Slang Archives - BSC Education

Gen Z Vocabulary – 15 English phrases you should know

Maria Parys — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 09:52:48 +0000

Gen Z are people born after but before . They were born between the late 1990s and early 2010s, so are mostly teenagers or young adults in their 20s. Like with any generation, some Gen Z vocabulary might be confusing if you don’t know what they mean. Don’t worry though, this list will help you understand what young people are talking about when they use these phrases.

Bet

What does bet mean?: “Bet” means you agree enthusiastically. You might otherwise say “OK!”, “sure”, or “you bet!”.
Example: “Do you want to get Chinese food tonight?” “Bet!”

Drip

What does drip mean?: “Drip” means someone who wears very stylish clothing or accessories.
Example: “That teacher has drip”.

Flex

What does flex mean?: “Flex” means to show off something, like a bodybuilder would flex their muscles.
Example: “He keeps flexing his new hat”.

FOMO

What does FOMO mean?: “FOMO” means “Fear Of Missing Out.” It’s the feeling you get when you think others are having fun without you.
Example: “Everyone else is at the party, and I’ve got FOMO”.

Ghosting

What does ghosting mean?: “Ghosting” means to suddenly stop talking to someone.
Example: “We went out for a coffee but she ghosted me afterwards”.

GOAT

What does GOAT mean?: “GOAT” means “Greatest Of All Time.”
Example: “Lionel Messi is the GOAT of football.”

Lit

What does lit mean?: “Lit” means when something is really fun, exciting, or great.
Example: “�鶹��Ƶ�� colleges are lit!”

No Cap

What does no cap mean?: “No cap” means you’re telling the truth. You might otherwise say “no lie” or “I’m serious.”
Example: “That dog was so cute, no cap.”

Rizz

What does rizz mean?:“Rizz” means attractive or charming. It is short for “charisma”.
Example: “She’s got so much rizz”.

Slay

What does slay mean?: “Slay” means someone is doing a great job, or looks really good.
Example: “You slayed that karaoke tonight!”

Stan

What does stan mean?: “Stan” can be used as a noun or a verb. It means to be an obsessed fan of someone. It’s based on the of the same name.
Example: “She stans Taylor Swift”.

Sus

What does sus mean?: “Sus” means “suspicious”. If something is dodgy or strange, you might call it “sus.”
Example: “Something is wrong, he’s acting sus.”

Tea

What does tea mean?: “Tea” means Gossip or news. When someone says “spill the tea,” they want to know the latest gossip.
Example: “How was your date? Spill the tea!”

W / L

What do W and L mean?: “W” and “L” mean win and loss.
Example: “Nobody laughed at my jokes at the comedy show. It was a massive L. But then I scored a W on the way home – I found £20!”.

Yeet

What does yeet mean?: “Yeet” means to throw something very strongly.
Example: “I yeeted that terrible sandwich straight into the bin”.

Confused by English Gen Z vocabulary?

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20 of the Most Common British Slang Words

moocow — Fri, 03 Nov 2023 09:58:13 +0000

One of the many advantages of studying English in the UK (or at a place with English speakers) is that you will get a real idea of how British people really communicate.

Slang makes up a large part of the vocabulary and is different across the country. If you’re studying English in the UK this year, then check out our guide to British slang before you arrive….

20 Common British Slang Words

1. Bloke (noun)

A common way of saying ‘man’. You might also hear ‘geezer’, ‘guy’, ‘dude’, ‘fella’, ‘chap’, or ‘lad’.

E.g. “That bloke over there has a nice hat.”

2. Loo (noun)

This is probably the British slang word you’ll hear the most if you come to the UK, this is because it’s the polite word we use to say we’re going to the toilet without saying the word “toilet”.

E.g. “Can we stop at a cafe? I need to go to the loo.”

3. Dodgy (adj)

Dodgy is an incredibly useful word that British people use to describe anything we’re a bit concerned about. It can be used to mean anything that’s low-quality, potentially dangerous or unreliable.

“E.g. “I wouldn’t go to that pub. It can get a bit dodgy late at night.”

4. Proper (adj)

Proper is a difficult word to define, mainly because British people use it to describe so many different things. Doing things ‘properly’ means to do them correctly or in the right way. In the North of England, ‘proper’ can also be used for emphasis in the same way as the word ‘very’.

