Do you sometimes get lost in today’s vocabulary? I remember when the word net meant something made of loosely connected strings that fishermen used, and peeps were tiny, fuzzy, yellow creatures waddling around the barnyard. Language changes rather quickly.
Around 1000 new words are added to the dictionary each year. However, Merriam-Webster added 690 neologisms in one month last year. No wonder I can’t understand today’s vocabulary. Check out these new additions. I may give you a test on this someday.
What’s a neologism? Yeah, I had to look that one up, too, though I’m ashamed of myself for not figuring it out on my own (neo means new; log means word; ism means theory or doctrine = new word theory)
If you’re struggling to speak the language of today’s youth, here’s a handy little guide.
Please don’t become salty and ghost me. Yeet! I’m just trying to slay my peeps with some lit learning.
Try To Keep Up.
1) Bet (interjection): An affirmation or agreement, similar to saying “okay” or “sure.”
Example: That karaoke session was groovy. Bet?
Note – Is there a term for blending vocabulary from different generations? I wonder what happens when former hippies and Gen Zers have a conversation.
2) Bop (noun): A good song or a catchy tune.
Example: That’s a pretty good bop for a pharmaceutical commercial.
3) Boujee (adjective): Luxurious or high-class in a pretentious way.
Example: I’d look so boujee driving around Juniata County in a Lamborghini.
4) Bussin’ (adjective): amazing, excellent, tasty, cool, delicious, lovely
Example: The food at the new Indian restaurant is bussin’! So is the blond waiter.
5) Cap (noun): A lie or false statement. “No cap” means “no lie” or “for real.”
Example: Don’t give me your cap. I know the truth.
6) Cheugy (adjective): The opposite of trendy
Example: Grandma, that sweater is so cheugy. Do you have to wear it in public when you’re with me?
Note – pronounced CHEW-gee (hard g as in girl)
7) Doggo (noun): an affectionate term for a dog
Example: Ah, look at the little doggo on the sidewalk.
8) Drip (noun): Stylish or fashionable clothing and accessories.
Example: You should see my drip for the Halloween party.
Note – Someone my age would never consider this a good thing to say!
9) Fam (noun, abbreviated): Short for “family”; used to refer to close friends.
Example: The fam is heading to the boujee drip store. Wanna come along?
10) Finsta (noun): A fake Instagram account where someone might post more personal or candid content.
A Finsta—or fake Instagram account—is nothing new. Teenagers have had them for years. While you have a public account that’s all smiles and success and face filters, you have a private one that is videos of you lying on the sofa making cat noises …. —Louis Wise https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/finsta
11) Flex (verb): To show off or boast about something.
Example: If she tries to flex her new Doc Martens, I’m going to get salty.
12) Ghost (verb): To suddenly cut off all communication with someone.
Example: Just because I said your brother is bussin’ don’t mean you have to ghost me.
13) GOAT (adjective): Greatest of All Time. Used to praise someone or something as the best.
Example: When it comes to modern musicians, Ed Sheeran is the GOAT.
Note – I don’t care how good I become at something, please don’t call me a goat…
14) Ick (noun, usually, sometimes an adjective): Something someone does that is an instant turn-off.
Example: Using a public hot tub has become the new ick.
15) Lit (adjective): Exciting or excellent. It is often used to describe a fun event or something impressive.
Example: My daughter thought the New Kids On The Block concert was lit!
16) NPC (noun): non-playable character, it means the opposite of a main character, usually a background character in your life that does not have a significant importance.
Example: She’s an NPC who calls me every day to talk about her bunions. Very ick!
17) Peeps (plural noun): friends or associates
Example: My peeps told me to do more writing and fewer jigsaw puzzles.
18) Salty (adjective): Bitter or upset, often used to describe someone annoyed or resentful.
Example: He’s salty because I borrowed his back scratcher and forgot to return it.
19) Slay (verb): To do something exceptionally well or to look fantastic.
Example: He slayed his senior’s driving test.
20) Sksksk (Interjection): An expression of excitement or laughter often used by fans of VSCO culture.
Example: Sksksk, that green tomato pie was bussin’, or was it lit? I’m not sure.
Note – What is VSCO? Yeah, I had to look it up, too. It’s a video and photo editing app. Think TikTok, Instagram, or Snapchat. What are TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat? Yeet! We have our work cut out for us…
21) Stan (noun): A combination of “stalker” and “fan,” meaning an overly enthusiastic fan of someone or something.
Example: Beware the stans on social media. Never give personal information.
22) Sus (adjective): Short for suspicious or suspect, used to describe something that seems off or questionable.
Example: All those handsome but gray-haired men asking to be my friend on FB are sus in opinion.
23) Tea (noun): Gossip or news, often used in the phrase “spill the tea” to mean sharing gossip.
Example: Either spill the tea or remain on my sus list.
24) Throw shade (verb): To subtly insult or criticize someone.
Example: Don’t throw shade on my cake-baking skills. How should I have known baking powder and baking soda were not the same thing?
25) Yeet (verb or interjection): To throw something with force or enthusiasm; also used as an exclamation of excitement.
Example: She yeeted the pizza box at his face when he spilled the tea about his stans.
What Did They Say?
To help you practice using your new vocabulary, I’ve rewritten a bit of the Shakespeare play, Romeo and Juliet, using today’s vocabulary words:
No cap, what bussin’ light through yonder window yeets?
Sksksk, Juliet slays that boujee drip.
(Romeo, Act 2 Scene 1)
O Romeo, Romeo, I’m stannin’ you, Romeo!
Yeet thy peeps and fam, and throw shade on the sus NCPs.
(Juliet, Act 2 Scene 1)
Ghosting is such salty sorrow.
(Juliet, Act 2 Scene 1)
Your Turn…
I’m working on a list of dictionary entries for people my age. After all, shouldn’t post-middle-agers have input into today’s vocabulary too? At the moment, my list is relatively short. Send me your ideas for new terms that might appeal to older adults. Your new vocabulary can be actual terms related to older people or newly invented words that only people born in a previous century would understand. Let’s build our own generational dictionary! Two generations can play this game. Bet?
Definition sources:
How Stuff Works: Slang Words By Decade
Merriam-Webster: We Added 690 New Words
More resources for older people:
Digital Tools For Older People