Lame (slang)

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Lame is a slang adjective used to describe things of poor, or incomplete, quality in a manner that is synonymous with crap or dim-witted. It is also used as a mock against inexperienced users and less than provocative, or 'uncool,' performances. Lame is linked to the standard English use of the term for being disabled in movement or being otherwise crippled.

The use of this term is common in the USA but is increasingly heard in other English speaking countries that are known for adopting US trends easily, such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK.

One early use of the word lame in this context is by musician Bob Dylan in his song "Desolation Row," written in 1965:

All these people that you mentioned,
Yes, I know them, they're quite lame
I had to rearrange their faces
And give them all another name.

In non-English speaking countries the term is being adopted mainly by users of videogames, online gaming, IRC, and other Internet-related technologies. In this context, it may also depict a clueless person or a mistake typically seen in newbies' actions or words (in which case such persons are called lamers).