Sniffies – Meaning, Origin and Usage
In some circles, you may occasionally come across the word ‘Sniffies’. Particularly among the LGBTQ community, and in the establishments to which they are patrons.
It’s a relatively new word, so don’t feel bad if you aren’t familiar with it just yet. Besides, I’m about to tell you all about it anyway.
What is the Meaning of the Word ‘Sniffies’?
Sniffies is an online dating app that targets gay, bisexual, and bicurious men.
It enables such men to chat with and meet up with other men of similar persuasion in their local area for a ‘hookup’, all without having to leave the platform.
It can be compared to Tinder and Grinder, which are both similar in their use. The word ‘Sniffies’ only refers to the app itself, and is not a sexual term to describe the men who would consider using it.
What is the Origin of the Word ‘Sniffies’?
The Sniffies app came out (pun intended!) in 2018, initially from its headquarters in London UK, and has since gained popularity overseas in the US, especially when lockdown restrictions were lifted.
By the year 2022, the user base of the Sniffies app had doubled, making it the most popular hookup in the gay, bisexual, and bicurious male community. The app is available on the Apple operating system, and Android. You can use the platform to chat with other members of the community, share photos and videos, and bring a map of fellow Sniffie users to find potential hookups in your vicinity.
The app has mixed reviews, and as with many other dating apps, there are often people who pretend to be someone other than their true self.
How do you use the Word ‘Sniffies’?
Here are some examples of how someone may use the word ‘Sniffies’:
‘My love life sucks, I think I need to get on Sniffies.’
‘Have you been on Sniffies?’
‘I can recommend Sniffies. Had some unbelievable hook-ups.’
‘I can’t recommend Sniffies highly enough.’
‘Well he’s either gay, bi or bicurious – I saw his profile on Sniffies.’
‘Oh my G*d, Dad is on Sniffies!’
‘Which photo should I use for my Sniffies profile?’
‘Which hookup app do you prefer, Sniffies or Grindr?’
‘Finally, a dating app for people like me.’
‘Is this your profile on Sniffies? You told me you were straight!’
‘Be careful, you can’t trust everything you see on the Sniffies app.’
‘Sh*t! I’ve just found your son on Sniffies!’
‘Look at this hottie on Sniffies – I want some of that.’
‘Ha ha, look at this guy’s Sniffies profile!’
‘I think I’ll have to get on Sniffies – suffering from some serious FOMO.’
‘You have to get on Sniffies – it’s the best thing I ever did for my sex life!’
‘We met through the app Sniffies and have been inseparable ever since.’
‘No thanks, Sniffies is not for me.’
‘Well, at this point, I think the only dating or hookup app I haven’t already tried is Sniffies.’
‘I’m sorry to tell you this, but I’m afraid he’s got a profile on the Sniffies app for gay men.’
‘I don’t trust the Sniffies app. Some of those men look too good to be true.’
‘No, you can’t go on Sniffies – it’s only for men.’
‘I thought Tinder was bad, but then I went on Sniffies.’
‘Can trans men use Sniffies? Shall I have a look?’
Other Ways to Say ‘Sniffies’
Since the word ‘Sniffies’ only refers to an app and nothing else, you can only replace the term with the name of another app. Here are some examples:
- ‘Grindr’
- ‘Tinder’
- ‘Bumble’
- ‘Plenty of Fish’
- ‘Romeo’
- ‘Guys Only’
- ‘Hinge’
Here are some other words or phrases you can use instead if you don’t want to refer to a particular app, and would rather just give a generic description.
- ‘A dating app’
- ‘A hookup app’
- ‘A dating app for hookups’
- ‘A dating app for gays’
- ‘A dating app for men’
- ‘A hookup app for gays.’
- ‘A dating app for men only’
- ‘A hookup app for men only’
- ‘A hookup app for men who want to experiment’
- ‘A dating app for gay, bisexual, and bicurious men’
- ‘An LGBTQ hookup app’
- ‘A meetup app for gay hookups’.
Final Thoughts
If you’re within a LGBQT positive community you should have no issues using the word ‘Sniffies’ in your social circle. That said however, outsiders of your circle may require at little more explanation about what you mean.
In these circumstances, it may be better to say, for example, ‘Sniffies is a dating app for men only’ as opposed to ‘Sniffies is a hookup app for gay men.
While it tends to be used more for hookups, there’s nothing to stop users of the Sniffies app to find a relationship of sorts that goes beyond just another hookup.
