Spill the Tea on Gen Z Slang
Ever find yourself scrolling through social media and stumbling upon some seriously cryptic captions or comments? Don't worry, you're not alone. From "bop" to "sus" and everything in between, it seems like there's a whole new vocabulary to master. Let's decode the mysteries of Gen Z slang together!
Slay
Used to celebrate or congratulate, usually in reaction to good news or something done well.
Example:
Person A: I got into my dream college!
Person B: Slay!
Ate and left no crumbs
Having done something so phenomenal there is no critique.
Example:
In reaction to an excellent performance → “You did so well. You ate and left no crumbs!”
Cap
Used to show disbelief or to claim someone is lying.
No cap
Used to say that one is telling the truth.
Example:
Person A: Cats love my dog.
Person B: That’s cap. Dogs and cats are natural enemies.
Person A: No cap. Cats always love to play with him.
Sus
A shortened way of saying “suspicious”.
Example:
Person A: John isn’t coming to the dinner. He said he has to work.
Person B: That sounds sus. Everyone gets that holiday off work.
Vibe
Used to describe the general feeling of a person/people, place, or event.
Example:
Person A: What’s the vibe of the hangout?
Person B: It’s very chill and gonna be super relaxed.
Not gonna lie
Used to emphasize honesty and to share a truthful opinion, commonly abbreviated as “ngl”
Example:
Not gonna lie, I didn’t think that book was very good.
Naur
A casual way of saying no, usually used to jokingly imitate the way people in Australia say the word
Example:
Response A: Do you eat chocolate?
Response: Oh naur, I’m allergic to it.
Gucci
(not to be confused with the brand)
Describes something/someone that is doing well.
Example:
Person A: How are you doing?
Person B: I’m gucci. How about you?
Ok Boomer
A phrase used after someone of the Boomer generation says something wrong or strange.
Example:
Person A (Boomer): Climate change doesn’t exist.
Person B: Ok Boomer.
Stan
To support as a fan.
Example:
Person A: Wow, you have a lot of Taylor Swift posters in your room.
Person B: That’s because I stan her so much!
Tea
(often used after “spill the”)
Gossip, juicy details.
Example:
Person A: What happened on your date? Spill the tea!
Person B: I have so much to say. I don’t even know where to start!
Fam
Close friends.
Example:
The fam and I are going to the party.
Bop
A good song.
Example:
I love this song, it’s such a bop!
Glow up
Describes a person’s improvement on the inside and/or outside.
Example:
Drew looks so good. I can tell he has had a glow up.
Vocabulary List:
Phenomenal (adjective): Describes something that is outstanding or terrific
Critique (noun): Constructive criticism
Suspicious (adjective): Something or someone that seems untrustworthy
Emphasize (verb): To highlight or draw attention to
Abbreviated (adjective): Shortened
Imitate (verb): To copy
Boomer (noun): Someone of the Baby Boomer Generation, refers to many older adults/senior citizens
Improvement (noun): Something/someone that has clearly been made better
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Phoebe McChesney is a student at Oberlin College in the United States, majoring in Politics. She has interned in the U.S. House of Representatives and served as a Page in the U.S. Senate. Phoebe would love to work in Congress, with a federal agency, or on foreign policy and international relations one day. She is a blogger for her college and is interested in America House Kyiv’s Ukraine-American work.