Teenage Vocabulary

By Tammy Gilliland
Teenage Slang Vocabulary
Teens use a variety of slang words to
speak to each other and this allows them
to feel some independence from the rest
of the world. I observed two teenage
girls conversing at a friend’s house in
their backyard. Their conversations
consisted mostly of boys, music, and
food. The following slides will depict
words that I observed the teen girls
using in a conversation with each other.
 Term-”Lowkey”
Definition - Of low intensity: restrained

Teens say, “I lowkey like

the band One Direction.”

Adults say, “I’m not a big

fan of One Direction.”
 Term-”Canceled”
Definition - In pop culture, canceled means to make
someone or something irrelevant due to current drama.

Teens say, “Charli D’Amelio

is canceled.”

Adults say, “No one like

Charli D’Amelio anymore.”
 Term-”Fire”
Definition - Something that is really good, amazing, crazy.
(in a good way.)

Teens say, “Chipotle is

fire!”

Adults say, “Chipotle is

so good!”
 Term-”Cracked”
Definition - Internet gaming term used for people who are
insanely good at something.

Teens say, “Tfue is

cracked!”

Adults say, “Tfue is a

great video game player.”
 Term-”Tea”
Definition - The best kind of gossip, typically shared
between friends.

Teens say, “Come on!

Spill the tea.”

Adults say, “Come on!

Tell me the gossip!”
 Term-”Gucci”
Definition - A versatile slang term based on the luxury
fashion brand meaning awesome, fresh, etc.

Teens say, “It’s all

Gucci.”

Adults say, “This is so

cool.”
 Term-”Bae”
Definition - Acronym for “before anyone else” or shortened
version of baby or babe.

Teens say, “Azalee is my

Bae.”

Adults say, “Azalee is my

girlfriend.”
 Term-”bruh”
Definition - Another way of saying really or seriously.

Teens say, “Bruh, that’s

messed up.”

Adults say, “Seriously,

that is so messed up!”
 Term-”Curve”
Definition - To ignore, avoid, or sidestep someone’s obvious
expression of interest through flirting or any means of advance.

Teens say, “Bruh, she

curved me.”

Adults say, “Oh man, she

doesn’t like me.”
 Term-”Out of pocket”
Definition - To be out of control; way off base. Usually
deserving of a good slapping.

Teens say, “Your comment about

her weight is out of pocket.”

Adults say, Your comment about

her wait was uncalled for.”
 Term-”Thirsty”
Definition - Used to describe a person fishing for
compliments or attention.

Teens say, “She is so thirsty, she

posts so many Instagram pictures!”

Adults say, “She is so deperate for

attention, she post so many
Instagram pictures!”
 Term-”Sus”
Definition - Short version of suspicious and defines someone
or something that looks suspicious or untrustworthy.

Teens say, “Don’t hang with him,

he is so sus.”

Adults say, “Don’t hang out with

that guy, there is something
about him I do not like.”
 Term-”Cheddar”
Definition - Money, riches, can also be used to express
satisfaction.

Teens say, “I really want a

PS5, but it’s mad cheddar.”

Adults say, “I really want a

PS5, but it is very expensive!”
 Term-”GOAT”
Definition - Greatest of all time.

Teens say, “Magic

Johnson is the GOAT!”

Adults say, “Magic

Johnson is best basketball
player ever!”
 Term-”Hundo P”
Definition - 100% sure about something.

Teens say, “Hundo P that it

is going to rain today.”

Adults say, “There is a

hundred percent chance of
rain today.”
Reflective Questions
What struck me about the language was how I did not understand what they were referring to in some instances but with some of the words, I could understand by
listening to the rest of their conversation. I expected to not understand some of their word choices, but there were many words I had not heard of before and I have a
teenage son. Because I had a teenager, I thought that I would know many of the slang words the teens used, but this exercise taught me there are plenty of words they
only use around each other. I was struck by how uneducated they sounded when they were speaking, and I had a hard time taking anything they said seriously.

Teenager use their own vocabulary amongst each other for various reasons. One reason being to hide conversation meaning from parents in text messaging, but I
would say that is not the only reason. According to Jolly (2018), “For the most part, teens use slang as a way to create their own identity, fit into specific social groups
and express independence” (para. 8). Teenagers have been searching for ways to distance themselves from parents for many years, and language is one way they can
separate themselves from their parents. No teen wants to use language their parents used, so using new slang they create gives them a sense of independence.

Comparing the information I learned about teens today and when I was a teen, I can see many similarities. I also used many slang terms, not the same terms as teens
today, but terms my parents did not use or understand. All teens go through a slang phase of speaking, but I think it is more prevalent now as social media and text
messaging are main components of their communications today. What is interesting is how as adults we are using forms of morphology to decode the meaning of teen
slang vocabulary. Hearing teens use the slang words in a sentence helps us to decode the meaning without understanding the word use. Teen slang words helps teens
to establish their social identity within their social group and it makes them feel they belong. Teens use many different forms of morphology such as, acronyms,
initialism, compounding, conversion, clipping, etc. (Bonsignori, 2015). Clipping, acronyms, and initialisms seems to be a common type of morphology used by teens
today. According to Bonsignori (2015), “Clipping is a morphological process belonging to the macro-category of abbreviation or shortening that involves the deletion of
part of a lexeme, without changing its word class” (p. 62). Acronyms and initialism use a form of shortening a word to create a new word (Bonsignori, 2015).

The information I have learned throughout this exercise is the understanding of how teens progress through language development and how common it is for teens to
use slang vocabulary throughout their language development. Application of this information within the classroom can be useful in understanding and allowing grace
within the classroom when students use these slang words. It is important to not correct them and perhaps embrace the slang words by incorporating a slang lesson
within the curriculum. A lesson plan on slang words and their meaning could be an introduction to morphology in higher elementary classrooms. This would allow
teachers to relate and engage students at their level, which allows students to feel understood while learning something new.
References
Bonsignori, V. (2015). “MIND YOU, THAT’s JUST, LIKE, a GUESTIMATION” a diachronic analysis of morphological creativity in american teen talk

and dubbing. Lingue Linguaggi, 15(2239–0367), 53–68. https://doi.org/10.1285/i22390359v15p53

Jolly, J. (2018, August 10). “It’s lit”: The ultimate guide to decoding your teen’s text and speak. USA TODAY.

https://eu.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/2018/08/10/ultimate-guide-understanding-teen-slang-and-text/936280002/

Urban Dictionary. (n.d.). Urban Dictionary. Retrieved December 1, 2020, from https://www.urbandictionary.com/