What is my teenager saying? A certified guide to Gen Z slang

POLOKWANE – One day you understand what your child is saying and the next day, he/she sounds like they’re speaking a foreign language.

As with any generation, slang words are one way of communication and as a parent, it’s important to know some of these words to help relate to your child and understand them better.

The Polokwane Review created a glossary of Gen Z slang which many will have one meaning for a parent and a different one for the teenager.

• Glow up: This is a positive change or transformation, a physical or emotional makeover.
• Cap: Cap means something is not true or that a person is lying.
• GOAT: Greatest of all time.
• Drip: Your clothing, shoes and accessories.
• Lowkey: When you have an opinion that you are trying to be subtle about.
• Smacks: This is a way to say something is very good.
• Extra: Going over the top and doing more than needed.
• Tea: A story of gossip.
• Gucci: When everything is good.
• Flex: When you boast or brag about something.
• Straight fire: Something that is really good, better than the rest.
• Ate that: This is used with ‘And left no crumbs’ when someone did an excellent job.
• Basic: Someone who is boring and conforms to trends.
• Fam: A word relating to family as well as friends who feel like family.
• Bruh: A word used by teenagers to refer to others.
• Hits different: Something that impacts you in a bigger way than other things.
• Roman Empire: Something you spend a significant amount of time thinking about.
• Stan: Superfans of a person, celebrity, group or sportsstar.
• Emo: An emotional person.
• Noob: Someone who is new to something and does not know what they are doing.
• Vibe: A feeling or a look.
• Girl dinner: A meal of snacks, small portions of different food or side dishes.
• Girl math: An unconventional way to justify what she bought.
• Lewks: A very unique fashion moment
• Rent-free: When you think a lot about someone and they take up space in your mind.
• Blue Tick: When you read a message and do not respond.
• Throw shade: To talk bad about someone else.
• Snack: This is when someone looks attractive.
• A whole meal: Someone who looks extremely attractive.
• Bae: ‘Before anyone else.’ This is used to describe a romantic partner, like “babe”
• Ghosted: Ending a relationship by abruptly not speaking to that person anymore.
• Cringe: Explain embarrassing behaviour.
• Plug: This is in relation to drugs or a drug dealer.
• Smash: casual sex.
• Thicc: Used when someone has a strong or curvy body.
• Mizz: To ignore someone for a short time.
• Body count: This is the amount of people you slept with.\