A math teacher in the eighth grade was bewildered as to why her students addressed her as a “goat.”

“Why do my students call me a goat?” was her question on Reddit.

Social media users found this question adorable and gave a positive response.

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The confused math genius wrote- “I am a math teacher for 8th graders at the school I teach at. Throughout this whole past school year, there was this running joke where the students would call me the goat. And I would respond back each time that they are the goats and they would all laugh,”

She added, “It was pretty funny, to be honest, and I never gave it much thought. But I realized that I have been partaking in a joke that I never actually got. I had a good connection with them, and they are all really good kids, so I don’t really think that they were making fun of me. Can someone (maybe an 8th grader) explain this joke to me? And how would you respond if someone calls you a goat?”

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A Redditor responded to the innocent question and clarified her doubt and said that GOAT stands for ‘Greatest Of All Time’ and said that it’s a compliment. The user also praised the teacher and said -“Sounds like you’re a great teacher and they enjoy your classes. Which is saying something since math is most people’s least favourite subject.”

In pure glee, the teacher replied -“Oh wow!!! Yes, that is the reason I became a math teacher. I always hated math growing up, but then I realized at some point it’s just taught terribly. I put my heart and soul into teaching, this is amazing to hear. Thank you!!! Omg, I am IN TEARS!!! I can’t believe they were complimenting me this whole time!!!! Thank you all for answering this question!!!!”

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How did the term ‘GOAT’ actually come to be?

It turns out that Muhammad Ali, the real G.O.A.T., is responsible for coining the name. The boxer’s popular moniker during his time was “The Greatest,” which his wife later changed to G.O.A.T. for marketing purposes in the 1990s.

Since then, rappers and professional athletes have referred to themselves using the term just as frequently as their followers do.

However, as seen by a 2004 entry in the Urban Dictionary that defines goat as “tight” or “outstanding,” the term has evolved. In 2015, a moniker for an online sneaker marketplace adopted GOAT, probably in homage to his shoes.