From “Rad” to “Rizz”: A Look at How Slang Has Changed

Feeling lost in translation? We’re breaking down the hilarious and sometimes confusing world of Gen Z slang. From “ttyl” to “rizz,” this guide compares their lingo with the classic words we used “back in the day,” proving that every generation has its own unique vocabulary.

“Bro- I’ll ttyl & tysm 4 being there! It may be sus but tbh I had SO much fomo – iykyk!”

If the above reads like hieroglyphics to you – (dw) don’t worry we’ve got you BRO!

Translation

“Bro- I’ll ttyl (talk to you later)  & tysm (thank you so much)  4 (for)  being there! It may be sus (suspicious)  but tbh (to be honest)  I had SO much fomo (fear of missing out) – iykyk (if you know you know) !”

Yeah, everyone is a Bro! – your helper, your buddy, your gym instructor, your Moms- Ugghh!

Gen Z – Yes, they are Gen Z – have some strange, unfathomable abbreviations and slang. Back in the day, in our lingo, the slang word itself elicited a death stare and was taboo! I wonder what would have happened if I had dared to call my Mom Bro!

So, let’s dive right into the land of slang

Us Vs. Them

Word	Us	Them
Sesh	A session – this was a short form	A session, but mostly sexual or involving smoking joints
Gas	Tell lies	Slang for cool, dope or awesome. Alternatively, if you are ‘gassing’ someone, that means you are supporting them or hyping them up.
Dope	Drugs!	An adjective to signify a thing being very cool
Chill	Relax, cool down	Often, have sex

Let’s all take a step back and reflect on our good times – OUR slang and the words we so need to bring back.

Rad A short form meaning radical or very nice

EMO Gosh, our slang was so sensible–it just means emotional. We also used to say – “Don’t get ei (emotionally involved)!”

Whatever Often accompanied by an eye roll, this meant a sort of sigh of resignation

Far out Something super cool

Major Something that is greatly so- “There is something major happening today at school!”

As if – It’s a term to denote surprise at something – like that’s not possible

Wicked: Not a character judgment, but wicked good – used to intensify the feeling

Dear Readers- Brace for Impact – I am going to elaborate on Gen Z slang now

Woke Means being aware – especially about social issues, racism and sexism.

Sus Short form for suspicious
This slaps Nothing physical here – it just means that this is amazing.

Slay To be super impressive

Low-key To be restrained and not very in-your-face

It’s giving  This one has nothing to do with the verb give – it translates to something that conveys a certain style, vibe (see below) or mood

Vibe The look and feel of a place

Also vibing  Relaxing and an emotional reaction

Vibe check Used to assess the vibe of the place

Bussin Really delicious

Now for some foodie slang (which has nothing to do with food!)

She ate It is complimentary – when someone does something really well! Can also be fashion-related – in reference to what she wore

Burn A stinging remark or something caused to offend

Slow burn The process of being attracted to someone over time

He’s cooked Often used to convey exhaustion or being done with something

No category, but this article wouldn’t be complete without a mention of these terms!

Bed rot – Well, couch potato in today’s terms!

Doom scrolling Being possessed by social media and not being able to tear oneself away

Core memory This term actually comes from a type of computer memory. Now it refers to an event that is unexpected but may be thought of as a strong memory in the future

Rent free Something that unwantedly comes into your head

Rents Short for parents!

Drip/jewellery drip Used to denote your style and sophistication and your vibe (scroll up!)

These words are going to make it to the new dictionary! So we might as well know their meanings

Rizz: This refers to romantic charisma and is actually on Wikipedia! It’s a shortened form of charisma!

Delulu: A way to say delusional – implying someone who believes in something non-existent

Skibidi: This is giving me conflicting vibes, dude.  😉 – I am sure you have decoded that by now!

PS: I was told to be very clear that this word is before Gen-Z!

I am getting mixed signals 😉 🙂 Some say it has no meaning while some say it means cool. You go figure!

As always, I hope you will get with it after reading this, and hope you enjoyed it as much as I did researching and putting it together. I must admit I have had the assistance and input of two young adults, and they have thoroughly vibed with this before I dared to send it ahead.

Clearly, the Queen’s English has been cremated with her; however, we live in the hope that at some times we will still be able to understand what the next generation is saying without the help of Google!

Do drop us a line – we would love feedback!

All images sourced by the author from Instagram or Google images.

Upasana Mahtani is a midlifer who loves to read and write. She has been promising to write a book for a while. In the meantime, she reads them and reviews them at https://www.instagram.com/thebookreporter/