Millennials are known to be creative, and one of the ways you see it is through their invention of new words. Sometimes they are lazy to use a big word, so they come up with something way shorter – mostly with 1 syllable only
Other times they mix two words into one…and sometimes it’s a phrase.
Point is, Millennials keep coming up with new lingo, and it is important to be in the know. Not necessarily because you might use them one day but to understand the conversations when they use such words. Because it all happens in a fleeting second. And if you have that confused look on your face, they know that you have missed out from that conversation, and someone will need to explain things to you, privately.
Take note, some of these words are so popular they are used repeatedly in conversations and some are just popular on the internet, social media etc but rarely used in real conversations..
I’ve put together some lingo that I have heard in conversations with Millennials, in Asia, in person.
I hope you get your enlightenment after this
- Said no one ever – Four words that can negate just about any statement, with just the right amount of sneering sarcasm. “I sure love corporate family picnics on weekends…. said no one ever.”
- Lit – Something is especially awesome. Like: “This party is lit!”
- Throwing shade – throwing shade is a sneaky way of putting someone down or criticizing them. Rather than attacking with full force, those who throw shade prefer a more subtle and artful approach.
- Fam – Calling someone ‘fam’ is actually a good thing. It basically means ‘family’ and refers to a close friend or your ‘bro’, ‘mate’ or ‘bud’.
- Mood – a reply to a comment that’s an affirmation or a signal of relatability, i.e., when someone describes how they are feeling, and a friend replies “mood.” It’s another way to say “same.” On social networks, it’s often paired with an image.
- Clap back – When you get dissed and you’re not just going to sit there and stew in your own juices, you return the favour with a clap back. Get it? You “clap” them back. Kinda like shooting them back but that doesn’t sound as cool as clap back, right?
- Slay – Not in the knight and dragon sense; you’re not slaying any fire-breathing beasts to save a princess. To “slay” in the millennial sense means to do an exemplary job. “You slayed it”.
- YAAAAAS – When just saying “yes” isn’t enough. “Yes” is just a calm agreement or an affirmative response, but “YAAAAAS” suggests a frenzied intensity that really drives the point home.
- I can’t even – You can’t even what? It doesn’t matter. It could be something specific, it could be reality in general. It is an expression of exasperation. The point is, the world has gone insane, and we can’t even.
- Woke – You may notice the lack of “up” following this word. It’s about suddenly springing to life, either out of alarm or determination. It means you are aware about something. It could be politics or anything else. You’re woke, so now things are, you know, real.
Did you find any familiar words? Now that you know these words, start using them, and speak the lingo.
It’s not that hard, when you put in the effort
If you know someone who would benefit from this article, share this with them. Let them be woke.