If you’ve ever glanced at your teen’s phone and wondered if they’ve taken up a second language, or stared blankly at them when they tell you that they “highkey want that”, welcome to the world of parenting teenagers.
Teens love pushing boundaries, carving out their own identities, ignoring you (we helpfully cover this in our 'are you even listening to me' article) and setting their own agendas. That’s pretty much their job and is one of the reasons that teen-ternity is a thing (read all about it in our helpful explainer Why teen-ternity is a popular option). No sooner have parents grasped the teen slang phrases than the language moves on, driven by memes, gaming, influencers, music and social media, to name just a few. “Teenagers and slang have a special bond, according to linguist expert Joe McGowan. “Language is a living, breathing thing, and teens are at the forefront of pushing its boundaries.”
Note from editor
Be smart - as the adult it's important you educate yourself on common teen slang so that you understand what your teen is talking about - both online and IRL - to keep them safe.
Mum of five, Louise has four boys aged between three and 15, and an 18-year-old girl, she tells us: "I've heard a wide range of slang words over the years, from 'that's sick, bruh' to 'phat', and 'gag me with a spoon'. I swear, each of my kids seems to have their own special phrases."
It might feel like your teen is always on social media and they probably are, to be honest, and that's where a lot of slang is used, it's crucial to how teenagers communicate with each other. It allows them to connect with others, express who they are, and set themselves apart from other groups. Teens use slang a lot when talking in person and online. However, there are certain phrases we need to be aware of, as they may be a red flag, either for your teen’s behaviour or someone they’re talking to.
We’ve got bare Gucci slang phrases and we ain’t cappin. Plus, how teens talk about sex and the phrases and acronyms that could be instant red flags for parents to be aware of.
Teen slang 2024: A guide for parents
General slang terms
- And I oop: Used when something catches you off guard or is really surprising or provocative. For example, "what's Lisa gonna do to me, throw her Stanley Cup at me? and i oop me?"
- Bait: Obvious
- Bare: Many. For example, "I am bare tired."
- BDE: Big d*** energy
- Bougie/boujee: High class, rich, fancy
- Bussin’: Awesome. For example, "my food is bussin."
- Cake: Used to describe a large bottom
- Canon event: A moment in development that will help shape your life or personality
- Cappin’: Lying. For example, "Why you cappin'?"
- Caught in 4k: To catch someone in the act
- Cheugy: Someone or something that is basic, out of date, or trying too hard. For example, "Sarah still wears Uggs all the time, that's so cheugy!"
- Cursed: Unsettling or creepy
- Ded: Used when something is really funny or embarrassing
- Delulu: Delusional
- Do it for the plot: Said to encourage oneself to take a chance on something
- Drip: Style, great fashion sense, flashy accessories
- Era: A substitute for phase, inspired by Taylor Swift's Era album.
- FINSTA: Fake Instagram account
- Flex: Show off
- Gucci: Something good or cool
- Highkey: Very interested in
- Hits different: When something is better than it normally is
- ISO: In search of
- IYKYK: If you know, you know
- Keep it 100: Be true to yourself For example, "She keeps it 100 all the time"
- Left no crumbs: Ddid something perfectly
- Lit: Amazing, cool, or exciting
- Lowkey: Somewhat interested in
- Mid: Insult meaning low quality or average
- Mood: A relatable feeling or situation
- No cap: Used to indicate that someone is not lying
- OFC: Short for of course
- OK, Boomer: Calling out an idea that is outdated or resistant to change
- PMOYS: Acronym that stands for 'put me on your Snapchat'
- Rizz: Word to describe someone's ablity to flirt. For example, "Lee just tried to rizz up Sophie - it didn't work"
- Salty: To be bitter or cross about something
- Same: I can relate
- Say less: I understand
- Shading: Gossip about someone else
- Sic/Sick: Cool or sweet
- Sigma: A male who is popular but is also a loner who separates himself from the crowd
- Slay: To be extremely stylish or successful
- Sleep on: To be ignorant of something or someone's value
- Slaps: Used to express that something is awesome
- Snatched: On point, very good, or well-styled
- Stan: An overzealous or obsessive fan of a particular celebrity
- Swoop: To be picked up in a car
- Tea: Gossip or interesting news. For example, "She always has the best tea, I can't wait to hear what she has to say."