E.g. “A proper cup of tea needs milk and two sugars.” “That’s a proper good cup of tea.”

5. Knackered (adj)

Simply put, knackered means really, really tired. The term used to describe the person who cleared dead animals away in the slaughterhouse, but is now used to say you’re exhausted. Just be a bit careful when using this one, some people consider this word to be impolite.

E.g. “I can’t come to the pub, sorry. I’m absolutely knackered.”

6. Quid (noun)

If you’ve ever been at the cashier of a British shop and heard the word ‘quid,’ then you know how confusing it can be. But, don’t worry, a ‘quid’ is just a slang word for ‘pound.’

E.g. “Can you lend me a quid for the parking machine?”

7. Skint (noun)

Still on the theme of money, ‘skint’ means that you don’t have any. It means the same as ‘broke’ which is used more commonly in American English.

E.g. “Sorry I can’t come out for your birthday. I’m not getting paid until’ next week and I’m skint.”

8. To Skive (verb) Skiver (noun)

If you’re pretending to be sick so that you can’t go to work, you’re ‘skiving.’

E.g. “Jeremy is such a skiver. He always takes the day off work.”

9. Snog (noun) To snog (verb)

So ‘to snog’ is to give someone a kiss. Specifically, the kind of kiss that is not very romantic.

E.g. “Did you hear that Lisa snogged Pete at the Christmas party?”

10. Cheers (exclamation)

So you might know the word ‘cheers’ as the word you use to toast your drink in English. But, as the British like to be different, we also use it for something else. We use ‘cheers’ to mean thank you and often use pretty it sarcastically.

E.g. “Do you want to help me clean the car?”

“Nah I’m good, cheers”

11. Naff (adj)

‘Naff’ is a word with an interesting history. Back in the 1960s, it was illegal to be gay in the UK and so gay men began to use a kind of code language or slang that was a mix of Italian, Romany and rhyming slang. ‘Naff’ was one of these words that actually meant someone was heterosexual. Now, the word ‘naff’ is used to mean that something is lacking in style or good taste.

E.g. “I was going to buy you the pink one, but I thought it looked a bit naff.”

12. To sack off (phrasal verb)

‘To sack off’ is to avoid doing something or to give up doing something – normally something that you didn’t want to do in the first place.

E.g. “Think I’m going to sack off work drinks later. I’m way too tired.”

13. Banter (noun)

Banter is a word used to mean joking or teasing that is meant to be friendly, but often isn’t.

E.g. “Don’t get offended. It’s just a bit of banter.”

14. Gutted (adj)

Extremely disappointed or upset.

E.g. “I was gutted when she broke up with me.”

15. Pissed (adj)

Now in the United States, pissed means angry. In the UK, pissed means drunk, and ‘pissed off’ is rude, and means angry. Confusing, we know.

E.g. “I was so pissed off when I saw how pissed she got at the party.”

16. Par (noun) To par off (phrasal verb)

A “par” is an act of dismissal or disrespect.

E.g. “Did you see how rude that guy was to me? What a par…”

17. Melt (noun)

A slang word used in London youth culture for years that was made famous by the reality TV show ‘Love Island,’ a ‘melt’ is someone who is a wimp or a coward.

E.g. “Just go and ask them out! Stop being such a melt.”

18. Cheeky (adj)

‘Cheeky’ has long been used in the UK to describe something light-hearted but a little rude or risqué. However, it is now used to describe any activity that is a little bit naughty but nice.

E.g. “Do you fancy a cheeky pint after work?”

19. To mug off (phrasal verb)

To ‘mug someone off’ is to take advantage of someone or make a fool out of them.

E.g. “That guy at the football kept laughing at me for wearing an Arsenal shirt. I told him to stop mugging me off.”

20. Mate (noun)

‘Mate’ is British slang for a friend. But, like a lot of British slang, mate is a word that is used as much sarcastically as it is sincerely. You’re just as likely to call someone ‘mate’ when they’re your friend as when they’re annoying you.

E.g. “Stop mugging me off, mate.”

Want to learn to speak like a true Brit? Check out our online English language courses and find classes with native speakers.

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