“A word that’s used within a culture, and that’s created by that culture,” is how Jeremiah Campbell, member of Gen-Z and barista at 5th Street Market, defines slang. He says that this definition can be perplexing because it’s hard to distinguish what slang is these days. Campbell says that in his time working with coffee, a word he frequently hears is “slay.” He says, “I was originally like, ‘That’s so funny.’ And then, eventually, I caught myself saying it.”

Slang has become a part of everyday life in ways that makes it seem like its own language to the older generations who may not be following social media trends. While it may seem hard, it’s well within reach — with some patience and understanding — for people of all ages to get on the same colloquial page.  

Slang is typically described as a type of language that is used in informal contexts that can be shortened or comedically toned, often in groups we feel comfortable with, like friends or family. Within the last few decades, these linguistic variations have left the lunch table and seeped into not only classrooms, but some work environments with words like “sus” and phrases like “clock it” coming from mainstream media.

Campbell says that working in restaurants in the past, slang like “heard” and other shortened verbs made the fast-paced environment easier to manage. “Some slang can be functional, some slang can be funny, some slang can be personal,” he says. “All slang is like honey. Sometimes, if you lay it on thick, people like that, or sometimes you got to drizzle it on a little bit, to make language sweeter.”

As a member of Gen-Z myself, I’ve found slang to be a useful tool in creating connections. Being able to let down my linguistic walls and talk without a filter helps me show up more authentically in conversation.

In certain capacities, I feel the need to code switch to match the tone of my environment, but even in those situations, I tend to gravitate toward individuals who use slang like I do. In addition, slang can be a great way to bring humor to an otherwise bleak topic and shift the energy of a conversation. There are times when a serious tone is called for, but I appreciate slang for its comedic nature. 

Angel Arciga, Millennial and phone salesman at Walmart, says, “Slang makes everything that I do with the people I care about a lot smoother. We can always talk eloquently if we need to, but sometimes you just got to be who you are.” 

Arciga advises people to avoid using slang in professional settings, but stresses its importance to identity and creating connections. “Slang changed from being something people look down upon to something that’s a part of common conversations every day,” he says. “It used to be a sign of not being educated, according to a lot of people when I was growing up, but now it’s actually part of society.” 

Arciga says he has even seen the older generations attempt to use slang out of context, but validates that with insight, everyone can understand it, no matter their age.

Meanwhile, Lisa Thorsen is a semi-retired Gen-Xer who works on upkeeping rental properties in her free time. She says when her grandkids come home from elementary school, she is frequently unsure what they are talking about, but their teachers are young, so they seem to understand the words and encourage their use. “It’s confusing. I have to ask, ‘What do you mean?’ All the shorter word verbiage makes me feel like I’m still old school,” Thorsen says. 

She adds, “I am just glad I don’t have kids with phones right now, because I always ask my younger family, ‘What does this mean? What does that mean?’ but I don’t feel the pressure to keep up with them.” 

In her disco era, Thorsen used the term “groovy” and says, at one point, “Everything was really bitchin’.” Now that her generation isn’t in the linguistic spotlight, she’s found that the slang has become arguably more like a jargon for older generations to decipher.

Dave Ebling, a Baby Boomer and member of the Garden Way Retirement Community, says education has an impact on the way we learn how to speak, and that he has seen slang become more prominent in classroom environments in recent decades. But Ebling says he misses when people would say, “You look spiffy,” and doesn’t recall the last time he heard the phrase or ones like it. These days, Gen-Zers might say, “You look fire” or “You look like a snack.”

A fellow Baby Boomer at Garden Way Retirement Community, James Moore, appreciates the way words have evolved with the world’s issues.

He says, “It’s meaningful if you understand it. I think young adults have more on their minds, they have more needs, there is more going on. They need many more meaningful and relevant answers.” 

Moore says that slang may make language more vague these days, but it gives words deeper meaning. When he was younger, popular words included “groovy, cool, no sweat and right on.” He encourages younger generations to continue finding peace by using their voice. 

A beginner’s guide to current slang

Ate down or 4+4: complimenting someone’s appearance or performance

Bruv: brother or pal 

Bussin’: when something is amazing or exceeds expectations

Cap: that’s a lie 

Chopped: ugly 

Clock it: when your intuition is proven correct 

Cringe: a feeling of embarrassment or second-hand embarrassment 

Dead ass: seriously 

Delulu: delusional 

Drip: style 

Fam: close friends or family 

Fire: if something is cool 

Fit: attractive 

Flex: show off 

Glow up: the positive transformation of someone’s appearance over a period of time 

Heard: I hear you 

Highkey: to a great extent, opposite of lowkey, intense

It’s giving: another way to say someone is attractive 

Lit: exciting 

Lowkey: to some extent 

Mewing: pushing the tongue on the roof of the mouth for a sharper jawline 

Mid: middle tier 

Mog: to outshine those around you

On God: expressing emphasis or vouching for something 

Ohio: something awkward or cringeworthy 

Period or Periodt: to validate or affirm 

Pookie: a comedic pet name for a friend or love interest 

Rizz: charisma  

Simp: someone who has strong feelings for someone with little to no reciprocation 

Sigma: cool or popular 

Skibidi: a filler word; inside joke between gamers 

Slay: to do something well 

Snack: complimenting appearance 

Sus: suspicious 

Tea: gossip 

Yeet: expressing excitement or happiness or tossing something