rickroll
RIK-rohl
/ˈrɪk.roʊl/
To trick someone into opening a hyperlink that unexpectedly redirects to the music video for Rick Astley's 1987 song 'Never Gonna Give You Up'.
A specific internet prank that relies on misdirection, where a promising or relevant link leads instead to the optimistic 80s pop music video.
The story behind the word. In 2007, an imageboard moderator wanted to prank users looking for a leaked video game trailer. He replaced the target link with Rick Astley's 1987 hit 'Never Gonna Give You Up'. The joke evolved from an earlier 4chan meme called 'duckroll', creating one of the most enduring pranks in internet history.
Word relationships
- bait-and-switch: 'Bait-and-switch' is a broader commercial or deceptive tactic, whereas 'rickroll' is a specific comedic web prank.
Commonly confused with
- duckroll: 'Duckroll' was the predecessor prank on 4chan involving a picture of a duck with wheels; 'rickroll' replaced the duck image with Rick Astley's music video.
Word family
- rickrolling (noun): The practice of pranking people with Rick Astley's music video.
Collocations
- classic rickroll
- rickroll link
- get rickrolled
- rickroll prank
Example sentences
- "He claimed the link led to leaked movie footage, but I clicked it only to realize I had been rickrolled once again." Online Prank Culture
- "During the live press conference, a clever student managed to rickroll the entire audience over the public sound system." Public Broadcast Event
Memory hook
Rick Astley rolling into your web browser unexpectedly. Surprise Rick Astley link prank.
When not to use
Avoid in formal writing or when describing general computer viruses, phishing scams, or malicious web redirects.
Fun facts
- On April Fools' Day in 2008, YouTube redirected every featured video on its homepage to Rick Astley's music video, effectively rickrolling tens of millions of users simultaneously.
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