Slang is a constantly evolving part of language that is used in informal settings and is often associated with specific cultures and communities. While some parents may view slang as a negative influence on their children’s language skills, there are several reasons why parents should take the time to learn their children’s slang.

As we move into our second generation of children, our first gen were teens 2005-2015, we hope to keep up with the vernacular that rules the young.  We still have 13 years until the third gen gets going and who knows what the slang will be then.  Slang has changed tremendously since 2005, due to social medial and the smart phones.  When I was a teen ager our slang was about 2 dozen words that included:  Duh, Bodacious, Gnarly and Rad.  My oldest was linked to totes, emo, chillax and awesome sauce.  The internet was just getting started.  Number three was saying yolo, LMAO, OMG, ghosting and woke, while social media and texting was getting into full swing.  At this stage slang has grown incrementally.  Tied in with texting, there are now over 100 regularly used slang words in the average teenager’s vernacular.  

As a coach of young people, at the high school and college level, for three decades, I like to think that I was hip to the groove when it came to slang.  It did surprise my own kids a few times when I was able to translate what they were saying.  Obviously, slang is a means of communication. Learning your child’s slang can help you better understand them and their peers. When parents are able to understand the words and phrases their children are using, they can have a deeper understanding of their thoughts and feelings. 

It will also allow them to decipher whether their child is putting themselves into a  safe situation.  Understanding slang can be a tool for parents to monitor their children’s behavior and ensure their safety. Knowing the slang that is commonly used in your child’s social circle can help you identify any potentially dangerous situations they may be in. For example, if your child uses the term “lit” to describe a party, you can ask more questions so that your child is not in harm’s way.  Or if they have received(or sent) a text with SMD or DTF, you need to open up some serious communication. 

Learning slang can help parents bridge the generation gap and better connect with their children. As children grow and develop their own identities, they may feel disconnected from their parents or feel that their parents do not understand them. By taking the time to learn their children’s slang, parents can show that they are interested in their children’s lives and that they value their opinions and experiences.  Be aware that this can get weird as most times slang is developed so kids can talk without adults understanding them.  

But, weird or not, don’t be afraid to ask questions when it comes to understanding what they are saying.  If they do not open up to you here is my latest research on what it means, In 2023.  As it evolves, please help me out and update me.  I will have a teenager until 2041!

• A mood — A relatable feeling or situation (often shortened to the single word, “mood”)
• And I oop — Used when something is really surprising or provocative
• And that’s on [something] — Used to indicate that you’ve just shared a truth that needs no further discussion
• ASL — Age/sex/location
• Bae — Significant other or crush
• Basic — Someone who is viewed as boring or a conforming person
• Bet — A response indicating agreement. Example: “Wanna go to the store?” “Bet.”
• Bih — Short form of b*tch
• Body count — The number of people someone has slept with
• Bop
• Boujee

• Bruh — “Bro”; can be used to address anybody
• Bussin’ — Awesome. Example: These tacos are bussin’.
• Cake — Used to describe a large bottom
• Cappin’ — Lying
• Cap/no cap. Fake/real
• CEO of [something] — To be a representative of some activity or thing. 
• Cheugy — Used to describe someone or something that is basic, out of date, or trying too hard
• Clawback-Response to insult
• Cursed — Used to describe something (usually an online image) that is unsettling or creepy
• Cringe — Causing feelings of embarrassment or awkwardness
• Daddy — An attractive man, usually older, who conveys a sense of power and dominance
• Ded — Used when something is really funny or embarrassing.  
• Drip — Style, great fashion sense, flashy accessories
• DTF — Down to f*ck
• Egirl / Eboy — A young person with emo-inspired, punk-rock style
• Facts — An emphatic way to acknowledge the truth of someone’s statement
• Fam — Friends
• FBOI — F**k boy; a guy just looking for sex
• FINSTA — Fake Instagram account
• Finna—fixing to do
• FOMO — Fear of missing out
• Fire — Amazing
• FWB — Friends with benefits
• Gas — Can refer to marijuana, be used to describe something that’s cool, or be used as a verb to mean “hype someone up”
• Goals — Something you want or aspire to
• Gucci — Something good or cool
• Hentai — Graphic anime pornography
• High key — Very interested in 
• Hits different — When something is better than it normally is because of different circumstances. 
• IYKYK — “If you know you know”; meant to imply that there’s an inside joke
• Karen  — Used to refer to an entitled mom
• KMS — Kill myself
• KYS — Kill yourself
• Lit/Turnt/Turnt Up — Something that’s active or popular, can also refer to being stoned or drunk
• LMP — 1. A term that means “like my pic” or 2. Sometimes stands for “lick my p***y”
• Low key — 1. Somewhat interested in 2. Keeping information secret
• Meal — Someone who looks good enough to eat. 
• Mid — Insult meaning “low quality” or “average.”  
• Netflix and chill — Getting together and hooking up
• No cap — Used to indicate that someone is not lying
• NP — No problem
• OFC — Short for “of course”
• OK, Boomer — Calling out an idea that is outdated or too conservative
• OMFG — Oh my f**king god
• Plug — Someone who can “connect” you with drugs; a drug dealer.
• PMOYS — Acronym that stands for “put me on your Snapchat”
• Rizz — Derived from “charisma. A player.
• Rent free-thinking about
• ROTFLMAO — Rolling on the floor laughing my ass off
• Salty — To be bitter or cranky about something
• Same  — “I can relate”
• Savage—Dope, real cool
• Shook—shocked or surprised
• Shading — Where teens gossip about another party without naming them; also “throw shade”  
• Ship — Short for “relationship”; also used as a verb to indicate a desire to see two people together.  
• Simp —Somebody who tries very hard and does a lot for their crush.  
• Sis — Short for “sister” but can be used to address anybody; usually used to express that drama has occurred
• Slivin-_Slaying in life
• situationship—Friend with benefits relationship or maybe a little tamer.
• Skeet — To ejaculate
• Slaps— Used to express that something is awesome.  
• Smash — Means to have casual sex
• SMD—S*ck my D*ck
• SMDH — Shaking my damn head
• SMH — “Shaking my head,” meaning “I don’t believe it” or “that’s so dumb”
• Snack — Describes an attractive person
• Snapstreak — Created when friends send snaps every day, creating a streak
• Snatched — On point, very good, or well styled
• Spam — A fake social media account
• Squad — Close friend group
• Stan — A teen slang term meaning an overzealous or obsessive fan of a particular celebrity
• STFU — Short for “shut the f**k up,” can be used as an expression of disbelief or to cyberbully
• Sus — Short for “suspicious.” Popularized by the Among Us game.
• Swoop — To be picked up in an automobile
• TBH — To be honest
• Tea — Gossip or interesting news shared between friends
• Thicc — Having an attractive, curvy body
• TF — The f**k, as in “who TF you think are?”
• Thirsty — Desperate for attention, usually sexual attention
• Thot — Stands for “that ho over there” and is often used instead of “slut”
• Trash — “Terrible,” “unacceptable
• Turnt — Excited and having a good time, often with the help of drugs or alcohol
• V — “Very”
• Vibing — Chilling out, having a good time, or identifying with a certain kind of energy
• VSCO girl — A style characterized by Hydro Flasks, Crocs, and scrunchie
• Woke — Socially or politically conscious
• WTF — What the f**k?
• WYA — Where you at?
• WYD — What you doing?
• Yaas — A very emphatic yes
• Yeet — 1. A very strong word for yes. 2. To throw something.
• Zaddy — A well-dressed, attractive man of any age