I was going to say I frequently don't know what the children are talking about and the most recent of these is like 2 years old.
Bet is about as literal as slang could get
Sus is 5 years old and is again short for a literal word.
The boomers really are dumber than any of us give them credit for.
the not-so-secret of American slang is that any "new" word was probably in use by black americans for at least a decade before it became "youth culture."
100% this. Heck, a lot of "queer slang" originates from the ballroom scene.
absolutely love stealing culture from Black people and acting like they invented it.
One interesting outcome of widespread internet access is that you have young and older people mingling on a regular basis outside of the usual hierarchical context (e.g. parent-child, teacher-student, employer-employee). If I were living 30 years ago, there is absolutely no way I would be well-versed in the equivalent of zoomer slang (I guess it'd be Gen X slang?), but since we occupy the same spaces it's natural for that kind of linguistic exchange to occur. Since it's only a relatively superficial exchange, I don't think most of us geezers can appreciate all the underlying complexity to be able to use and comprehend the slang at a "native" level, but it prevents us from being left completely in the dark.
We're on hexbear where there's enough Youngbloods around to keep us up to date with nouveau novel lingua Americana
AZyo. I had to edit the fucking list so I could make it alphabetical.
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Bet • Simply put, this slang term means "yes." It can be used to confirm something and could be compared to the Millennial term "word."
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Big Yikes • The slang speaks for itself in this one. Big Yikes is used when you're so embarrassed that "yikes" doesn't do justice.
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Bop • When a song or album is exceptionally good.
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Boujee • This term can be used if you're describing something or someone that is extravagant or fancy.
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Bussin' • A quirky word to use when you taste something delicious.
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Camp • Something that is ironically trendy. One might consider Crocs to be of the camp aesthetic.
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Cancel Culture • Cancel culture is a form of shaming the actions or opinions of a public figure, company or organization.
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Cap • An older but still relevant term, cap means to lie. If you say "no cap" it means you are being authentic or truthful.
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Catch these hands • To start a fight. This term is generally used in a contentious matter.
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CEO • If you're the CEO of something, it means you've mastered it or you're a pro.
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Cheugy • Something that is cheugy is not at all trendy.
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Clapback • A response or comeback after you've been "called out" for something.
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Dank • If something is dank, it's excellent or of very high quality.
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Drag • If you drag someone, you're criticizing or making fun of them. This can be equated to roasting someone.
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Drip • Another way of saying swag, drip is a term for a cool or sexy trend or style.
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E-boy or E-girl • This is similar to emo or goth culture, but they use the internet to express themselves.
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Extra • Someone who is out there and enjoys taking things to a new level of flamboyance.
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Fam • Fam is a shorter word for family, but don't be fooled—it can be used to describe your friends or the way Millennials use "bro".
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Finesse • Finesse means to trick or manipulate someone or a situation in order to get what you want.
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Finna • Finna is a shortened term for saying "I'm going to."
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G.O.A.T. • Short for "The Greatest of All Time." An acronym used to describe someone incredible.
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Ghosting • This term is common in the earlier talking stages of a relationship. Ghosting someone means you start ignoring them or stop texting them back.
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Glow up • This means a makeover or transformation from bad to good.
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Guap • Money, and lots of it.
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High-key • High-key is simply the opposite of being low-key.
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Hits different • When something is unique or better than the usual.
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I'm weak • Similar to "I'm dead," this is just another term to use when you find something hilarious.
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Iykyk • This acronym is short for "if you know, you know." It's commonly used in reference to an inside joke or something only a specific community might understand.
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L • Another simple letter-turned-slang, L is the opposite of a W—meaning a loss rather than a win.
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Living rent-free • If something is "living rent-free" in your head, that means you can't stop thinking about it.
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Main character • This is a phrase used to describe someone who is generally well-liked and charismatic. It can also be used to describe someone when they're making a scene, but not necessarily in a bad way.
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Periodt • Using this at the end of the statement adds emphasis or intensity to the point made.
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Salty • Gen Z uses this term when they're feeling jealous. Related: What Does 'TL;DR' Mean? Plus, Here's When You'll Definitely Want To Avoid Using It
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Sending me • Another term to use if you find something particularly funny. Related: What Is the BORG Binge Drinking Trend on TikTok? Here's What Parents Should Know
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Sheesh • Sheesh is used to hype someone up if they're looking good or doing something good.
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Simp • Someone who does way too much for the person they have a crush on.
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Sip tea • Sip tea is an alternative to "spilling the tea," meaning you're sitting back and listening to the gossip rather than partaking in it.
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Sis • A shortened version of "sister," this term is typically used to greet a friend, no matter their gender.
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Slaps • Used to describe how exceptional something is.
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Smol • Something that is small, and in most cases exceptionally adorable.
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Snack • A snack is a person that you find attractive.
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Snatched. • If someone is looking snatched, they look really good, particularly their outfit.
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Stan • No, it's not short for Stanley– instead, it's a combination of "stalker" and "fan." If you stan someone, it means you're obsessed but not in a creepy way.
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Sus • Short for "suspicious," sus it typically means something is not as expected, or shady.
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Take several seats • If someone is really getting on your nerves, you might tell them to take several seats.
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TFW • TFW stands for "that feeling when." TFW you get off work early on a Friday.
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This ain't it, chief • Another way of giving disapproval for something.
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Vibe check • To check someone's energy or mood.
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W • To most, it's just a letter of the alphabet, but to Gen Zers, it simply means "win."
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Woke • Woke refers to being politically aware.
A lot of these are AAVE and have been around for ages in the Black community.
As often with slang I guess, but at least half of these were in common usage over a decade ago, so not exclusive to Gen Z. Triply so for Big yikes, bop, dank, drip, eboy, goat, high-key, hits different, L, rent-free, salty, sis, smol, TFW, W, they jump out to me as predating my childhood, never mind Gen Z's.
Also finesse is just a normal word and has been usable in that sense for over five centuries.
Finna is short for "fixing to," and I first learned it over 15 years ago, from a guy who is like 42 years old now.
Also, stan is a reference to the Eminem song, it's not a portmanteau.
i know this is just a listicle by some communications major collecting a $50 check from a once-popular print publication reduced to content farming, but like some of these are literally recycled from when i was a kid. some of them are from before I was born. Is that really what zoomers think "camp" is? do boomers really not know what "camp" is? also that's not the etymology of "stan" at all which is annoying because it's not hard to find out that it's a reference to an old eminem song.
Boujee • This term can be used if you're describing something or someone that is extravagant or fancy.
This one is multiple decades old, but maybe the spelling is new
Salty • Gen Z uses this term when they're feeling jealous.
Specifically it usually means they are angry/resentful of a failure, especially in competition with someone else
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Bet - 23 skidoo
Sus - lay it on me daddy-o
Mid - stone cold bummer
Fire - One hot mammajamma
Drip - cum
Lol these are the most basic. Anyone with even the smallest amount of culturally relevant exposure to people know these.
Can someone spell cheugy phonetically for me? Is choogy? Chuggy? Something else?
