Where does milkshake come from?
The song “Milkshake” by Kelis came out in 2003 and peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart later that year. It’s well-known and best-remembered for the lyrics “My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard.”
As Kelis is singing about a woman who is irresistible to men, milkshake is clearly a metaphor or euphemism, though its exact meaning is ambiguous. People speculated about what it could mean, wondering if it could be a covert way of talking about blowjobs, sensuality and attractiveness in general, or breasts. Some speculate milkshake refers to oral sex, as Kelis also sings about how she could “teach you” about her superior milkshake. The components of milkshake, here, may be meant to conjure about the act and effect of fellatio. Others suppose milkshake signifies her breasts. Milkshake, after all, has been slang for “breasts” since the 1910s, evoking the anatomy and physiology of the organs.
Kelis herself has attempted to put a rest to the confusion as to what milkshake means. At first, when the song was initially released in 2003, she said that milkshake is something sensual that makes a woman stand out, even suggesting breasts or butt. In 2017, however, Kelis stated that milkshake as a metaphor “means lots of things.” As a metaphor, Kelis’s milkshake likens the special quality that makes a woman attractive like the dessert as a delicious treat.
Examples of milkshake
Who uses milkshake?
Milkshake is often used as a reference to the song, especially the famous line: “My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard.” The lyrics may accompany selfies projecting a positive self-image or sex appeal, as the milkshake is “what the guys go crazy for” in the song.
Many people create parodies of the “Milkshake” song by replacing some of its words or by using expectations of its musical cadence or lyrical intent. For example, “My Minecraft server brings all the players to the yard.”
Others use the word milkshake itself as the song does: a metaphor for something, usually physical or sexual, uniquely appealing about a person.
Note
This is not meant to be a formal definition of milkshake like most terms we define on Dictionary.com, but is rather an informal word summary that hopefully touches upon the key aspects of the meaning and usage of milkshake that will help our users expand their word mastery.