It was a humid Saturday afternoon in Brooklyn when a tall, lanky kid named Jaylen walked through the front door of his uncle's apartment, wearing a vintage leather jacket that had definitely seen better days.
"Nice jacket," the uncle said, because he was supportive like that.
"Thanks," the kid said, adjusting the collar with a casual flick. "It's mad drip."
The uncle nodded slowly. He knew what drip meant. Or at least, he thought he did.
"Yeah," he said, nodding along as though he were in on the joke, "it really drips, doesn't it? That water right there."
Jaylen stopped mid-sip of his soda. He looked at his uncle the way a doctor looks at an X-ray they didn't expect. He put his drink down. He sat him down. He said, "Uncle D. We need to talk."
And that was how, at forty-three years old, this particular uncle learned that he had been saying "drip" wrong for two years. Two full years of walking around Brooklyn thinking he was hip. Two years of watching his nephew's friends look at him like he'd escaped from a nursing home.
"But wait," the uncle said, "I thought drip meant water. Like a faucet."
His nephew stared at him. He just shook his head.
But if one word was wrong, how many others had he been saying wrong? Last Tuesday, at a coffee shop, he heard a kid say "sus" and he looked up and said, very genuinely, "God bless you. Are you feeling okay?"
The girls looked at him. The moment stretched out like taffy being pulled — sticky, awkward, too long to be comfortable.
"Bet," "slaps," "it's giving" — how many words had he been mashing through his mouth and landing in the air between himself and his listeners, causing nothing but confusion and mild discomfort?
So he opened his laptop. He typed in the words: "Every Gen Z slang word." And he asked the AI to put them all in alphabetical order, with definitions and example sentences, so anyone could look it up without having to ask a teenager and risk that look of pity again.
This is for everyone who has ever smiled and nodded while their kid said something they didn't understand. Let's learn together — before we're all living rent free in their delusion.
A
B
Big Yikes
An intensified expression of discomfort or cringe. Worse than just "yikes."
"He slid into her DMs with 'hey beautiful' — big yikes."
Bet
An affirmation or agreement; similar to saying "okay" or "sure."
"You wanna grab coffee tomorrow?" "Bet, I'll see you at 10."
Bleed
To cry, weep emotionally.
"When the song came on, I literally started to bleed."
Brain Rot
Negative effects of excessive social media use.
"Three hours on TikTok = brain rot. My attention span is gone."
Boujee
Luxurious or fancy; often used to describe high-end tastes or lifestyles.
"That new restaurant is so boujee — they charge $40 for toast."
C
Cop
To buy or purchase something.
"I need to cop that vintage jacket before it's gone."
D
Dead
Extremely funny; used to express that something is so amusing it could "kill" you with laughter.
"That joke he made had me dead."
Deadass
Seriously; for real; not joking.
"Deadass, I thought that was a dream."
Delulu
Delusional; holding unrealistic beliefs or fantasies.
"Am I delulu for thinking she'll text me back?"
Drip
Stylish clothing or a fresh look.
"Your new fit is giving mad drip."
F
Finesse
To get something cleverly or through smooth manipulation.
"He finessed his way into the VIP section."
Flex
To show off or brag about something.
"He's always flexing his designer shoes on Instagram."
G
Ghost
To suddenly stop responding to someone; disappearing from conversation.
"I thought we were hitting it off but she ghosted me."
I
It's Giving...
Comparison to something or vibe. Used to describe the overall feeling or aesthetic of something.
"That outfit is giving 1970s diva energy."
IYKYK
"If You Know, You Know"; used to indicate shared knowledge or inside jokes.
"The reference is old school — IYKYK."
L
Left on Read
When a text message is ignored or not responded to.
"I sent her three messages and got left on read."
Living Rent Free
Unable to stop thinking about something or someone.
"That new song is living rent free in my head."
Lowkey
Secretly; somewhat; to a mild degree. The opposite of "highkey."
"I'm lowkey tired of working overtime."
L (Loss)
A failure or disappointment.
"He tried to talk to her and got an L."
M
Main Character
Acting like the star of your own story.
"She walked in like it was a movie — main character energy."
MentyB / MentyBee
Mental breakdown.
"I've been studying for 12 hours — I'm about to have a mentyb."
Mid
Mediocre or low quality; something not worth bragging about.
"That new movie was mid. Don't waste your time."
N
New / New New
Something fresh, exciting, or recently released.
"This drop is new new — everyone in the city is going."
No Cap
No lie; for real; telling the truth.
"No cap, that was the best meal I've ever had."
O
On God
A strong affirmation; swear to God.
"On god, I'll be there at 9."
Out of Pocket
Acting in a way that is inappropriate or unreasonable.
"You're really out of pocket for saying that to her."
P
Periodt / Period
Emphasis at the end of a statement. Final, undeniable truth.
"She's the funniest person I've ever met, periodt."
Pop Off
To do exceptionally well; to succeed hugely.
"Your video is at 1 million views, pop off girl!"
R
Rizz
Charisma; the ability to charm or flirt with someone.
"He's got mad rizz — he can talk to anyone."
S
Salty
Upset, bitter, or annoyed — usually because of jealousy or rejection.
"He's so salty after she turned him down."
Send It
To go for it; to go ahead and do something.
"I was scared to ask her out but I said send it."
Slap / Slaps
Something excellent, especially music.
"This song slaps — turn it up!"
Soft Launch
To subtly hint at a new relationship without fully announcing it.
"He soft launched his new girlfriend in his Instagram story."
Stan
An obsessed fan (from "stalker" + "fan").
"The Swifties are gonna stan so hard for this album."
Sus
Suspicious or questionable.
"That story is kinda sus — I don't believe it."
T
Tea
Gossip or interesting information; often used in the phrase "spill the tea."
"What's the tea on the drama happening this weekend?"
The Ick
A sudden feeling of repulsion or ickiness toward someone.
"He was chewing with his mouth open and I got the ick immediately."
Touch Grass
Go outside and touch grass; used to tell someone to log off and go live in the real world.
"You've been doomscrolling for 6 hours — go touch grass."
V
Vibe Check
An assessment of someone's mood or the mood of a situation.
"We walked in and the vibe check said — we're not welcome."
Vibes
The overall atmosphere or feeling.
"The vibes at that party were immaculate."
W
W (Win)
A success, a win, something going right.
"She got the job — that's a major W."
Y
Yikes
An expression of discomfort, cringe, or disbelief.
"Yikes, that haircut is rough."
4
404 Coded
Describes someone who seems absent, disconnected, or not functioning properly. Like a computer error.
"My brain is 404 coded today — I can't even function."