Tuesday was a very good day for Simone Biles and her Team USA teammates, as they won a gold medal in the gymnastics team final in Paris.
Afterward, Biles and her teammates attended the obligatory media session, and ESPN’s Aly Raisman, a former teammate of Biles and a three-time gold medalist herself, posed an unusual question.
“What is your team name?” Raisman asked.
It was only unusual because Raisman’s facial expression showed she probably already knew the answer. But she put Biles on the spot.
“Um,” Biles said nervously.
“Don’t say it,” one teammate urged.
“Don’t say it,” another teammate chimed in.
“I’m not going to say it,” Biles said.
“Just abbreviate it,” someone suggested.
“F … A,” Biles began, before consulting with teammates.
“F*** around and find out,” she finally said.
Aly Raisman asks Simone Biles and the team what their nickname is.
“F.A.A.F.O.”
F**k around and find out pic.twitter.com/RJjZ5OWcQg
— Kendall Baker (@kendallbaker) July 30, 2024
Reporters got a big laugh out of the reveal, and Biles covered her face in mock shame. She later added this on X/Twitter:
okay on the real though, the official team name is ✨golden girls✨ (because oldest olympic team)
s/o to cecile🥹🤍
— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) July 31, 2024
For the TikTok generation, the FAFO reference needs no explanation, but for older people who date all the way back to the ancient Myspace era, it essentially means, “If you play with fire, you’re going to get burned.”
It’s been around a few years but became a sensation in 2022. The American Dialect Society even selected it as the Word of the Year.
Chances are good we’ll hear more references to the nickname as Team USA members continue competing.
[Kendall Baker on X/Twitter]
