🅱️
B Button (Blood Type)
bee but-uhn
Definitions
1
Medical · Information
uncommon
Originally designed to indicate blood type B in medical contexts. Used in hospitals, blood donation centers, and health communications.
Rarely used for its intended medical purpose in casual conversation.
My blood type is 🅱️ positive, so I can donate to other 🅱️ types.
Health information sharing
One of four blood type emoji indicators (A/B/AB/O) primarily used in East Asian contexts where blood type is culturally significant.
2
Internet · Meme
common
Used in internet meme culture to replace the letter 'B' or other letters in words for comedic effect, often to create ironic, absurd or 'deep fried' memes.
Primarily used by younger internet users familiar with specific meme formats.
That's so 🅱️ool my 🅱️ro
Social media comment
I'm 🅱️roke until pay day 😩
Messaging app
Emerged around 2016 as part of 'deep fried' meme aesthetic, associated with deliberately low-quality, oversaturated images and ironic humor.
3
Urban · Gang
rare
Used to reference Bloods gang affiliation, replacing 'C' with '🅱️' to disrespect rival Crips gang, or emphasizing B-words in gang-related contexts.
Primarily seen in specific urban contexts or by those referencing gang culture.
From 🅱️ompton to 🅱️rooklyn, keeping it real
Social media comment
Originated from Bloods gang practice of replacing 'C' with 'B' in speech and writing (e.g., 'Compton' to 'Bompton').
Evolution Timeline
2010
Introduced as part of Unicode 6.0 to represent blood type B in medical contexts.
Need for medical symbols in digital communication.
2016
Repurposed in internet meme culture, particularly in 'deep fried' memes.
Reddit and Twitter users seeking new forms of ironic humor.
2017
Peak popularity as a letter replacement in ironic memes and social media posts.
Widespread adoption by mainstream meme accounts.
2019
Usage declined as meme formats evolved, becoming more niche.
Natural meme cycle and shift to new formats.
Cultural Context
The 🅱️ emoji represents a linguistic phenomenon called 'letter replacement' where one character substitutes for another to create humor or signal group membership.
The emoji's repurposing from medical symbol to meme demonstrates how internet culture recontextualizes symbols for ironic purposes, creating in-group signaling.
Part of the 'deep fried' meme aesthetic characterized by deliberate quality degradation, oversaturation, and distortion - a reaction against polished digital media.
The Blood/Crip letter replacement originated in 1960s-70s Los Angeles gang culture before being appropriated by internet meme culture decades later.
Regional Variations
Japan
More commonly used for its original blood type purpose, as blood type is culturally significant in Japan.
United States
Primarily used in meme contexts and occasionally as gang reference. Medical usage is minimal compared to East Asian countries.
Generational Usage
Gen_X: Limited usage, primarily recognizing its medical meaning rather than meme applications.
Gen_Z: Primary users in meme context. Often employ it ironically in text, especially on platforms like TikTok and Discord.
Older: Minimal usage. May recognize as blood type symbol if used in medical contexts.
Millennials: Some usage among younger millennials familiar with meme culture. Older millennials may recognize but rarely use it.
Common Combinations
🅱️😂
Used to indicate something is ironically funny in meme context.
Common in deep fried memes where absurdist humor is emphasized.
🅱️💯
Ironic way of saying something is perfect or 'one hundred'.
Used in meme culture to exaggerate quality or agreement.
🅱️🔥
Ironic way of saying something is 'fire' or excellent.
Part of meme lexicon that deliberately distorts common expressions.