Meanings
- derogatoryA nickname for South African-born tech entrepreneur Elon Musk.
We are apparently stuck here together, Apartheid Clyde and I.
2022 January 29, Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, “Becoming Martian”, in The Baffler, number 612 more examples
One account posted an AI image of Musk in a Nazi uniform, writing: “Apartheid Clyde in all his glory spreading misinformation - so here we are! Thank Grok! Can you believe Elon wears that outfit??”
2024 September 4, Rhian Lubin, “X users play Elon Musk at his own game after he posts AI image of Harris as communist dictator”, in The IndependentIn recent months, Apartheid Clyde (as he is nicknamed) has been doing his best to get Donald Trump elected by any means possible.
2024 September 7, Arwa Mahdawi, “Elon Musk is intrigued by the idea women can’t think freely because of 'low T'”, in The GuardianSynonyms: Elmo, Elongated Muskrat, Phony Stark
Synonyms & antonyms
proper nounA nickname for South African-born tech entrepreneur Elon Musk.
Origin
From a rhyming pun combining the masculine name Clyde with a reference to Musk's birth in apartheid-era South Africa.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Apartheid Clyde. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Apartheid%20Clyde
“Apartheid Clyde.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Apartheid%20Clyde. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Apartheid Clyde,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Apartheid%20Clyde.
Source: Apartheid Clyde on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.