Elphie comes from Wicked, the story of Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West. Gregory Maguire introduced Elphaba in his 1995 novel, and the stage musical that opened in 2003 turned her friendship with Galinda, later Glinda, into a pop culture staple. Galinda coins Elphie as a softer nickname, a small detail fans latched onto and repeat in edits, cosplay posts and fandom jokes. The 2024 film adaptation renewed interest, pushing short clips of names, lines and songs from the musical back into everyday meme use.