English Language Learners Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for speakers of other languages learning English. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Sign up to join this community
I've seen this many times on social media and I can't decide whether it has good or bad meaning.
Here is an example from twitter of a picture of a person with the statement saying
BREAKING: CANTOR GETS TOO CLEVER. (That hair tho…)
However the person's hair looks neutral to me and so it's hard to tell if this is a positive or negative statement.
It depends heavily on context; however this is a common slang expression "That ___ tho" which is used to draw attention toward something which may or may not even have a "good or bad meaning".
For example,
These are pointing out "that hair tho" surrounded by context which provides a positive outlook:
These are more obviously broken up as "[look at] that hair tho" followed by the actual reaction
But even further, here is an example of neither good nor bad but a "don't know how I feel about it but look at that hair tho"
Finally, I'd note that contrary to "though" seeming to imply a negative light, "Dat tho" is
often used in online conversations to place a positive emphasis on a particular aspect or feature within a story, image or video that has been shared online.
The modern slang expression has roots in internet meme culture which used to more commonly be seen as "Dat ___ doe". https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/dat-tho
Probably it is used negatively most often, but there could be context that you are missing.
"Though" (or "tho'") indicates contrast. It has a similar sense to "but". It indicates restrictions of qualifications on what was said earlier.
"I was hunting for work. Jobs were scarce though" (examples and definition from Oxford dictionaries, via google)
Now if what was said before was positive, this would limit or contrast with the positive thing, and so would be negative.
Her makeup was nice, but that hair tho' ...
However, it could qualify or contrast with a negative.
Her makeup was crooked and awful, but that hair tho' ...
So the interpretation depends heavily on context.
The expression "That X though" can be used to be positive or negative.
Traditionally, it has been almost entirely negative in the sense Michael Harvey has pointed out in a comment.
But there's also a modern usage of it, especially associated with the North American gay community, where it's highly appreciative, often in a sexualizing way.
I found these two clips where it's used naturally in the modern sense of being appreciative of something sexually attractive. Note: They contain foul language.
So, your example of "That hair though" could be disparaging or appreciative, depending on how it's said and the context.
The phrase itself is contrasting a positive quality with some previously described negative quality. Like, "This car has uncomfortable seats. That sound system, though, is excellent."
In the example you give, it is being used ironically. It says something negative about Mr Cantor, and then makes this contrasting positive comment about his hair. The reader is expected to understand that having a handsome hair style is trivial while being "too clever" is important, so it's a joke, not a real compliment.
(I have no idea what Mr Cantor said that was "too clever" or what point the statement is trying to make. Which is just as well because I don't want to comment on the politics, just the use of English.)
