Dictionary.com has a definition of "Debbie Downer." What does that mean?
It's a name for someone who makes others feel bad or bad vibes in a group.
While a downer has been used to refer to a depressed person since at least the 1970s, the name was popularized by a Saturday Night Live sketch starring Rachel Dratch.The character ruins a group's fun by sharing sad remarks.
The original sketch aired on May 1, 2004, where Dratch's character interrupted a family vacation to Walt Disney World with negative contributions to each conversation topic.One of SNL's finest moments has to be the first sketch with host Lindsay Lohan.There were several installments of the sketch on SNL.
Dratch confirms that the term took off after the sketch character became popular.Dratch explained how the idea for the character came to her, saying, "I was on vacation in Costa Rica, and when I told someone that I was from New York, they asked, 'Was you there for 9/11?' The conversation froze."There was a name in my head when I got back.
The term began on Saturday Night Live and is now used to refer to an extremely negative person.