Ok moms of tweens and teens, I didn’t forget about you. I’ve scoured the internet to compile a comprehensive parents guide to teen slang words. Ever feel like your teens and tweens are talking another language? Well, you’re not crazy, they are. They are talking slang and the meanings have changed just to keep us on our toes. Please don’t out yourself as being out of the know and have your kid tell you to skurt skurt.
My girls and I have a pretty open relationship. They still like me on most days. Though that is not my main concern in parenting, I’d love it if one day we could be friends but for now, I’m their mom. There’s always been a comradery between us that transcended the parent/child relationship. I did that on purpose because I didn’t have that as a child.
There was a strict division between parents and children and while I completely believe that I am my daughters’ mom first and their “friend” second, I want them to trust me and, if possible, feel comfortable not hiding things from me. Teens feel weird about all the changes like they can’t tell us things and then they start to shut down and begin to hide things from us.
READ ALSO: The Ever Changing Rules and Regulations of being a Teen Girl
That’s not to say that I’m not the mean mom on the daily but everything I do, like you, is out of love and in the hopes of raising good human beings. I sit through all the Dobre Brothers, Yoga Challenges and Beauty tutorial YouTube videos with them just so we can have conversations that I can actually understand. Just so I can know how they are doing. Because the important things are peppered in with all the daily stuff. It’s our job as parents to pay attention.
The other day, after watching a YouTube video about slang kids are using these days, I realized that maybe not all moms and dads of teens know what the heck their kids are saying when they are talking or texting. They speak in code you know? Not that I’m an expert but, unlike most parents who don’t actually work in social media, I do know some things. Add to the mix that I am a giant child myself and my daughters have taught me some words I should know for 2019. FYI, fleek is no longer on fleek so keep that phrase out of your mouth.
Here is the Parents Guide to Teen Slang Words You Need to Know
Adulting – To grow up and act responsibly
AF – An acronym for “as fuck”
Almosts- Someone you came close to dating but it never became official
Awk/ Awks – Awkward
Basic – Only interested in mainstream, popular things
Beef- Argument
Beat – To have a full face of makeup
Blessed – Feeling fortunate
Bounce – Leaving suddenly
Bougie – Someone from a higher class
BRB- Be Right Back
Bruh – Another way of saying “seriously?”
Cancel – The rejection of a person, place or thing
Canceled – To reject something because it’s no longer trendy or it’s become too ratchet.
Can’t even – Used to describe someone you cannot handle
Catfishing– pretending t be someone else on social media
Clap back – A comeback filled with attitude
Clout Chaser = someone who tries to latch on to other, more popular people
Clout Demon = a wannabe
Cray – Crazy
Cringey– awkward, uncomfortable, cringe-worthy
Dad – A role model
Dank – Really cool
Dead – When someone is euphorically happy
Dead A–= To be completely and honestly serious
Dime = rating of attractiveness, 10/10
Down in the DM = direct messaging someone privately, usually to hook up
Drip, Drippin = flashy, ostentatious
Extra – Over the top, dramatic behavior
Fam – A group of friends who feels more like family
Finesse – To smooth things out
Fleeky– Amazing
FOMO – Fear of missing out
F2F = face to face, meeting in person
Gassed – When someone has had one too many compliments and is full of themselves
Ghost – When you completely disappear after hanging out and showing interest
Girlfriend tax– The amount of food taken by your female significant other, after you asked her if she was hungry and she insisted she wasn’t.
Glow-Up = an incredible transformation
GMT – Getting me tight / getting upset
Goals – A way of subtly expressing that you’re jealous; Goals = a lifestyle to strive for
GOAT – Greatest of all time
Gucci – Good or cool; Good / doing well / feeling fine
Hangry – When you are angry because you are so hungry
High-key – Straight up truth; a lot, wanting everyone to know something
Hit a lick = to steal something
Hundo P – 100 percent certain
Hunty – Equivalent of friend but said with attitude
IRL – In real life
It’s lit = cool, awesome, great
I’m weak = something so funny it made you weak
JOMO – Joy of missing out
Kickback = a casual get together
KMS/KYS = kill myself, kill yourself, used sarcastically
Lean = an intoxicating drink made using soda and cough syrup
Lit – Amazing
Mom – The most responsible friend in the group
Netflix and chill – Hooking up
OMG – An abbreviation for “oh my gosh” or “oh my God!”
