THIS JUST IN: San Francisco resident Talia Ricci is making headlines for describing her friend’s suggestion of eating dinner at 7PM as “perf.”
The text conversation occurred on a Wednesday night in July 2019. Ricci and her friend Johanna Oliver had decided where they wanted to catch up over dinner; all that was left to decide was when. At Oliver’s suggestion that they should meet outside the restaurant at 7, Ricci responded with a simple “perf.”
“6, or even 6:30, would have been too early,” Ricci explained. “8 would have been doable, but not ideal. But because of her work schedule, and my sleep needs, I thought 7 was perf.”
Not “perfect,” not “flawless,” not the fire emoji, and certainly not “see you then!!” “Perf.”
Ricci’s friends and family will not be surprised by her word choice. They say that she is frequent user, and some have even said abuser, of the affirmative abbreviation.
“She says ‘perf’ to literally everything,” elaborated her boyfriend. “It’s like, all I did was move some mail off the dinner table.”
In fact, the response to the 7PM dinner suggestion was her 12th use of “perf” that day, having previously described the following events as equally “perf”: her co-worker’s spreadsheet, her co-worker’s google doc, her co-worker’s error-riddled and aesthetically offensive Powerpoint, a cashier’s offer to use plastic bags, a different cashier’s offer to email her a receipt, a friend’s suggestion that they hang out next week, her boyfriend’s suggestion she take the car today, her boyfriend’s proposal of eating leftovers for dinner, her sister’s offer to split the cost of a birthday present for their Dad, an email about a 9AM meeting tomorrow, a parking attendant’s suggestion that she park over by the cones.
The majority of these “perfs” were sent as texts, but Ricci has even started using the word in regular conversation.
“I guess I like it because it’s like ‘perfect,’ but shorter,” explained Ricci. “Is this going to be in the newspaper? Oh, the internet? Perf.”
Other expressions that Ricci particularly enjoys include “you’re a genius,” typically in response to someone printing something for her, and “obsessed” when any person sends her literally any picture.
Meanwhile, Oliver’s confidence has been boosted by Ricci’s encouraging response to her time suggestion. She’s feeling confident, brilliant, and since her instincts are so strong, she’s considering making a career pivot to event planning.
