As Joe Biden nears the second half of his term as US President, the seemingly cheery "Let's go, Brandon" chant still follows him around.
But this message is not actually about cheering for someone named Brandon — instead, it has become a code for those in conservative circles for "[Expletive] Joe Biden".
Critics have latched on to the chant, using it — and its more obscene substitute — more and more frequently, such as when Mr Biden visited Chicago last month to promote his vaccine-or-test mandate.
The chant also followed Mr Biden to Virginia last week, popping up when he campaigned for Terry McAuliffe, the Democratic candidate for state governor.
So, how did the meme make it into the mainstream?
How the chant's popularity spread
US leaders being jeered is not uncommon. Former president Donald Trump was the subject of many memes and chants, including "[Expletive] Trump” and “Covfefe".
The “Let's go, Brandon” trend began on October 2, 2001, after Nascar driver Brandon Brown won his first Xfinity Series at the Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama.
While an NBC Sports reporter interviewed the euphoric driver after his victory, the crowd could be heard chanting in the background.
At first, the words to the chant were difficult to make out and the reporter suggested they were saying, “Let's go, Brandon".
But it soon became clear they were chanting "[Expletive] Joe Biden".
The chant's G-rated language has made it easier to go viral. Unlike the crude phrase that it substitutes, “Let's go, Brandon” cannot be banned on social media platforms.
“It's not a search term that they were going to limit,” researcher Hampton Stall told NPR.
“There's a difference between calls for violence and this sort of wink that the 'Let's go, Brandon' meme is.”
Who's using the chant?
A man from Oregon heckled Mr Biden and his wife Dr Jill Biden with the viral motto during a livestream Christmas Eve last year.
Mr Biden, apparently unaware of the meme's meaning, replied to the man: "Let's go, Brandon, I agree".
The chant even followed Ms Biden, who was booed by a raucous crowd during an NFL game in Philadelphia.
“Let's go, Brandon” has not been limited to the fringes of the president's travel schedule. Republican members of Congress have also used it.
Bill Posey, a representative from Florida, ended a speech on the House floor last year in which he excoriated Mr Biden's agenda by saying “Let's go, Brandon”, accompanied by a quick fist pump.
A week later, Jeff Duncan of South Carolina wore a “Let's go, Brandon” face mask.
“Americans are fed up and we're making our voices heard,” Mr Duncan said in a Facebook post in which he shared the photo, adding his frustrations on immigration and vaccine mandates.
Ted Cruz, a senator from Texas, shared a photo of himself with a Houston Astros fan at Game 2 of the 2021 World Series who was holding a “Let's go, Brandon” sign.
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Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Navdeep Suri, India's Ambassador to the UAE
There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.
It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.
What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.
When the designs were taken to the leadership, there were two clear options. There was a New Jersey model with a rectangular structure with the temple recessed inside so it was not too visible from the outside and another was the Neasden temple in London with the spires in its classical shape. And they said: look we said we wanted a temple so it should look like a temple. So this should be a classical style temple in all its glory.
It is beautifully located - 30 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi and barely 45 minutes to Dubai so it serves the needs of both communities.
This is going to be the big temple where I expect people to come from across the country at major festivals and occasions.
It is hugely important – it will take a couple of years to complete given the scale. It is going to be remarkable and will contribute something not just to the landscape in terms of visual architecture but also to the ethos. Here will be a real representation of UAE’s pluralism.
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What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