- Vibing: Chilling out, having a good time, or identifying with a certain kind of energy
- Woke: Socially or politically conscious
- WYA: Where you at?
- WYD: What you doing?
- YAAS: A very emphatic yes
- YEET: A very strong word for yes.
Sex and relationship slang
- Bae: Significant other or crush
- Beige flag: Between red flag and green flag, offputting, not enough for rejection
- Body count: The number of people someone has slept with
- Boo: One’s significant other
- Catch feels: To develop romantic feelings for someone. For example, "I'm catching feels for you."
- Catfish: Someone who pretends to be someone they’re not on social media
- Chad: A hyper-sexual young man
- Coney: Slang for penis
- D: Short for d***
- Daddy: An attractive man, usually older, who conveys a sense of power
- Dongle: Slang for penis
- FBOI: F**k boy; a guy just looking for sex
- FWB: Friends with benefits
- LMP: Like my pic
- Meal: Someone who looks good enough to eat
- Netflix and chill: Getting together and hooking up for sex. For example
- Peng: Attractive
- Ship: Short for relationship
- Simp: Somebody who tries very hard and does a lot for their crush
- Situationship: Not just friends but also not really in a relationship
- Skeet: To ejaculate
- Slim thick/thicc: 'Ideal' female body shape (tiny waist, big bottom and breasts)
- Smash: Casual sex
- Snack: Describes an attractive person
- Stealthing: Secretly removing a condom during sex
- TDTM: Talk dirty to me
- Thicc: Having an attractive, curvy body
- Thirsty: Desperate for attention, usually sexual attention
- Thot: Stands for that ho over there and is often used instead of slut
- WAP: Wet ass p*ssy
- Zaddy: A well-dressed, attractive man
Parties and drugs slang
- 420: Marijuana reference
- Addy: Short for Adderall, an ADHD medication used recreationally.
- Dabbing: Concentrated dose of cannabis
- DTF: Down to f***, as in 'are you DTF?'
- Food: Cannabis or other drugs
- Gas: Marijuana, something that’s cool, or to hype someone up
- Hentai: Graphic anime pornography
- Hulk: A 2mg green benzodiazepine bar
- Juul/Juuling: Type of ecigarette, vaping
- Lit/Turnt/Turnt Up: Stoned or drunk, active or popular
- Plug: A drug dealer or contact for drugs
- School Bus: A 2mg Xanax, which is yellow
- Turnt: Excited and having a good time, often with drugs or alcohol
- X: Ecstasy
- Xan/Xans: Short for Xanax, a sedative often used recreationally
Red flag slang
- 9: Code 9, handgun
- 53x: Sex
- ASL: Age, sex, location
- Cheffing: Stabbing
- CU46: See you for sex
- Dayger: Daytime rager (erection)
- Dipping: Stabbing
- Duppying: Killing
- GNOC: Get naked on camera
- KMS: Kill myself
- KPC: Keep parents clueless
- KYS: Kill yourself
- LMIRL : Let's meet in real life
- Menty b: Shorthand for mental breakdown
- Molly: MDMA, an illegal drug
- NIFOC: Naked in front of computer
- Plug: Stab or shoot, refers to a drug contact or supply
- Receipts: Proof of something (like screenshots or pictures)
- Spinners: Guns
- Swords: Knives
- Toys: Drugs or drug paraphernalia, cars or guns
- Trap phone: Also called a burner phone
- WTTP : Want to trade photos?
Emoji use and why they matter
Often used alongside slang, emojis are a powerful communication tool. They have become an integral part of pop culture, trends, memes, and even shaping new forms of online expression and the teenager dictionary.
Dad Lee has two tweens, he tells us; "I don't know about you but I remember always trying to be one step ahead of my parents. It’s part of being a teenager, thinking you're smarter than them. My two use emojis to try and confuse us, like when they used a leaf emoji - it flummoxed us."
And, there is literally an emoji for everything. And each emoji has a different meaning. As a parent, it’s important to understand what certain emojis mean so you can understand your teen as well as use them correctly.
Emojis and sex
An eggplant 🍆 (or sometimes a 🍌 ) is used for male genitalia,
A taco 🌮 for female genitalia.
