Last year, when I moved to the East Coast from my hometown of Portland, Oregon, there were a lot of things that I had to get used to. The freezing cold weather, showering while wearing flip flops, the subpar dining hall food—the list goes on. However, one thing I didn’t expect was having to adjust to the different slang words used on the East Coast.
There’s a variety of slang used in the Northeast that I’d never heard before—Boston is notorious for the word wicked, for example. I also picked up the word brick, used to indicate the glacial temperatures felt walking down Comm Ave. Doughnut holes are exclusively called Munchkins (thanks Dunkin’), and the mini shots of vodka you buy at the store? Nips. Something I didn’t expect though, is the use of the word “finsta.”
A finsta, or fake Insta, is a second Instagram account that users create to post things they wouldn’t usually post on their main, more public, account. Typically users limit the number of people who follow these private accounts, only allowing those closest to them to see their inner, most secret postings. These posts can be anything from silly memes, to sloppy drunk photos you don’t want your mom to see, to rants about everything going wrong in one’s life. Finstas are a place to vent and express your “true self” (whatever that may be) on social media away from the public eye.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I know what a finsta is. I have my own! Yet, I had never heard this word in my life. In Portland, the word we use for our second Instagram account is sinsta. It seems that Portland is alone in this verbiage, as everyone I’ve met always looks at me funny whenever I use this word to refer to my second account. Even my fellow West Coast Californians shoot me confused glances.
However, I am here to make a case for the word sinsta. There are MANY reasons why this phrase is far superior to its more common synonym, finsta.
For starters, the word finsta itself is misleading. Finsta is a contraction for “fake Insta.” But what’s fake about these accounts? I mean, they do exist. And, objectively, individuals tend to be less fake on these second accounts. For these reasons, the word finsta is drastically inadequate.
Now, consider the word sinsta. Sinsta, meaning “second Insta.” Or, sinsta, meaning “SIN Insta,” a perfect name for an account where people tend to post their more risque photos. Oh, the duality of the word. When considering how to refer to your second Instagram account, sinsta is the obvious choice.
The difference in slang from coast to coast is interesting and often comical. Yet, when it comes to the wording for your second Instagram, the choice is clear. Sinsta is superior in all facets of the word. My fingers are crossed that this term catches on.
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