OP = out of pocket, used when something is extreme or offensive
OTP – One true pairing
Phubbing – Snubbing someone to pay attention to your phone instead
Ratchet – Trashy
Receipts – Evidence of a person’s hypocrisy, often pulled from past social media or text conversations
Rides – Sneakers or shoes
Salty – Acting upset or bitter
Saucy = feisty or sassy
Savage = wild or harsh
Savage – Petty
Shade-Trash Talk
Shipping – Wanting two people to date
Shook – Confused or in utter disbelief
Sic – Something that is cool
Sipping/Sips Tea– Minding your own business
Spilling the Tea– Gossipping
Skurt – Go away
Slay – Killing it / Succeeding
SMH – Shaking my head
Snatched – Looks good, fierce, fashionable. Snatched is the new fleek.
Snack– Cute= tasty treat you’d like to eat; the people version
Spilling Tea – Gossiping
Squad – Closest group of friends
Stan – A combination of stalker and fan
Straight Fire – Hot, popular or trendy
Suh – A shortened version of what’s up
Sus – When someone is acting suspicious or shady
Swerve – Get out of the way
Swol – Someone who works out
TBH – To be honest
Tea -Gossip
TFW – That feeling when
Thicc – Someone with curves
Thirst trap – A sexy photograph or flirtatious message posted on social media
Thirsty – Trying to get attention; horny
Throwing shade – Making a subtly mean comment about someone
Trill – True and real
Trolls – Someone who purposely tries to provoke others
Turnt – Hype for a party
V – very
Weak – Laughing so hard that you can hardly breathe
Wig snatched – Exposing someone to reveal the truth
Wig = when something crazy or unexpected (good) happens
WOAT– Worst of All Time
Woke – Being aware of current affairs
Yaas – An enthusiastic way of saying yes, or as my girls say, Yaas queen.
Yeet – A way to show excitement or agree
YOLO – You only live once
Parents Guide to Teen Slang Words that Describes People or Relationships
OK, parents pay attention. You know relationships are so important during the teens years. Friends are our lifelines and boys, well, the day rises and sets around them when we are first crushing. Our teens find out about themselves through these relationships. They are rocky and scary and unexplored territory.
READ ALSO: Tips for Raising Teenage Girls and Not Damaging Your Relationship Pt.1
Did you know they have a whole slang language for these relationships? They do. I guess we did too. Remember being someone’s “lady”, “boo” or “girl”? Well, move over bacon there is something leaner.
Here are some teen slang words used to describe people or relationships. There is some overlap for the above list.
- Bae – “Before anyone else” and is often used to describe a boyfriend or girlfriend
- BF/GF – Boyfriend or girlfriend
- BFF – Best friends forever
- Bruh – Same as “bro”
- Creeper – Someone who is socially awkward or tends to have stalker tendencies
- Curve – Romantic rejection
- Emo – Emotional or a drama queen
- Hater or h8er – Someone who hates everything, even their friends
- n00b – A person who doesn’t want to learn
- Ship – Short for ‘relationship’
- Squad – A group of girls that hang out together regularly
- Tight – In a close relationship
- Wanksta – A person trying to act tough, but who isn’t really pulling it off
Parents Guide to Teen Slang Words the Compound Version
Yes, this is a thing and we’ve all heard it. Hangry and chillaxin. TBH, I thought I invented Hangry back when I was a teen but perhaps I was mistaken.
Teens often create shortcuts by combining two words together. To understand what they mean, you need to know the definition of each word. Here are some examples of compound teen slang:
- Chillaxin – Chillin’ and relaxing.
