Just when Regina George told Gretchen Weiners in Mean Girls that her slang word “fetch” would never happen, we’re still saying it twenty years later. Mean Girls cast member Lacey Chabert sure is whose character Gretchen is responsible for making that slang word trending. Now that the Hallmark Movies star is a “cool mom,” she tells the adorable story of trying to bring “fetch” to her young daughter as she wonders what it means.
The word “fetch” may have been incredibly misunderstood when Gretchen Weiners tried to populate it in Mean Girls. But because of what a classic the teen ‘00s film is, “fetch” easily comes to mind when thinking of this movie. Lacey Chabert is surely trying to bring “fetch” to her household, but she told an adorable story to The Today Show about how that’s easier said than done:
When she was younger, she was like ‘What’s fetch? Why does everyone say that to you?’ And she asked me a couple of years ago. She goes, ‘Mom, do other people watch these movies that you make?’ ‘Yes baby, they’re not just for you.’
As Lacey Chabert’s daughter Julia Mimi Bella Nehdarmis only eight years old, there’s no reason for her mom to feel “personally victimized” by her daughter’s misunderstanding of “fetch.” It’s actually really adorable that she wants to know about that British slang word. Little would Julia know just how many people watch her mother’s movies.
Not only is Mean Girls such a standout when people think of the American actress, but Lacey Chabert has made a real name for herself on the Hallmark Channel (especially her Hallmark Christmas movies). She had a highly anticipated new Hallmark movie just come out called His & Hers. Chabert's also got an entirely new Hallmark TV series project called Celebrations with Lacey Chabert planning epic surprise parties for the people who’ve made a great impact on her life and the community. We saw the Party of Five actress’s brilliant work when she sweetly surprised her friend Kimberly J. Brown with her beautiful bridal shower. It’s truly “so fetch” what a giving person Chabert is.
The word “fetch” was first invented by Mean Girls writer and star Tina Fey who decided to make up her own word based on “fetching” compared to trying to keep up with what kids were saying. With the character of Gretchen always trying to be such a trendsetter, it definitely fits. The fake slang word is still being used whenever we relate to Mean Girls. After all, the British slang was one of the best Easter eggs in the 2024 movie musical saying it was “slang from an old movie” (I’ll try not to be offended by that).
“Fetch” was even a “grool” reference in the Mean Girls-themed Walmart Black Friday ads. Lacey Chabert snapped back into Gretchen for the commercials remarking how "fetch" her daughter's clique looks for photos only to be told by her own daughter to “stop trying to make ‘fetch’ happen!” Don’t worry, Gretchen. It’s happened. You can see Chabert’s Today Show interview in full below:
Lacey Chabert’s eight-year-old daughter may not understand the significance of “fetch” now, but give it a few years when she realizes what a pop culture icon her mother’s movie Mean Girls became to generations of fans. You can watch the movie that started it all on your Hulu subscription and your Paramount+ subscription.
