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Bait

Bait is the food taken to work by miners down the pit.
Common usage in NE England

A "bait tin" is what he carried it in.

Sometimes called "Snap" further south.
"I'm starvin ... I haven't had me bait coz I left me bait tin at yem (home)"
by worryem September 11, 2014
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Bait

Colloquially, something desirable meant to lure targets into a trap, e.g. food on a fish-hook.

In the context of online discussion, it refers to poorly articulated and inflammatory opinions posted for the sole purpose of angering and provoking a response. The actual validity of the arguments exchanged is completely irrelevant, though baiters will often open with very poor arguments to tempt targets into an obvious rebuttal.

It's a powerful form of double bind, because:
1) Ignoring the bait makes you look like you're capitulating and "have no good response".
2) Answering aggressively opens you up to mockery about being butthurt or defensive.
3) Any calm, coherent response will be ignored, and might lead the baiter to escalate their provocation.

Regardless of how you react, these discussions are deliberately meant to waste your time and energy.
- "I can't believe how stupid this guy is, he's completely misrepresenting my position and-"
- "Dude, it's clearly bait. Let it go."
by Halucygeno May 31, 2022
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waiting with baited breath

What a cat does by eating cheese and then hiding silently near a mouse-hole for a furry varmint to come out looking for da source of da delicious aroma.
Garfield is shown to easily catch multiple mice --- i.e., one underneath each foot --- without even trying very hard, and so it's possible dat he was "waiting with baited breath", and so da mice just flocked to him. Or of course, it could also merely be dat said speedy specimens of omnivorous opportunity have learned by now dat said tubby tabby never actually eats da mice he catches or otherwise harms them in any way, and so they are less watchful 'n' wary around Jon's house than they might be in other people's domiciles where da resident felines actually may hunt said rodents for real.
by QuacksO February 26, 2024
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Bacon Baiting

Manipulating someone into performing a service or favour on your behalf with the promise of bacon as the reward.
Brenda, have you tried bacon baiting Cyril into beating the pussy up?
by ElBee87 January 12, 2018
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compliment baiting

Not to be confused with compliment fishing, compliment baiting is the act of talking about oneself or their achievements, then pausing to wait for someone else to chime in to compliment them.
“when logan was telling his story he paused after he said he beat the guy talking shit to him during his match, he’s compliment baiting”
by nubble August 19, 2025
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Bait used to be believable

A memetic term used to describe how much rage bait (and trolling in general) has declined in the past decade, becoming so obvious and low-effort that you'd have to be mighty stupid to fall for it.
Obvious hacker: "Bruhhh I got banned because I was too good at this game for those stupid plebs bruhhh the mods are losers bruhhh"

Chad: "Bait used to be believable."
by Ubeenbamboozledson November 20, 2025
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Bait Streaming

A Bait Stream Is A Live Interaction Found Typically On Tik Tok And Encourages Users To “Debate” Subjects around Religion,Sexual Orientation And Flat Earth Theories In Which The Live host Wants People To join To prove Him/Her wrong.
Did You See That Stream On Tik Tok With ol Mate Talking About Religion And there’s No God ?

Yeah His Bait Streaming Don’t Worry About It
by NightPossum February 25, 2023
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