by Samurai Mom
Feeling lost and confused about the stream of insider expressions coming from your kid? You’re not alone. Teen slang is notoriously slippery. By design, quickly changing jargon keeps outsiders guessing. As hip as we think we are, the outsiders are always gonna be us.
You can become somewhat fluent in teen-speak, but you’ll probably look silly doing it. Also, by the time you achieve an advanced beginner level, they’ll change the entire language. In the time it takes for a teen slang expression to be understood by too many humans of parent age, the straight use of the word dies a quick death.
“Old” slang may linger on to be used ironically or with nostalgia by those schooled in its short history.
Our teens are sad that I’m speeding the demise of “bruh moment” and all the rest of their insider lingo in the act of researching and writing this post. They’ll forgive me eventually – right?
By the way, I’d never use these expressions outside my own house. I can be a complete goofball at home. To use them in my classes would mean 25 sets of eyes rolling in synchronicity and losing any shred of credibility that I’ve managed to cling to. While our own kids tolerate it with pity and amusement, few teens will enjoy parents horning in on their private language.
You may want to keep this on the DL (down low). I’m embarrassed to say how proud I am that I knew that one already.
Still, it can be helpful to be able to decode these terms to understand what’s going on in your teen’s life. You’ll hear some of these expressions and see others in text, if you do spot checks of your teen’s phone or texting apps (it’s a personal decision; no judgment here).
The Urban Dictionary is a fantastic source to define mysterious slang of the moment. Just be prepared with some deep yogic breathing or a glass of wine before you explore – you’ll probably need it.
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AF Acronym for As F–k, which means extremely, or very much.
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ASAIK – as soon as I know
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Basic – mainstream, stereotypical or unoriginal. This term’s getting dated, but still seems to be hanging tough.
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Big mood – means that what you’re going through is relatable; is often paired with a meme, .gif or image to show how you’re feeling (circa 2018 and still used ironically).
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Bruh moment – The bruh moment is a bad situation in which it would be appropriate to express disappointment, shock, disbelief or empathy. Often shortened to “Bruh…” and delivered under the breath. It’s an updated version of bro, or brother.
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Burn – an insult
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Cancelled – resurrecting something from a person’s past and ruining their career with the scandal. Or to stop supporting/interacting with someone because of past or current behavior.
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Can’t even – so overwhelmed by strong emotions of disgust/anger/sadness that I can’t discuss this now.
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Cap – it’s a lie.
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Creeper – literally, someone weird or shady
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Chill – you should just relax already. This is dismissive, but you already knew that from the tone.
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Cringe – what my teens are doing right now as I do my in-house research on slang. When something is over-the-top embarrassing, it’s cringey or cringy.
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DAE – does anyone else….like vanilla cream frappuccino?
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Dead/Weak – something is so funny that I’m dead/weak with laughing.
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Drip – stylish; great outfit, shoes, jewelry, etc. (ironic).
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Dub – short for a win or success (dub-el-yew – W)
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Extra – something is over the top, excessive.
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F – a way to show respect for someone with bad news. Ex: I just failed my Psych test. Someone drop an F in the chat.
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Fam – family. Obvi.
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Finsta – secret, second (or third?) Instagram account
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FIRE – That’s hilarious or that was terrible.
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Fit – short for outfit, usually used to compliment, like, “Cute fit” (close to ironic use).
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Fleek, Point – (on fleek, on point) perfect, right on target (circa 2014, now used in a mocking way).
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Flex – to show off or something that’s being shown off (ironic use)
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FR – for real
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ICYMI – in case you missed it
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Heard – confirmation that someone is aware of what has been asked of them; a deep understanding of the topic being discussed.
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HIFW – how I feel when…I’m triggered by my boyfriend looking at another girl.
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High key – opposite of lowkey; definitely, really mean this in a big way.
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HMU – hit me up. Ex: Hit me up for coffee tomorrow.
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Ghost – to be a no show; stop calling, answering the phone or otherwise associating with a friend, girlfriend/boyfriend or employer.
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GOAT – greatest of all time
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Go off – used ironically. Ex: If you’re gonna do that, go ahead. But it’s not gonna be good.
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Savage – could mean anything, but seems to approximate to ‘notable’. Ex: Those burgers were savage, Mom.
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Shook – surprised, startled, shocked
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LMIRL – let’s meet in real life (but not with a creeper).
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Lowkey – can mean somewhat, slightly, in a way that you wouldn’t expect. Can also mean that it’s a secret, or something that you’re not proud of. Ex: I lowkey hate it here.
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Netflix and chill – code for come over and make out or have sex. I’ve been informed that this is dead and that it’s used exclusively by out-of-touch millenials who write Instagram sketch comedy. No offense intended to any millennials who write Instagram sketch comedy.
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OG – acronym for the original gangster, or the original version of something.
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Over it – I’m done with it; it’s just too much to deal with.
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No Cap – for real, I’m telling the truth.
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Periodt – the end, the final word or the conclusion.
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POS – parents over my shoulder.
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Preach – you’re preaching to the choir or yes, I completely agree with what you just said.
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RBF – resting b**ch face. Ex: I’m not mad, this is just my RBF.
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RIP or F – not literally rest in peace, but more like, I feel sorry for you or that’s dead, it’s over or it’s no good. Pronounced rip, not R.I.P.
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RN It is the short form of Right Now.
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Salty – irritated and speaking harshly or snappishly, possibly using profanities.
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Shady – sneaky, suspicious, untrustworthy
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Shook – scared
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Simp- someone who’s willing to do anything for someone because they like them.
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Slaps – something good, according to the Urban Dictionary, good as f***
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Slay – to do really well or succeed.
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SMH – shaking my head (in disbelief)
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Snatched – fashionable, great looking (2018)
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Stan – means a stalker-fan, someone who’s really obsessed with a celebrity. According to the Urban Dictionary, this one is ancient, circa 2017. Used ironically now by some teens. Can also be a verb, as in, “We stan a queen”. i.e., I like your Instagram post and I’m hyping you up.
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Sus – short for suspicious.
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Taking the L – take the loss; come to terms with it.
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Tea – gossip; sometimes associated with Kermit the Frog sipping tea meme, as in “That’s none of my business”
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Thirsty – Being desperate for something. This is used ironically now.
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Throw hands – to fight.
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Throw shade – to undermine someone, put them down, make them feel bad.
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Vibe Check – acknowledging when someone’s life is going well.
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Woke – smarter, more evolved or savvy. Often related to social justice issues.
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Yeet – it means to throw something with some force or to agree vigorously. Humorous, used with nostalgia.
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420 or 4/20 –Marijuana
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9 – Code for A parent is watching!
If you’re struggling to keep up with what your teens are saying, learning common slang is a good place to start. Even if you don’t actually speak the words, the context of a situation will be clear if you understand what they mean.
