2006. The song is commonly referred to as "YOLO" during live performances. Itslinds (talk) 13:03, 11 April 2020 (UTC)Itslinds
 * No, thats just more WP:TRIVIA WP:FANCRUFT WP:NOTDIR. We already said lots of stuff was influenced, and we are not here to list them all. — Smuckola(talk) 15:07, 11 April 2020 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 2 April 2021
In Popular Culture One of the earlier uses of “YOLO” in movies and pop culture is found in the 1993 Disney movie “Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey”. Chase the dog (voiceover by actor Michael J. Fox) runs into a chicken coup and yells, “Hey I think I left a bone in there, (runs into the coup and yells) Yolo!” RyhanResleff (talk) 23:11, 2 April 2021 (UTC)
 * Red information icon with gradient background.svg Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. This needs at least one independent source which reports on this. RandomCanadian (talk / contribs) 01:10, 3 April 2021 (UTC)

YOLO disambiguation
This page should contain a link to the disambiguation page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yolo which in turn should say it is a disambiguation page. Particularly since YOLO (You Only Look Once) is also an identical aphorism, as well as an algorithm! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 88.97.62.77 (talk) 11:02, 14 October 2022 (UTC)

You Only Live Once (1937 film)
The term “YOLO” dates back to the 1937 Fritz Lang films “You Only Live Once”. On the films movie poster, the “YOLO” is highlighted with a red font. 164.52.226.15 (talk) 18:39, 4 December 2023 (UTC)