What Is a ‘Zaddy’ and How Does It Differ From a Daddy?

WE LIVE IN the era of daddies. Once a slightly more niche term, nearly any good-looking, “older” man is now considered a daddy. But it’s not just older guys—younger men, women, nonbinary folks—literally everyone is claiming the label, calling themselves, their friends, and their lovers “daddy.” And in pop culture, there are currently countless references to daddy, from Alex Cooper’s popular podcast Call Her Daddy to Pedro Pascal being dubbed the internet’s daddy. (God, he really is, though.)

But now there’s a variation of the daddy—the zaddy—partly because daddy has become so mainstream, and somewhat lost its meaning. (We have to ask ourselves: When everyone is calling everyone a daddy, is anyone truly a daddy?)

To learn more about what constitutes a zaddy, we scoured the internet for sources and also spoke to a couple of adult film performers for their take. Here’s what they said.

So, what exactly is a zaddy, and how does it differ from a daddy?

The key difference, we learned, is “swagger.” Zaddies ooze swagger from their pores, whereas a daddy may have some swagger, but it’s not strictly necessary.

According to a 2018 piece in Esquire, “While a daddy is an attractive older man, a zaddy is a man ‘with swag’ who is attractive and also fashionable. It appears that it has less to do with age. Zayn Malik, previously of One Direction, is a popular zaddy. Ryan Reynolds is also likely a zaddy.”

Adult film star Cherie DeVille echoed this sentiment, telling Men’s Health, “A zaddy is way sexier, more attractive, hip, and fashionable. A daddy is just an old guy, which appeals to younger women. Older women prefer zaddies because they’re well-cultured, well-read, and well-dressed.” She continues, “Plus, it’s just way less creepy to say zaddy in bed than daddy. It doesn’t sound like you’re talking about your father.”

Zaddies undoubtedly appeal to queer men, too. Adult film performer Chris Rail (NSFW) loves a zaddy and identifies as one himself. Rail tells Men’s Health, “My opinion on a Zaddy is he can walk into any restaurant or bar and take home whoever he wants. It doesn’t particularly have to do with money, age, or looks…It all has to do with his swagger. A prime example of a Zaddy is me, Brad Pitt, and George Clooney.”

Where did the term originate from?

It’s always tough to know precisely when and how a word comes into existence, but dictionary.com notes that this alteration of daddy became popularized by Ty Dolla $ign in his 2016 song “Zaddy.”

How does a zaddy have sex?

(I know, we’re really asking the hard-hitting questions here.)

Rail believes, “If you are a zaddy, you can fuck hard and long. Conversely, a zaddy can just lay back and relax and let their partner do the job for them. But no matter what, a zaddy is going rounds.”

DeVille thinks, “A zaddy knows how to fuck.” He’s a working, successful man in the day, but at night, “a zaddy is on the prowl. He’s out there, getting hole.”

Truly, God bless zaddies.

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