A term used to express exaggerated
joy and approval by onlookers or witnesses to behavior perceived as
iconic or fierce (e.g. a death
drop during a voguing performance, a friend looking hot in a provocative outfit, etc.), or at an unexpected but propitious outcome (e.g. a
celebrity coming out, news of a highly anticipated album
drop, etc.), typically within the context of gay counterculture.
The term is a portmanteau and takes the form of a command followed by a proclamation. "Slay the house down boots" mixes the use of "
slay", widely used as a shorthand to express joyful surprise, with the instruction to
slay "the house down", implying a larger edifice or audience, typically in the context of a performance. The addition of "boots" is used for shock effect, echoing wider gay parlance. "Houston I'm deceased" is a play on the lines used by astronauts communicating to NASA's Mission Control and implies that the reaction was so urgent that a well-known authority had to be notified; "I'm deceased" humorously implies that something was so overwhelming that the speaker has passed away. The impossibility of literal use accentuates the chaos and
humor.
The term is used primarily among queer youths and emerged from the NY ballroom and drag scene before percolating into wider gay culture, primarily via
memes and alt
Twitter. It is used for its flamboyant flair and for its tendency to bewilder straight audiences.