- Crashy – Crazy and trashy
- Hangry – Hungry and angry
- Requestion – Request and a question
- Tope – Tight and dope
Parents Guide to Teen Slang Words You Should Pay Attention To
Be on the lookout for these slang words which could indicate your teen is bullying someone or that getting bullied by someone:
- Bye Felicia – A disrespectful way to dismiss someone who is unimportant
- CD9 – Code 9, parents are here
- POS – Parents over shoulder (often used when texting to warn friends that mom or dad is reading) I thought it meant Piece of Sh*t.
- Throw Shade – Give someone a dirty look
- Tool – Refers to someone who is stupid or a geek
Parents Guide to Teen Slang Words You Should Definitely Keep an Eye Out For
I am so thankful that social media wasn’t around when I was a tween and teen. When I think of all the stupid things I did that could have been captured and lived on in infamy, I cringe. I was naïve and dumb and did a lot of dumb things; made a lot of mistakes. By most standards, I was a good kid and I still did some really dangerous, thoughtless things.
READ ALSO: Tips for Raising Teenage Girls and Not Damaging Your Relationship Pt.2
Social media, text messaging, and online dating can lead to sexual conversations over the computer. And if you’re not sure what to look out for, you might not even notice what your teen is saying right under your nose. Sneaky little boogers.
Drug conversations are also something you need to be aware of. Here are some teen slang words that may indicate your teen is being pressured or experimenting with sex, drugs and alcohol.
- CU46 – See you for sex
- GNOC – Get naked on camera
- Molly – MDMA, a dangerous party drug
- NIFOC – Naked in front of the computer
- Netflix and Chill – Used as a front for inviting someone over to make out (or maybe more)
- Smash – Casual sex
- Turnt Up – To be high or drunk
- Tweaking= high, usually on amphetamines
- Zip Ghost – Someone who is high on marijuana and having a hard time functioning
- Dexing – Abusing cough syrup
- Crunk – Getting high and drunk at the same time
- X – Ecstasy
- 53X – Sex
- WTTP – Want to trade photos?
- LMIRL – Let’s meet in real life
Not going to lie, I check my kids’ phones every night. They are still pretty young. We’re at the beginning and I’d rather be a smother than be sorry. I’m totally upfront about it so I’m not invading their privacy all sneaky squirrel. They know I check their phones. This is not to be nosey, this is to make sure they are safe.
Sometimes kids wander into unfamiliar territory and, believe it or not, they want someone to put the brakes on because then they can hide behind their “mean mom” saying no, rather than having to tell someone that they don’t want to do something because they feel uneasy or too young. I’m fine with being the bad guy.
I made this Parents Guide to Teen Slang Words so we can understand and communicate with our teens.
I’m sure you already know this, but some parents don’t, beware of Finsta accounts on Insta. You know, you think that you are watching your kid’s account but really you are only watching the one they want you to see. They’ve got 2 more that you have no idea exist and they are doing crazy sh*t like having full on conversations full of innuendo with strangers and taking pictures half naked with suggestive faces and captions. The point is that teens these days are so smart and tech savvy but they are still young and naïve to how the world works so it is our job to keep them safe not give them enough social media rope to hang themselves.
READ ALSO: Tips for Raising Teenage Girls and Not Damaging Your Relationship Pt.3
Another good idea, check out Gryphon. It’s a smart home device that allows you to monitor, block, and even turn off the internet on your child’s device, all from your phone. (Yup, you can turn off their internet during dinner time, homework time, etc. so you no longer have to nag them to put down their devices). I like to turn off the Internet when the girls are supposed to be in bed because I don’t want them up getting into trouble. I’ve noticed that kids seem to get a little braver when they have sleepovers and are staying up. This is when prank calls and text take place. I get it. We used to do it but we didn’t have sexting and the Internet. It wasn’t forever, just for a while. I need to think of their future and their safety even when they aren’t. Sometimes we need to save our kids from themselves.
Are there any words that I forgot on the Parents Guide to Teen Slang Words or that you have heard your kid use and need an explanation