ATLANTA — If you scroll down the feeds of social media sites like TikTok, Instagram, or Snapchat, you might come across a couple of terms that ultimately end up in your Google search bars. This of course depends on how in touch you are with some slang terms used widely by young internet users.
In fact, for decades, slang has made its way into the conversations of many generations of people. The “off the chain” and “cool cat” references have taken on a new era.
Preply surveyed more than 600 parents of teens ages 13-18. The results showed nearly three in five parents say they've Googled a slang term after seeing or hearing their teens use it.
More than 50% of parents knew the definition of these terms:
Salty (70%) - "When you are upset over something little.”
Bougie (67%) - "Used to describe someone as high class, literally or figuratively."
Sus (65%) - "Giving the impression that something is questionable or dishonest; suspicious."
Bet (63%) - "An expression that means 'I agree', 'good news'."
Extra (62%) - "Being over the top, excessive, dramatic behavior."
Cap (67%) - "Another word for lying. It can be used like no cap or you can say stop capping."
Yeet (52%) - "To violently throw an object that you deem to be worthless, inferior or just plain garbage."
Admittedly, the terms above have been around a bit longer, becoming well-known words in the world of social media.
Other terms that made Preply’s most popular slang terms of 2023 include:
Bussin’ - "What you would say if something was really good."
Sheesh - "An expression when you’re impressed or amazed by something."
Rizz - "Charming”
IYKYK - "If You Know You Know."
Pushin’ P - "Means that you’re staying real and being positive."
Touch grass - "When someone is doing something weird, stupid, or pointless. It means they need to come back to reality. They need to get some fresh air and get back in touch with how the real world works."
The above terms are emerging among the youngest internet users and seeping into everyday life.
So how many of these terms did you know? According to Preply, only 2% of parents knew the meaning of all the slang terms on their list.
You can check out a full list of terms here.