What Does “Foenem” & “OFN” Mean in Slang?

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Learn all the meanings and uses of the popular slang term

Co-authored by Aimee Payne, MFA Reviewed by Anyah Le Gilmore-Jones

Last Updated: December 18, 2024 Fact Checked

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• Foenem Meaning
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• How to Use “Foenem”
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• Where did “foenem” come from?
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• Alternative Meanings of OFN
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• Video

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Have you seen the slang term “foenem” or the abbreviation “OFN” on social media and were wondering what they meant? If so, you’ve come to the right place. “Foenem” is Chicago slang that most commonly refers to people close to you. However, the way it’s used can change the meaning. Read on to learn more about phrases that involve “foenem” and their many meanings.

What does “foenem” mean?

“Foenem” is a slang term meaning “friends and family” that reportedly came from Chicago gang culture. It’s most often used as part of the phrase “on foenem” (abbreviated as “OFN”), which has a meaning similar to “I swear.” People say “OFN” to emphatically confirm or agree with something that was said, similar to saying “I swear on my mama” or “I swear on my homies.”

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Section 1 of 4:

Foenem Meaning

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1. 1
   “Foenem” means “friends & family” or people really close to you. It’s a generic term with roots in African-American Vernacular English that means a group of people you care about. It has a similar meaning to “posse” or “crew.” However, it can also be used to refer to an individual friend without naming them.

   • Some feel that it’s a shortened form of “folks and them.”
   • It may also derive from “Four and them,” a reference to the Chicago Four Corners Hustlers gang.
   • “Foenem” is sometimes spelled “foe nem” or “foe n em.”
2. 2
   “On foenem” is an oath or another way of saying “I swear.” Abbreviated as “OFN” for use in texts and on social media, “on foenem” means that you’re swearing on the lives of your crew to let someone know you’re serious and telling the truth. “On foenem grave” is a way to communicate that you are deathly serious, implying that you’re swearing on the graves of the people closest to you.

   • “On foenem” can also mean “I agree with you” in some contexts.
   • “O4N” is another abbreviation sometimes used for “on foenem.”
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Section 2 of 4:

How to Use “Foenem”

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1. 1
   Use “foenum” by itself to refer to your closest people. Part of the reason you use “foenem” instead of just saying who you’re referring to is that you want to talk about your friends but don’t want to be more specific. “Foenem” is also used to talk about an individual friend when you don’t want to give a name. A few examples are:

   • “I was hanging with my foenem all night, so I didn’t get home until morning.”
   • “My foenem always has my back.”
   • “I’m meeting up with my foenem to catch a movie.”
   • “My foenem’s back in town to celebrate my birthday. It’s going to be a blast.”
   • “They better not mess with my foenem.”
2. 2
   Say “on foenem” to let people know you’re telling the truth. Use it in the same way as the phrases, “I swear on my mother’s life” or “word to my mother.” Because “foenem” means friends and family, saying “on foenem” means you’re swearing on the lives of the people closest to you. Saying “on foenem grave” makes the phrase even more serious. It’s like saying, “I swear on my mother’s grave.” It’s also used to ask someone if they’re being truthful.

   • “On foenem, last night, I saw the ghost of my grandma in the bathroom.”
   • “I found $200 in the pocket of my winter coat. On foenem.”
   • “My cousin Gina, on foenem, is going to be on TV in one of those singing competitions.”
   • “So you’re saying you ate that entire 4-tier cake all by yourself? On foenem?”
   • “You really just signed a record deal? On foenem?”
3. 3
   Use “on foenem” to say you agree with someone. Add it to a conversation like you would the phrases “no lie” or “truth.” If you respond to someone by saying, “Yeah, on foenem” they’ll understand that you’re on board with what they’re saying. A few other examples are:

   • Them: “He is the best-looking one in that group.”
     You: “On foenem.”
   • Them: “You can’t live in Florida in the summer without air conditioning. That’s a fact.”
     You: “On foenem.”
   • Them: “These fried dumplings are the best thing I’ve ever eaten in my entire life.”
     You: “On foenem.”
   • Them: “Chicago is my favorite city in the world.”
     You: “On foenem.”
   • Them: “I wish I was sitting on the beach sipping an umbrella drink right about now.”
     You: “On foenem.”
4. 4
   Say “on foenem” to express frustration. It still means, “I swear,” but you’re making an oath to emphasize how irritated you are about something. Use it in conversation the same way you’d use the phrase, “I swear to god!” Some examples are:

   • “On foenem, if you look at me like that one more time, I will leave this house.”
   • “Get over here right now, or on foenem, we can’t be friends anymore.”
   • “If someone doesn’t stop stealing the cheese off my sandwich at work, on foenem, I’m going to flip a table.”
   • “On foenem, I can not take another day of this heat.”
   • “On foenem, that fly is getting on my very last nerve.”
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Section 3 of 4:

Where did “foenem” come from?

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1. Some believe the term came from Chicago gang culture. It referred to the Four Corner Hustlers, who referred to each other as “foenem.” It came from the phrase “Four & them,” meaning the gang and their missing friends. Some believe the gang started to use the term in the early 2000s as a way for members to confirm their loyalty and respect for each other.

   • The term began to show up in rap songs in the late 2010s. Chicago rappers like Chief Keef and King Vong helped the term gain popularity.
   • It has gained popularity in the wider culture after being used prominently on social media platforms like TikTok and Twitter.

Section 4 of 4:

Alternative Meanings of OFN

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1. Some interpret “OFN” as meaning “old freaking news.” It means a piece of information or gossip is out of date, or people have moved on from it. For example: “OFN, but I lost my favorite sweater a few weeks ago. You haven’t seen it, have you?” Less often, “OFN” is used as an abbreviation for other unrelated phrases.

   • “Oh f*** no”
   • “On fleek now”
   • “Other f****** nonsense”
   • “Out for now”
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