What Does It Mean When Someone Orders An Angel Shot?

The Angel Shot has swept across TikTok as users are raising awareness about the drink order made to signal for help.

The drink order is used by people who are either looking for a way out of a date going poorly or who feel unsafe because of someone in the bar or club.

Urban dictionary describes the angel shot as a 'signal to the bartender or server' that someone needs assistance. It adds that ordering the shot on the rock or with lime means the patron is in danger and may need the police to be called.

Although the drink order is trending on TikTok now, it has been around for some time. It came from the “Ask for Angela” campaign in 2016 made in Lincolnshire designed to prevent sexual assault.

The campaign said people who felt unsafe to “Ask for Angela”. Staff who received the request were then expected to call a cab and help the customer leave the situation safely.

In the United States, it seems to have originated in a small bar called Iberian Rooster in St. Petersburg, Florida in 2016. Women tweeted that a sign in the bar's restroom advised them to order an 'Angel Shot'.

Bars in across the UK and United States have since adopted the discreet safety measure.

TikTokers are now using the angel shot as a skit idea with the French song Ainsi Bas La Vida (meaning Thus low is life) playing in the background. The trend #angelshot has gained over 117m views.

One popular TikTok by Noah Jay Wood (@noahjaywood) acts out a scene where a guy asked for an angel shot 'on the rock'. The bartender asks for a coworker to cover the bar while he 'makes a call'.

The trend has received some criticism with Twitter users saying the skits make light of those who need to order an angel shot. One person said: "I don't get why people are making light of an 'angel shot' on TikTok. I get it, it's an easy thing to get clout right now, but it's a serious thing and the fact that people are making fun of the situation is kinda disgusting tbh."

Others have said the code for help should not be treated like a trend and that the popular skits have removed the order's inconspicuous meaning.