If I said to you, “It’s giving mid, but my rizz is high, so I’m going with it for the plot,” would you have any idea of what I just said?
Teen slang isn’t a new concept; every generation has its own. Gen-Xers, like me, had a ‘chill’, ‘talk to the hand (cause the face ain’t listening)’, ‘as if’, and ‘burn’. Millennials had ‘yolo’, ‘FOMO’, ‘Netflix and chill’, and ‘bae’. Boomers had ‘cool’, ‘square’, ‘catch you on the flip side’, and ‘freak out’. And Gen Z has ‘tea’, ‘clout’, ‘ghosting’, and ‘glow up’.
And now we have Gen Alpha developing their own teen slang for things. And honestly, I don’t hate it. A lot of it makes sense!
So, how do you understand when they call your cooking ‘mid’? Here’s a quick guide to help you understand teen slang and look ‘fire’ in front of the kids (right?!).
15 teen slang meanings and what they mean
Mid
Mediocre. Average. Not good, not bad. For example, “How was dinner?” “Eh, mid.” (he says, sitting it half-eaten on the bench). The first time my son used this on me, I thought he’d liked what I’d cooked. But he prefers store-bought chicken schnitzels to my homemade ones. And that’s what made it mid.
Fire
Hot, trendy, amazing. It can be used for food, outfits, experiences, etc. It’s an all-rounder. Other terms include ‘bomb’, ‘slaps’, ‘serving’.
For the plot
Do it for the sake of it. For a good story to tell your grandkids one day. As if your life was a book/movie.
Main character energy
Used as a way to describe someone who feels like they’re at the centre of their own story (technically, aren’t we all?) and brings a sense of confidence and excitement to everything they do. The term is popular in social media and pop culture, often used to celebrate individuals who are bold, dynamic, and unapologetically themselves.
It can also be used as an insult. It refers to someone who acts self-centred, overly dramatic, or attention-seeking, as if they believe the world revolves around them. I don’t want to say my middle child has main character energy, but sometimes, he has main character energy.
Rizz
Charisma. For example, “Joey’s got rizz. He doesn’t even have to try.” In my teenage years it was ‘game’, ‘appeal’. Rizz was Oxford’s “Word of the Year” in 2023.
Fit
Outfit. A lot of teen slang is shortening words. For example, “Check my fit.” (showing off an outfit)
Drip
Swagger. On point. Cool. Hot. Stylish. For example, “Her fit is drip.” In earlier generations, this meant the opposite. I love how language evolves and changes from generation to generation.
Cap
Lie. Not True. When someone is “capping,” it means they’re telling lies. ‘No cap’ means no lies. For example, Mary says “Did you know Australia is fake?” Sheryl says, “That’s cap, Mary.” Like most teen slang, the term originates from African American Vernacular English (AAVE), a distinct form of speech separate from standard English. According to Dictionary.com, the phrase “to cap” has been used since the early 1900s to indicate bragging, exaggerating, or lying about something.
Ate
To succeed at something. For example, “Dude, did you see my Ancient History mark? I ate it”. If ‘and left no crumb’ is added, it means they did an excellent job. Like in this TikTok video about the Rage scene in the new Heartbreak High.
Bet
It’s on. Agreeing to do something. Yes. For example, yesterday I showed my son I had a can of tinned apricots in the pantry. His response: “Bet. Cheer’s grandma.” Yes. My 22-year-old often calls me grandma. It’s cute how he thinks it annoys me.
F.A.F.O.
F*ck around and find out. Also known as ‘go ahead and see what happens’ (something I’ve both heard from my Mum and Nan and said to my own kids) and ‘consequences for your actions’.
Fam
Short for family. It can be blood family or a friend family. It’s also a popular greeting for mixed gender groups. Popularised in Jodie Whittaker’s run as Doctor Who. It was her term for her companions.
Roman Empire
When you can’t stop thinking about something. For example, “My Roman Empire is how storm chasers made B.P. with their GPS markers when Bill Paxton died.”
It’s giving
What something looks like. It’s used to describe a vibe or aesthetic that someone or something is projecting. It can be both positive and negative. For example, when you wear a red festive sweater, “It’s giving Hallmark Christmas Movie.”
Delulu
Delusional. To be optimistic in the face of a disappointing reality. For example, Tina says, “I’m going to marry Chris Hemsworth and have his babies.” and Jenna says, “Girl, you’re Delulu.” Also can be ‘deluluville’ ‘delulu is the solulu’ (delusional is the solution – aka fake it until you make it).
It’s important not to put your kids down because you don’t understand what they’re saying. It’s easy to Google what they’ve said so you don’t lose face actually asking them. As long as my kids aren’t insulting me to my face without me knowing, they can say teen slang like something is ‘fire’ or ‘ate’. But never ‘fetch’, because no matter how hard Gretchen tries, fetch is never going to happen.
