The first step is admitting you have a problem
I’m 43 years young, and I have two teens. My son is 15, and my daughter is 12 going on 25, so I consider her to be a teenager. Needless to say, I have no fucking idea what they’re saying 80% of the time, and they’re perpetually embarrassed by my existence, which means I must be doing something right.
Even so, I’m a curious person, and I love language, and I’d like to know what the words that are coming out of their mouths (and their peers’ faces) mean. I’ve been conducting some informal research, and I need to know how I’m doing with the 2023 slang vocabulary because I’ll be fucking damned if these children are going to outsmart my verbal acumen. I love words, and I’m a writer FFS. I refuse to let the youth of today stump me with their language. Below is what I’ve deduced from my Gen Z linguistic research project. I take full accountability for my words below and acknowledge that I probably fucked a lot of stuff up, so please correct me if I am wrong.
Gen Z vocabulary test
Cap (or no cap) = My understanding is when a person says “no cap,” it means “I’m not lying. So, “cap” must mean that the person is lying…I think. Please help me; I’m old AF.
That slaps = If you say that Something slaps (for example, a song), it means that it sounds good or is cool.
It hits differently = I’m not going to lie; I enjoy this one. I think it means “that impacted me” or “moved me” in some way.
Rizz = Something about turning someone on? I don’t know, but I think it sounds dumb.
Let’s goooooo = Rock on, let’s do this; you’re awesome, and such.
Bet = Cool, cool.
That’s a bop = That is a catchy song.
Cringe = That’s fucking embarrassing, and do not say or do that again, ever.
ONG = I can’t type this out because I’m Jewish, but it’s like – I swear to G-d.
Now it’s your turn
Calling all Gen Z people in the house. Please help me understand what y’all are talking about because I refuse to accept my linguistic deficiencies. May we never stop learning or using being old AF as an excuse not to understand the youth! For the older people reading this, what Gen Z words do you know?
