Is Gen Z slang giving you brain rot?
"'Galore' and 'extravaganza' are words that date you,” said my friend Jem, a marketing communications executive. The topic of conversation was the evolution of words and new gen slang. I continually have this talk with former marketing colleagues and friends. Gabbie, who is younger, shares that we must live life to the fullest and be “sliving” (slay plus living, invented by Paris Hilton), and that it is good for us to “trauma share” from time to time. Our chat group is vaingloriously called Marvelous Marcom Mavens, which makes me wonder if “mavens” is an outdated word.
I have a mental time machine (combined with GPS) when people speak to me. If someone says coffee shop, parlor, outing, necking, groovy, hip, or dude, I already know what era you were in at the peak of your youth. In terms of love relationships, a certain generation says “May-December love affair,” referring to an older woman and younger man. Among my friends, we just call the women “cougars.” As to the GPS part of my brain, if you say “syota” (partner) and “siopao” (embarrassed), you are definitely from the seventies and the Philippines.
As I am always fascinated by the youth’s language or slang, and desire to understand what the hell they are saying, I try to keep up. Slang is the prevailing indication of the times. Now, with social media, there is more and more to keep up with. Like, what is this POV thing? This means point of view, right? But everything you post is your POV already.
I once wrote about Gen Z terminology, and even presented a short dictionary. So here I go again with part two, an updated list. This time I decode Gen Z or Teen Slang, helped by younger folk (note: dated term). Forgive me if I include some millennial words and phrases. Sometimes they overlap and are still used by zoomers.
Bussin’ – amazing, really good
This place is really bussin’, and I am definitely coming back.
Extra – over the top, dramatic, attention grabbing; also known as O.A. (overacting) back in the day
Kitty is so extra whenever she makes a presentation to her fellow executives using videos, costumes, dramatization and sound effects.
Ghost – disappearing with no communication and explanation
Andy was so brokenhearted when his girlfriend Stella ghosted him.
Giving me life – something or someone exciting
Kendrick’s music is giving me life.
Netflix and Chill – I think most older people really innocently think this is about watching a movie or series at home. Wrong! It’s means hooking up. So if someone asks you to Netflix and chill, don’t buy popcorn!
The hot guy at the party asked if I would like to Netflix and chill.
NSFW – an acronym for “not safe for work” which means explicit videos and photos that shouldn’t be seen at work or with others around you
I was shocked when wholesome Fred sent me NSFW content while at the office.
Fit/s – someone’s outfit
Anderson’s fit is the envy of those who wish to be as stylish as him.
Delulu – short for delusional; or with an unrealistic view
Mimi is delulu for thinking that her boyfriend is Mike, when he doesn’t even know her.
Caught in 4k – see or catch someone doing something wrong
Bernie was caught in 4k, so he can’t deny that he was having an affair with his secretary.
Snatched – this is the new “on fleek” which means perfectly done
My makeup artist praised my snatched eyebrows and lips.
IYKYK – an acronym for “if you know you know”; appeals to those who share an experience; insider knowledge
This fashionable new bag is every It Girl’s dream. IYKYK.
Mid – just okay; not bad but not great; average
The food in that restaurant is mid.
Hangry – this word is already listed in the dictionary as “irritable as a result of hunger”; hanger management is derived from this
Ricardo was in no mood to have a long conversation because he was hangry.
FR – an acronym for “for real”; FR FR is used for more effect or emphasis
I can’t keep up with this teen slang anymore. FR.
Drag – to shame or humiliate someone
Audrey was dragged after she lied about being married to single men she met.
Ate and left no crumbs – someone did something exceptional that beat everybody
Maryanne’s book was written so well. She ate and left no crumbs.
Pressed – feeling irritated about someone or something
I felt pressed with the impatience of Rita who kept calling me every five minutes.
Receipts – proof to support or refute a claim
I will prove them wrong. I got all the receipts.
Sus – short for suspicious or suspect
Shiela has been acting sus since she got here.
Nepo Baby – got into a career because of famous parents
They say Dakota had an easy time getting into acting because she’s a nepo baby.
Slay – done exceptionally
G-Dragon slayed in his performance at his concert.
Cancelled – this is to stop supporting, boycotting, or turning your back on someone, usually a public figure
Gerry was cancelled because of his views regarding the political climate.
Bed Rot – spending long periods of time in bed withdrawing from activities and scrolling the internet, watching TV, or reading
Nowadays, bed rotting is considered self-care and not being lazy.
Soft Launch – giving hints on social media about a romantic partner without an official announcement
I knew Pedro was soft launching his new lover when he posted a stranger’s hand with a ring.
Vibes – mood whether good or bad from a person, place, or situation; or a connection between people; vibe check and vibe shift are derived from this
The music in the club was a whole vibe.
Dip – to leave early and suddenly from a place or situation
Felix dipped as soon as he saw his ex-girlfriend at the party.
W or FTW – an acronym for “win” or “for the win”
We clinched the deal after that successful sales presentation. We celebrated with cocktails FTW.
Rizz – short for charisma, the ability to charm a love interest
Beatrice is not short on rizz making it easy for her to capture the heart of whomever she desires.
Salty – annoyed, angry, and irritated
Jeffrey was salty after his membership was rejected by the country club.
Shade – throwing shade is subtly criticizing someone
Petunia threw shade at Jane by sarcastically saying that she disapproves of hangers on.
Thirst Trap – a provocative image, sexy video, or post in social media meant to attract attention
Jenny keeps on posting thirst trap photos in her Instagram.
Word Salad – words put together in a speech or conversation that sounds nice but doesn’t make sense; used by older generations, too
Many politicians utter a lengthy word salad every time they speak to the public.
Brain Rot – the Oxford Dictionary’s Word of the Year 2024; mind-numbing due to endless scrolling in social media especially low quality content; used by older people as well
The hypnotizing nonstop videos on Instagram are giving me brain rot.
The list may not be comprehensive but at least now you can “get with the program” (another dated phrase), or understand some of what the “kids” are saying, and not feel that you are in the dark. You could spit out some of these words or phrases, but my warning is that there is a risk of looking “trying hard,” like my Gen X friends would say. But then again, we have to keep up with the times and be current FTW.
