Don’t be offended if I use the term “Ok, Boomer” I’m a boomer myself. And sometimes decoding your grandkids’ or teen nieces’s slang is challenging.
Have you ever been in the middle of a conversation with one of them and realized you had absolutely no idea what they were talking about? Please tell me I’m not the only one! I’m sure it’s fair to say that if we started going back to using terms like “flipped a wig” or “dropped a dime” the kids would give us that strange, confused look, but my friends, the times have changed. This article is your saving grace – I come bearing a non-exhaustive list of the latest in teen lingo so that you can surprise your “grandteens” with just how hip you are, or at the very least, be able to maintain a conversation. Oops – I forgot; the kids are definitely not using ‘hip’ anymore…
While most of these terms are thrown around the internet constantly, where the majority of social-media crazed teens were first exposed to them, often, there is little mention from where the terms originated. Interestingly and importantly, many of these terms originate from African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and drag culture, a fact that many of today’s kids are unaware of. The debate remains as to whether the mainstreaming of this type of lingo is a positive thing (are historically underrepresented cultures receiving some recognition?) or a negative thing (are kids today co-opting and appropriating these terms?), but I’ll invite you to come to your own conclusions on that front.
For now, let’s focus on bringing each other up to speed so that we can make it through conversations with our grandteens, or in my case my teen nieces, without feeling completely out of touch.
Decoding Teen Talk
- Basic - (adj.) Someone who is only interested in mainstream, popular things. Generally understood as someone who is lacking originality and is a little bit bland. Example: I tried to have a conversation with her, but she’s so basic it was painful!
- Boujee - (adj.) Derives from the word ‘bourgeoisie’. Something or someone generally understood to be high-class, with expensive taste. Can be linked to gentrification, but generally just understood to mean wealthy. Example: I ordered the lobster and caviar at lunch today – I felt so boujee!
- Cap - (verb) Another word for lying. Kids also say “no cap” meaning “no lie” Example: [if the teen says they finished their homework] “that’s cap, I know you’ve been on your phone for the past 3 hours”
- Drag - (verb) To humiliate someone, to put someone in their place. Example: [celebrity] made a tone-deaf comment about a social issue, so her followers were dragging her in the comment section.
- Extra - (adj) Used to describe someone who is over the top, dramatic, and excessive in their attitude, behaviour, and mannerisms, usually for no real reason. Example: “Omg… did you hear Sarah crying over that guy at the party when he didn’t say hi to her immediately? She’s soooo extra."
- Flex - (verb) To show off, usually related to material possessions but can also be related to abilities or talents. Example: Wore all my designer clothes to brunch just to flex on everyone.
- Fire - (adj.) Refers to something amazing, crazy (in a good sense), hot, etc. Example: Did you see that fire pic I posted on Instagram?
- Fit - (noun) Outfit. Example: My crush is going to be at this party tonight so I have to pull out a fire fit!
- Ghosting - (verb) Cutting off all communication with someone but without informing them or having a discussion about why you’re cutting them out of your life. You might avoid their phone calls, messages, and seeing them in public. Example: That guy I went out with last week was such a weirdo, I’m probably just gonna ghost him.
- Glow up - (noun / verb) An entire mental, physical, emotional transformation of a person. Glow ups can be planned or natural but they are always for the better. Example: Wow, have you seen Lori these days? Talk about a glow up! It must have to do with her leaving her deadbeat boyfriend.
- L - (noun) a loss – also used as “catching an L”. Can refer to doing something stupid, being rejected for something, making a fool of yourself generally. Example: “Yeah I tried to tell her how I feel about her and she told me she thinks we’re better as friends. I definitely took an L”.List Item
- Lit - (adj.) This one has a variety of meanings – can be used to mean fun and crazy, but also to refer to someone being inebriated. Example: That party was lit! Example 2: I was so lit last night… have to go through my messages and make sure I didn’t text my ex.
- Salty - (adj.) Used to describe someone who is being bitter, angry, upset, generally for something insignificant or small. Example: He was so salty when he lost beer pong… grow up!
- Shook - (adj.) Used to describe the feeling of being blown away, shocked, surprised, and at times a bit spooked. Example: I can’t believe my favourite band followed me back on Twitter… I’m shook.
- Sleeping on - (verb) To be unaware of something great, to ignore or not pay attention to something or someone. Example: I have to admit I was sleeping on that movie but once I watched it, it was awesome!
- Snack - (noun / adj.) Used to describe a person or refer to a person who looks hot. Example: Did you see Mary yesterday? She was looking like a snack!
- Tea - (noun) Another word for gossip, a particularly juicy story – can be used as “spilling the tea” when one divulges particularly salacious gossip. Example: Person 1: Girl… did you hear about their break up? Person 2: No?! What’s the tea?
- Throwing shade - (verb) Generally just being shady toward someone, generally verbally. Dissing someone, but in a more passive aggressive way. Example: “Am I being paranoid or was Becky throwing shade when she said I was ‘quite the party girl’ in university…”
- Thirsty - (adj.) Used to describe someone who is fishing for compliments, usually in a physical or sexual sense. Often associated with being desperate. Example: “Did you see Jack comment four times on Lila’s latest Instagram post? Omg, he’s so thirsty…”
- Whip - (noun) Another word for a vehicle. Example: “Nice whip you got there, bro!”Thirsty - (adj.) Used to describe someone who is fishing for compliments, usually in a physical or sexual sense. Often associated with being desperate. Example: “Did you see Jack comment four times on Lila’s latest Instagram post? Omg, he’s so thirsty…”
- W - (noun) the opposite of “L” – a win! Example: “It was a tough game, but we came out with a W!”
More teen talk resources:
Teen Slang - grandparents'|parents' Guide
In an article in USA Today, Mary Kohn, an associate professor of English at Kansas State University who studies the intersection of language and culture, says…
Lauren Trujillo and several other teens also say they’re communicating more with gifs and memes now more than ever before.
Trujillo, 17, in this same USA Today article, says she and her friends mainly use the newest slang words “ironically,” and to joke with one another. “I just talk with a lot of my friends in this weird language my parents don’t understand, not because I don’t want them to understand it, but because we just think it’s kind of weird and funny and ironic,” Trujillo says.
Teens apparently use slang as a way to create their own identity, and to fit into specific social groups and express independence, the USA Today article says.
We’d love to hear about your teen talk experiences, leave us a comment below.
Other blogs and articles that may interest you:
A boomer's Life crossword puzzle
My mother who meant the world to me, loved puzzles, as do many people. In her honor I will post a puzzle every once in a while along with the article.
Instructions to do puzzle online:
Solving the crossword puzzle online:
- Click a cell on the crossword grid, or click a clue
- Click twice on a cell to toggle between across and down
- The active cell is highlighted in blue
- Start typing in the word
- Hit enter when you are done typing in the word
- The word will turn green or red if you got it right or wrong
- You can use the tab and shift-tab keys to move around the crossword, and the arrow keys
Print as PDF:
You can save the puzzle as a pdf and print out. Use button on bottom right of puzzle.