Learn English – How to understand when to use the phrase ‘mad props’

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In Legally Blond the musical they use the phrase:

MARGOT: Dear Elle, He's a lucky guy. I'm like gonna cry, I got tears coming out of my nose!

Mad Props! He's the campus catch, You're a perfect match,
Cause you both got such great taste in clothes, Of course he will propose!

I see it used in a congratulatory sense, "mad props to you for doing X".

My intuition tells me that this is about "giving someone their propers" – but that makes no sense in this context to me. (As in, I don't have enough information to categorise that.) I'd never heard that used in a sentence before – and it smells of a social obligation.

My question is: How do I understand when to use the phrase 'mad props'?

Best Answer

My advice is don't use it. I think people who use this phrase come across as "try hards". To me they sound like they are trying hard to look cool by imitating a culture they are not part of.

If you insist on using it, you could consider softening it by dropping the "mad" prefix. E.g.

"Props to Andy for winning the hack-a-thon"

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