Have you kicked back with a “fridge cigarette” today?
The term, which was recently popularized on TikTok, is the current trendy slang for an ice-cold can of soda, especially when enjoyed during a break at work, after a long day, or simply as a well-deserved treat.
“Time for my 2 p.m. fridge cigarette,” one TikTok user wrote in an on-screen message, in a video which showed him reaching for a Diet Coke. “Just a little something to take the edge off.”
Where did ‘fridge cigarette’ originate?
The popularity of the term “fridge cigarette” — used in many cases to describe a Diet Coke specifically, though not exclusively — seemingly traces back to a TikTok user named Rachel Reno, who posted a clip of herself cracking open a “crispy ciggy” (in this instance, a can of Diet Coke) while enjoying a sunny day in early June.
“Overheard someone call Diet Coke a ‘fridge cigarette’ and nothing’s been more true to me since,” she wrote.
Reno’s post has been viewed nearly 4 million times over the last few weeks, with hundreds of fellow soda fanatics chiming in to agree with the analogy.
“Oh, this makes so much sense,” one commenter responded.
“I can’t unhear that in my heart,” another joked. “Headed to get a drag!”
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Reno later took to TikTok to clarify that she did not coin the term “fridge cigarette,” but rather that she “actually did overhear someone say that.” Even still, she has since established herself the de facto authority on “fridge cigarettes,” defining them as “cans” of soda only, and giving her cigarette equivalent of different brands of soda — e.g., likening Diet Coke to a Parliament, a Diet Dr. Pepper to a menthol cigarette, and a regular Coke to a cigar.
She also gave an interview to The New York Times, in which she compared opening a can of Diet Coke to “the spark of a lighter” and said the first sip melts away “all the worries and cares in the world.”
Something to ‘look forward to’
It’s not entirely clear why some Gen Z-ers and soda fanatics are so readily embracing the term “fridge cigarette,” but it may have something to do with a quick soda break becoming more socially acceptable than a soda break, especially during the workday.
In a 2023 Fortune article (also cited by the NY Times), a worker who spoke with the outlet said a Diet Coke is easier to “sneak into” his work schedule, plus it was cheaper than cigarettes or even coffee.
“A Diet Coke break is something I do look forward to when I am in the office,” he said.
Tobacco use among younger generations has also fallen significantly in recent decades, perhaps opening the door for other vices.
Whatever the case, TikTok now hosts numerous videos from users proudly professing their love of a good “fridge cigarette,” with some even taking “drags” off the soda can, or building their own cigarette-pack-shaped soda dispensers to put in the fridge, or tattooing it on their body.
“Ever since someone called these a refrigerator cigarette, my life makes more sense,” one user stated.
