Ironic expressive not: Twitter antedating
These are some early (2008-2010) examples of “Not X” used to express amusement or mock horror on Twitter. Many cases are ambiguous, especially tweets which are replies to other tweets which are no longer available. I tried to include only fairly high-confidence examples. These were found using the basic Twitter web search UI with patterns like “Not [PRONOUN] [GERUND]” and “lmao not”.
These examples are an appendix to this blog post.
2008
@Go_Getter: LMAO!!! Not the tube joints
— 12kyle (@12kyle) August 18, 2008
@seedoflife LMAO!! NOT THE LAW & ORDER GUY HAHAHAHAHAH
— Beatrix Bubblin' (@CristalBubblin) September 2, 2008
@bryanmaltier lmao!!! not bust the windows. i agree there is NO excuse to NOT vote..ill they turn away from a long line @ the crossroads???
— Baepriℓ 🦉♏️ (@owldara112) November 4, 2008
2009
Kris won't be getting "Mother of the Year"! Lmao not jackin your daughter's wedding gifts! Using her waffle maker? Totally #reckless lmao
— chuck[ie] (@iGiveNoChuck) December 14, 2009
@JayElleGee LMAO! Not you trying to go in on me! Lol I miss you too!
— Su Vicki (@DrSus_) October 29, 2009
RT @RoyaltyPrince: Not you trying to have a party at our house its Sunday and I do have class MAN!!!
— DeeDee (@Hot_CommodiDee) November 23, 2009
@Mimadatreddiva not you acting like MS.K
— Whitley Gilbert (@Brandivo) September 27, 2009
Not me wanting to go visit rachel sometime soon with noelle for girls night out
— Shauna Beardsley (@Shaunax1) November 21, 2009
@fabglance1 lmfaooooooo not the george washington LOL
— Baepriℓ 🦉♏️ (@owldara112) March 20, 2009
2010
Not them acting like they win and they barely made that...Lakers:lame as ever
— Asia (@whoisasxa) June 18, 2010
@FeistyOMG awww, not you acting like powder puff girls. I thought you was warrior. Lol
— Moonlight Cee Emperor (@StateofCee) December 7, 2010
RT @PolishMePretty: Lmao not the locals in this mall talkin about "girl yeah the sigmas havin a prty tonight" => lmmfao! #dead
— hungbbq. (@dre__cole) December 17, 2010
Lmao not the Geico commercial RT @Marquez914: Bout to go get this hair cut FINALLY. I look like an extra in a Geico commercial right now.
— Terry G ♉️ (@iT3bow) December 16, 2010
It gets real out here lol RT @MissSCLASS @ShutUpSiergio LMAO not a whole dance routine
— $iergio (@Siergio) December 16, 2010
RT @iam_meek: @MoKThnUKno lmao not Ricky Bobby! I can drive you and @jazisjazzy be the first ones in the car! ... http://tmi.me/4gvTC
— The Cat's Meow (@jazisjazzy) December 16, 2010
@EsmeraldaSG That picture is to cute and not you doing the standard Esme pose, it's a twofer.
— Nerd, Est. 1975! (@TAYREL713) September 19, 2010
@OlgaKay OLGA not you doing the screen thing soo people accidently click and then they go back to watch the video and you get one extra view
— Oidoy (@Oidoy) September 29, 2010
Bonus: 2007?
OMG not 36 or 37!!! http://tinyurl.com/yoksrd
— Formerly David Holmes F5 (@dholmesf5) October 23, 2007
(This is likely a subtly different - and less conventionalized - form of mock horror with the intended meaning of “X is not a big deal” / “X is being overreacted to”. i.e. sarcastic rather than ironic. The link the author is responding to is to this article about how Tom from MySpace might actually be 36 or 37 years old, rather than the age of 32 listed on his MySpace profile.)