What Does the 🧢 Blue Hat Emoji Mean?

Co-authored by Eric McClure

Last Updated: October 31, 2022

Did someone drop a 🧢 (blue hat) emoji out of nowhere? Confused by what they mean? We’ve got you covered! This is a unique emoji that’s got a few applications, but it’s easy enough to figure out how it’s used. In this article, we’ll cover what the 🧢 (blue hat) emoji means, how it’s used, and how you might reply to it.

Section 1 of 4:

What does the 🧢 (blue hat) emoji mean?

The 🧢 emoji means “cap,” which is slang for “lie.” When you see the 🧢 emoji, just replace it with the word “cap” (if it works like a noun), or “capping” (if it functions like a verb). Cap is popular slang to mean “lie,” while capping means “lying.”^{[1]
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- As a noun, someone might say “That’s 🧢” (i.e. “That’s a lie”). As a verb, someone could say, “You’re 🧢” (i.e. “You’re lying”).
- Someone saying, “I woke up at 4 am today, no 🧢” is basically saying, “I’m not lying about getting up at 4 am.”
- If you text someone, “I heard you asked Melissa out,” they might reply, “That’s 🧢, I barely even talk to her” to indicate that’s not true.
- The 🧢 emoji can also work on its own. If you say, “I actually can’t stand rock music,” someone might just say, “🧢?” as if to say, “Are you lying?”
- As a note, this emoji is rarely used in an aggressive or accusational way. It’s more of a “haha, you’re full of it” kind of thing.

Section 2 of 4:

How do you use the 🧢 (blue hat) emoji?

1
Try using the 🧢 emoji to call someone out for lying. This usage of the 🧢 emoji is the most popular. You simply use the 🧢 the same way you’d say something like, “You’re full of it,” or, “That’s a lie,” in a super non-confrontational way. You might have a convo like:
- Them: “I’m going to totally fight her tomorrow.”
- You: “That’s 🧢. You aren’t going to do anything.”
2
You might use “no 🧢” to say “I’m serious.” You can also change the meaning of the emoji by throwing a “no” in front of it to express conviction or emphasize severity. This is sort of like saying, “I’m not kidding,” or, “100% seriously.”^{[2]
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Research source} You might say:
- “I’m buying a car this summer, no 🧢.”
- “This might seem like 🧢, but it’s no 🧢. I just got into college.”
- “Did you know I’m getting an A in physics? No 🧢.”
3
You could employ the 🧢 emoji to ask, “Seriously?” If you aren’t sure whether someone is telling the truth or not and you kind of want to ask if they’re fibbing in a super casual way, you can use the 🧢 emoji. This is a bit of a fringe usage, but you might use it to question authenticity.
- Them: “I don’t know how to share this, but I think I’m moving to Colorado.”
- You: “Is that 🧢? You serious?”

Section 3 of 4:

How do you respond to the 🧢 (blue hat) emoji?

1
You might tell them that you’re really telling the truth. If someone throws a 🧢 your way to imply that you aren’t telling the truth, respond by telling them that you’re being honest. They probably aren’t being aggressively accusational (since they wouldn’t use an emoji for that), so feel free to have some fun with it. You might say:
- “No! No 🧢 at all. I really am going to get the new Jordans.”
- “I’m super serious.”
- “What do you mean 🧢?! I’m telling the truth.”
2
You could admit that you’re exaggerating just a bit. If you are trying to pull someone’s leg, you could own up to it that you’re not being 100% honest. If you were just being a little hyperbolic, you can play it off like you were just messing around. You might say:
- “Ok ok, you got it. That was 🧢”
- “I wouldn’t say it’s 🧢 🧢, but it might be a little 🧢.”
- “Yeah, you got me. I’m just messing around.”

Section 4 of 4:

Why does “cap” mean “lie?”

We don’t know why, but it’s an old-school slang term in hip hop. The origin of “cap” goes all the way back to Southern rappers from the mid-1980s, and it’s an example of “playing the dozens”—a playful form of back-and-forth insulting in certain African-American subcultures. It’s unclear where the connection between “cap” and “lying” comes from, but the term “cap” has been used this way for a long time.^{[3]
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- “Cap” can also more generally mean “limit” (i.e. market cap, salary cap), so “no cap” can also be interpreted as “no limit.”