🦞
Lobster
ˈlɒbstə(r)
Definitions
1
Food · Seafood
Common
A crustacean with a hard shell and large claws, commonly served as luxury seafood. Used to represent literal lobsters, seafood cuisine, or coastal/marine themes.
Often used when discussing food, restaurants, beach trips, or coastal locations.
Celebrating our anniversary with 🦞 tonight!
Social media post about dining out
Maine vacation plans: beaches, lighthouses, and lots of 🦞
Travel planning message
Associated with luxury dining and special occasions in Western cultures, particularly in New England and coastal regions.
2
Slang · Internet Culture
Uncommon
Used metaphorically to represent something or someone that's caught in a trap, feeling trapped, or in a complicated situation.
Occasionally used in memes or humorous contexts to indicate being 'caught' or 'trapped'.
Me trying to explain why I'm late to work again 🦞
Social media meme
This usage emerged from internet culture and references the idea of lobsters caught in traps.
Evolution Timeline
2018
Added to Unicode 11.0 and major platform emoji sets.
Growing demand for seafood and food emojis.
2019
Gained popularity in marine conservation discussions.
Increased awareness about sustainable fishing practices.
2020
Usage expanded in cooking content during pandemic lockdowns.
Surge in home cooking and food content creation.
Cultural Context
Lobster transformed from poverty food to luxury item in North America during the 19th-20th centuries, reflecting changing cultural perceptions of seafood.
Serves as a status symbol in many cultures, associated with wealth, special occasions, and luxury dining experiences.
Deeply tied to cultural identity in Maine and Atlantic Canada, where lobster fishing has shaped coastal communities for generations.
Increasingly appears in discussions about sustainable fishing, ocean conservation, and climate change impacts on marine ecosystems.
Regional Variations
Australia
Often refers to rock lobster (crayfish) rather than Maine lobster, especially in Western Australia.
United Kingdom
Associated with upscale dining and coastal towns, particularly in Cornwall and Scotland.
United States
Strongly associated with New England, particularly Maine, where lobster is a cultural icon and major industry.
Generational Usage
Gen_X: Typically used literally to reference food, cooking, or coastal vacations in messaging and social media.
Gen_Z: Often used ironically or in surreal memes. May reference the 'lobster in a bucket' metaphor in social commentary.
Older: Limited usage, primarily in literal contexts about food or vacation destinations.
Millennials: Frequently used when sharing food experiences, restaurant visits, and vacation photos on Instagram and Facebook.
Common Combinations
🦞🧈
Lobster with butter, a classic preparation method.
References traditional lobster serving with melted butter, especially in New England.
🦞🍽️
Fine dining or seafood restaurant experience.
Indicates upscale dining or special occasion meal featuring lobster.
🏖️🦞
Beach vacation with seafood or coastal destination.
Used when discussing coastal trips, especially to regions known for lobster.
🦞⛓️
Reference to feeling trapped or caught in a situation.
Metaphorical usage based on lobster traps, often used humorously.
Related Emojis
🦀
Fellow crustacean, often used interchangeably despite biological differences.
🦐
Seafood category companion, often appears together in seafood meal contexts.
🐙
Marine creature often grouped together in ocean or seafood contexts.
🍽️
Frequently paired to indicate fine dining or restaurant experiences.
🌊
Associated with ocean habitat and coastal locations.