So you’re a Generation Xer. Old, but not totally old. Not, like, Boomer old. But, alas, gone are those bodacious days when you rocked the freshest slang. Gen Z is making you feel lame.
Word.
You are lame. Me too.
Do you need some help figuring out what the kool kids are saying? I have prepared a quick reference Generation Z to Generation X translation guide. Use it wisely. With great power comes great responsibility.
So don’t trip. Take a chill pill. You got this.
| Generation Z slang | Generation X translation |
|---|---|
| “Bet” | “Word” |
| “Ick” | “Grotey” |
| “Cheugy” | “Lame” |
| “Let’s ghost” | “Let’s dip out” |
| “Big Mad” | “Postal” |
| “Cap” | “Bogus” |
| “No Cap” | “For Realsies” |
| “Highkey” | “Like, Literally” |
| “Bussin” | “Bitchin'” |
| “Catch these hands” | “Step off” |
| “I love that for you” | “Right on” |
| “Fam” | “Homeboy” |
| “Snack” | “Hottie” |
| “Stan” | “Stalker” |
| “Slaps” | “Rocks” |
| “Naur” | “As if” |
| “I’m sleepin’ on it” | “I’m checked out” |
| “Simp” | “Dweeb” |
| “I got tea” | “I’ve got the goods” |
| “Valid” | “True that” |
| “Big yikes” | “No way” |
| “Fire fits” | “Sweet digs” |
| “Peng” | “Phat” |
| “Stay slayin'” | “Be excellent” |
| “I stan that” | “That’s rad” |
| “Bougie” | “Preppy” |
| “Pur” | “Hella” |
It’s just a starter guide. One that I suspect will require many updates and additions.
If you’re Gen Z and you notice I’ve made some errors, shut up, you don’t know! But also, please leave a comment. We Gen Xers are lifelong learners. Oh, and one more thing – your mom.
If you’re Gen X and you want to correct me, go for it homeslice, it’s whatever.
If you like this, try these 20 Haikus Only Generation X Will Understand here.
* Grody
Couple edits:
1. valid can also just mean something’s cool. As in, that car is valid.
2. no one says fire fits. It’s fit (not plural). They’ll say nice fit or i like the fit.
3. Simp and dweeb are not the same thing. Simp is like a dude who is too extra for a lady he’s interested or dating. such as if he skips saturdays with the boys to hang out at a girls house, you’d say he is simping for her.
4. Stan is stalker ish, but it’s really more just a synonym for ‘big fan’ at this point. It’s a combo of the words stalker and fan, but saying like I’m an olivia rodrigo stan just means you follow her pretty closely. You wouldn’t say someone is stanning you if you’re being followed haha.
5. I got tea just means I have gossip to share. I’ve never heard ‘I’ve got the goods on someone.’ You will also hear I’ve got dirt on someone if it’s gossip that is bad for their reputation.
That is all.