As an advertising copywriter, I've had to learn a lot of new languages. Not German or Spanish or Japanese or French (an actual language, which after eleven years of classes, I should speak beaucoup better than I do, mon dieu). But, more like CFO or IT Guy or Lawyer or Airline Executive. Much of the client work that my partners and I take on is business-to-business high tech. Our target audience has to believe in the solutions we're selling.
And speaking their language is an important part of building that trust.
Speaking Teen, on the other hand, doesn't seem to work like that. In the trust department, I think I actually lose ground every time I try to use the vernacular shared by my daughter and her peers. Maybe it's because I'm so old. Or maybe because what comes out of my mouth is so wrong. Then again, it could be a lethal combination of both. Old and wrong. There are nuances I just don't get.
By the way, "You don't get it," appears to mean the same thing in my language and in my daughter's. It's a sort of cross-generational Esperanto.
I certainly don't pretend to be fluent in this younger native's tongue. Words are words, but context is everything. And usage and definition don't always go hand in hand. But, whether you can converse or not, having a dictionary is helpful when you're trying to translate. So here, in mostly-alphabetical order, are some of the latest additions to the language of Teen. Good luck.
Not to worry. You won't be tested. And the revolution won't be televised either (but you can probably follow it on Snapchat).
AF
This is an acronym for "as f*ck." Apparently that's a good thing, because it's used to add emphasis. So, someone's not just a "babe," they're a "babe af."
Boots
This is added to the end of any word to approximate adding "very" to the beginning of it. E.g., "I'm hungry boots." "I'm tired boots." "I'm broke boots."
Cheddar
Another word for money. Many teens work after school to "make that cheddar." If they're "broke boots," they have "no cheddar."
Doing laundry
Well, does your teenager ever do laundry? Neither does mine. This means "hiding something from your parents."
Extra
A person who is trying too hard. (Like me, right now, reminding my daughter that her AP Bio test is Tuesday.)
OTP
Your OTP is your "one true pairing," the celebrity couple for whom you wish an impossibly perfect relationship.
Ratchet
Something particularly messy. As in, "My daughter's room is so ratchet right now." (Now and always.)
Sis
This means buddy and, technically, it's short for "sistuh." It's the same as saying "Bro," but with a feminist slant.
Ship
Short for relationship, but used as a verb. If you "ship Brad and Angelina," it means they are your OTP.
(See how this all works together?)
Snatched
Anything that looks really fine on someone. For those of you (like me) trying to keep up, "Snatched" is the new "Fleck."
Stan
To stan someone is to obsess about them. You could stan Justin Bieber by going to all his concerts and getting a Biebs tat.
Sus
An action with questionable motives. "She knows he's trying not to smoke, so giving him that bong was sus."
Thirsty
Another word for "desperate." Like that guy who won't take "no" for an answer? "He's so thirsty!"
Watch Netflix and chill
Used as an invitation, this means you don't actually want to watch Netflix. You don't actually want to chill. You actually want to "hook-up."
Extra, out of alphabetical order, but apropos of the above ...
Hook-up
Have sex. No strings attached.
You may have already known that last one. (And/or, you may (like me) have been corrected when you used the phrase to mean anything other than the above.
Me: "I'm going to hook up with Lauren for a movie this afternoon."
Her: "I don't think so, Mom."
See what I mean about usage versus definition?
I mean, Lauren is my BFF, but ...
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Did you watch The Brady Bunch when you were growing up?
Wait, what am I saying? Of course you did.
Remember how Carol and Mike were always shaking their heads, bemused, over the hip teen slang that Marcia and Greg (and Jan and Peter and eventually Cindy and Bobby) used? Phrases like "Outta Sight," "Groovy" and "Far Out!"
Some words we used in the 1970s are still all right. "Cool," for example, in its laid back minimalism, hasn't really lost its relevance. "Neat" also works, in moderation.
Like any generation, though, my teenaged daughter and her peers have come up with a whole new glossary of terms for us. Many are shaped by the 21st century phenomenon of texting. So, for example, you don't just see the acronym "WTF" on your mobile, you hear people say it. The initials themselves, I mean. Not the complete (and colorful) phrase they allude to.
Language is a living thing. Sarah Palin will be the first to point out that Shakespeare himself invented words and turns of phrase as he wrote his wonderful (or should I say "amazeballs?") plays. In fact, without him, we wouldn't have such common colloquialisms as:
All's well that ends well
Brave new world
Come what may
Dead as a doornail
Eaten out of house and home
Flesh and blood
Good riddance
I could keep going (after all, there are another 19 letters in the alphabet and at least five times that many sayings purportedly coined by the Bard).
Who knows? Will one of today's teenagers come up with the next "What's in a name" or "Wearing my heart on my sleeve?"
Um ... doubtful.
But, let's stay optimistic and embrace change anyway. As the mother of a teenager, I long ago (l-o-n-g ago) gave up trying to be "with it." As a writer, though, I enjoy staying abreast of our evolving tongue. To that effort, I've compiled some current teen slang for your reading pleasure. Remember, slang changes at the speed of ... well ... at the speed of a seventeen-year-old texting. It's tough to stay au courant, but I'll have a go here:
Bae - Special person, acronym for "Before Anyone Else," also short for "Babe"
I Literally Can't - Truncated exclamation for something that's so fantastic you — literally — can't finish the thought
Thirsty - Desperate for attention (not for water or Diet Coke or anything liquid)
Yaass - Emphatic synonym for "Yes"
On Fleek - Adjective meaning penultimate, exactly on point
Ship - Verb that means to support a relationship
OTP - Acronym standing for "One True Pairing," as in Katy and Russell (or not), or Justin and Selena (or not), or Taylor and Taylor (or NOT)
Turn Up - To get excited and prepared to party, related to post-partying "Turnt," which conveniently rhymes with "burnt"
Basic - A dismissive description for someone who is so unoriginal that the only place they shop is The Gap and the only music they listen to is One Direction
Throw Shade - To give someone the evil eye, particularly effective on the red carpet
Ratchet - An adjective for mean, annoying, gross or just plain nasty
There are countless others and more invented every day. In fact, if it's on my radar at all, it's probably way past its expiration date. Should we applaud their creativity? Or wring our hands in despair?
Oh, my young friends, speak the speech, I pray you.
Because I literally can't ...
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