Maskhole

A recent article that appeared in the WestSideRag on March 7, 2022 said a new term had entered the lexicon – “maskhole” – although use of this term was meant to imply “don’t judge” in reference to a story in the New York Post that talked about kids being teased in school if they did/didn’t wear a mask. The article began with the opening statement: “Hey kids, don’t be a maskhole! With the end of school mask mandates around the corner, the city’s elite private schools are warning students not to question or tease classmates over their face covering choices” (Algar).

The term has a more derogatory meaning and goes back to April 2020 when masks mandates were implemented by the authorities to help stop the spread of Covid-19. The UrbanDictionary defines maskhole as “Assholes who don’t wear masks publicly during the Coronavirus/COVID 19 Pandemic. Especially common in NYC and usually of a certain perceived privileged and political party(GOP)” (JGoldStayGold). A May 11, 2020 submission to the same dictionary for maskhole reads “A maskhole jogged right past me in the park today” (Bethinslope).

Wiktionary defines a maskhole as:

“Etymology: Blend of mask +‎ asshole

Noun: maskhole (plural maskholes)

1. (slang, derogatory) A person who refuses to wear a facemask during the COVID-19 pandemic.
2.  (slang, derogatory) A person who harasses others for not wearing a face mask.”

The City of West Hollywood defines a maskhole as “a person who refuses to wear a facial covering during a pandemic, despite its ability to help save lives” and produced a short animation. Click the image below to view it.

Social Media Trends as of May 10, 2022

Facebook #maskhole: 6,100 people are posting about this
Instagram #maskhole: 8,174 posts
TikTok #maskhole: 19.5 million views
YouTube #maskhole: less than 100 videos and channels

Google Trends: maskhole first appeared during the week of April 26, 2020 and reached its peak during the week of July 12, 2020.

Sources

Algar, Selim. “NYC private schools worry students will be teased over choice to wear masks.” New York Post. March 2, 2022. URL: http://NYC private schools worry students will be teased over choice to wear masks.

Bethinslope. “Maskhole.” Urban Dictionary. May 11, 2020. URL: https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Maskhole.

“Don’t be a maskhole” video. City of West Hollywood. 10 August 2020. URL: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=633905637244967.

JGoldStayGold. “Maskhole.” Urban Dictionary. April 25, 2020. URL: https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Maskhole.

“Maskhole.” Wiktionary. URL: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/maskhole.

“Monday Bulletin: ‘Don’t be a Maskhole’ (Don’t judge).” West Side Rag. March 7, 2022. URL: https://www.westsiderag.com/2022/03/07/monday-bulletin-dont-be-a-maskhole-dont-judge-gales-heli-ride-not-so-fast-teddy.