I'm not 100% sure this is what the author intends but 'based' has been used for quite a long time on imageboards as an adjective describing something that is unpopular or contentious but nonetheless correct.

> J.K. Rowling is actually better that Hemingway

> > based

From here it spread to other communities (largely non-mainstream political communities on both the left and right). Its strongest assiociation is still with 4chan (and by extension the alt-right) though.

Edit: I just noticed this is Luke Smith's project. He's an esoteric fascist with an embarrassing love of 4chan memes. So yeah, that's where it comes from.

As a non native speaker, the only times I have ever seen people using the word outside of its dictionary definitions when I was reading a bit of MAGA/Q sites out of boredom last year. I took it to just mean something based on US style christian/conservative values.

But usage seems to be broader according to what you wrote. I reckon the most common usage will be, that something is based, when it is unpopular or contentious, but you happen to agree with it.

The usage on MAGA/Q sites is entirely a consequence of the huge cultural influence that boards like /pol/ have exerted on the online far-right. After all, the entire Qanon movement basically sprung out of a /pol/ fairytale.

Thanks for explaining "based" - I didn't know what it was. But I don't understand how your example is actually an example of that. "Rowling is better than Hemingway" is a matter of opinion, so it can't be "unpopular but correct".

When I say 'correct', I mean correct in the eyes of the person using the word 'based'. It's worth bearing in mind here that imageboards for the most part have a wilful cultural neglect of the difference between 'my opinion' and 'objective truth' :-)

> unpopular or contentious but nonetheless correct.

I agree with that, but regard it as an evolution from my other answer meaning "established." The reference to contentious or unpopular comes because a based person has earned the ability to present unpopular ideas without repercussion.

I think you're right that the term originates in hip-hop culture but when it was borrowed by imageboard culture it evolved into a descriptor of ideas and not of people - for the simple reason that imageboards are mostly anonymous.

Now when I see the term used online it's mostly in the imageboard sense of some idea or concept being 'correct' or 'agreeable' rather than the person who originates it. I think the term is undergoing a certain amount of semantic broadening too - more and more often I see it simply as a synonym for 'cool' rather than in the narrower meaning of 'this is controversial but I agree with it'.

It's a hip-hop term meaning established, self-sufficient, or independent, e.g. through fame or business. Because it is desirable, it's used here as a synonym of good/awesome, suggesting this is how based people cook.

Yes, it's internet slang. From Wiktionary:

  (slang, of a person) Not caring what others think about one's personality, style, or behavior; focused on maintaining individuality.
  (Internet slang, 4chan) Praiseworthy and admirable, often through exhibiting independence and security.

The explanation I heard is that it is derived from "debased". As in the opposite of debased is "based". I don't think this is strictly correct[0], but it does give a good definition.

[0]: I think the original term comes from street slang and has something to do with freebase cocaine and evolved from there through various online communities.

Roughly "down to earth", the opposite of image-obsessed.

Based ultimately comes from hip-hop jargon (ex: Lil B the Based God). It is an older form of the newer 'Chad' meme and an antonym of 'cringe'. It is often used on 4chan with many layers of irony. In fact, using based unironically (like based.cooking) is kind of cringe since MAGA boomers co-opted it.

See https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Based. Seems to be a word that you'll occasionally see on Reddit, etc., but I've never used it that way, personally.

I have the same issue (33 yrs old), and couldn't figure it out by doing a quick web search.

I'm wondering the same as a 31 year old, I've been cooking and reading about it since adulthood and have never come across that term.

I thought it was the PH level of the food. That would being cool