Grapes 🍇 also accompany male genitalia, and a peach 🍑 can be code for bum.
Cherries 🍒 means breasts.
A camel 🐫 , a camel has a hump, so texting someone a camel means “I want to hump you.”
A tongue 👅 with an eggplant 🍆 or taco 🌮 can signify oral sex,
A hand 🖐🏻 next to an eggplant 🍆 or banana 🍌 means a hand job.
Sweat droplets 💦 are sometimes used to represent an orgasm. Sweat droplets preceding a raised fist 💦 👊 is used to represent masturbation.
An eyes 👀 emoji can be used to suggest or request someone send you an illicit photo.
All of the above emojis are commonly used when teens are looking to engage in a sexual encounter.
Emojis and drugs
An electric plug 🔌 is used to represent someone dealing drugs.
A snowflake ❄️ can mean cocaine (although it can also refer to someone who is flaky).
A tree 🌳 , an herb 🌿 , fuel ⛽️ or a gas pump, broccoli 🥦 or a four-leaf clover can all mean marijuana.
The cloud of dust or dashing away emoji symbolizes vaping.
A pill 💊 reportedly is used by drug dealers when they have heroine for sale.
A maple leaf 🍁 can be used for marijuana or for drugs in general.
A drooling face represents Ecstasy.
Why do kids use slang?
“Slang becomes a badge of belonging to a peer group and a way to shape their identity,” says linguist expert Joe McGowan. “It's also a way to differentiate themselves from older siblings or adults who might try to use their outdated slang.”
In other words, using slang not only allows your teenage to feel like they’re being rebellious or noncomformist, but it can also, perhaps ironically, help them feel like they’re part of their social circles and give them a sense of connection to their peers.
Of course, some teens will use slang to deliberately keep their conversations with friends and other acquaintances secret. Using coded terms and messages can flummox parents who simply tune out.
Joe McGowan is a linguist expert and CEO of McGowan Transcriptions, the UK’s leading transcription agency.
When should I be worried about my kid’s slang?
“Slang use is normal and healthy in teenagers,” reassures McGowan. “It demonstrates their creativity and grasp of language rules. As long as they can communicate effectively in standard English for schoolwork and formal situations, excessive slang probably isn't a cause for alarm. However, if a teen struggles with grammar or engaging in meaningful conversations, gently encouraging the use of standard English might be helpful.”
However, she warns that parents should be aware of some slang terms. “While most are harmless expressions of youth culture, some words and phrases may raise red flags for parents, particularly if they are derogatory, offensive, or perpetuate harmful stereotypes. Slang that promotes racism, misogyny, homophobia, or violence should be addressed promptly and taken seriously. Parents should openly communicate with their children about the implications of such language and reinforce values of respect, inclusivity, and empathy.”
Although we’ve provided some red flag terms here that can be a warning of violence, street crime or sexual crimes, some of these terms can be used innocently by young people without any of their darker connotations. Writing for The Conversation, Tony Thorne, Director of Slang and New Language Archive at King's College London, says, “Authorities have to get to grips with the slang young people use to communicate. But the relationship between the street slang used by many young people every day and the secret codes deployed by gang members while planning and boasting about crimes is not always straightforward and lends itself to misunderstandings.”
Where to turn to for extra help in communicating with your teenager
There are plenty of family therapy services and organisations dedicated to improving communication and relationships between parents and teenagers.
Family Lives offers online advice by age group, as well as a live chat, confidential helpline, parenting forum and email support, They can also signpost you to parenting services in your local area.
Young Minds is another charity that provides mental health support for parents and young people. It includes advice on how to talk to your teenager and support for professionals such as youth club workers and football coaches. Young Minds also offers a parents helpline and a confidential phone chat, live chat or email for kids under 19 years old.
FRANK offers help and advice to young people and parents about peer pressure, drugs, and alcohol. It has a 24-hour phoneline that’s open 7 days a week. It also offers a texting and email service.
Discover more effective ways to communicate with your teenager, from 25 conversation starters to the one question you should ask your teenager to improve your relationship immediately. Plus, what to expect when your teenager starts dating and how to get them to talk to you about it.
