**Editor’s note. Yes we realize these terms are out of date, the piece was published in 2015. Jeez people calm your shorts.
Do you know what OTP means? How about fleek?
Yeah, me neither….
You know why?
Because we are old, my friends…
Ancient. As. Hell.
As adults, our internal vault of slang fills up over the decades, but we rarely hit the “refresh” button on that list to add the latest lingo. Maybe we fear looking like we are trying too hard to be modern by talking like the kids at the bus stop.
But modernize we must, we can’t keep using the word “groovy” like Cheech and Chong and not be a mockery.
My personal jargon vault has somewhat refreshed since I no longer describe something worth remarking as “Totally Tubular.” Suzanne Summers and I both had to move on without our headbands and leg warmers.
I was hanging with my daughter and her teen friends (or maybe I was chillaxin’ – whatever) and I used the term “word.” Apparently this should have been ejected from my vault too. That expression, and posse poses were so 90’s apparently.
Mom fail.
What’s a Mom to do? We overcome and adapt like the bad-asses we are. So I decided to dive in and save y’all from the humiliating lesson I had to learn in researching this piece, but first I have to tell you how it happened.
It started when I said “Oh that’s cool” to the gaggle of female juveniles on our pool deck. They snickered quietly and a brave one said “like, nobody says ‘like cool’ anymore, it is so, like, old school.”
At which point I wanted to reach over and flick her nose piercing. Do they all have to say “like” in every sentence? I keep waiting for one of them to get stuck in a loop and just stand there saying “like, like, like, like, like” as a record scratch. Oh wait… record scratch. So vintage.
It was time to figure this shit out. Determined to document this properly, I pulled out more evidence of my age and slammed my readers on, prepared my notebook and pen, ready to begin the lesson.
Defined with usage examples, I present you with my findings about teen slang that will crown you as coolest of the Momsters:
Goals
When something looks good.
Use like this: “Your outfit/hair/purse is goals.”
(The grammar murder in the usage of this term is a travesty but stick with me… it gets worse.)
On Point
Anything that looks good, which is somehow different from goals.
Use like this: “Your outfit is on point today.”
(Pointy outfit – check.)
On Fleek
When something looks good.
Use like this: “Your eyebrows are on fleek and your hair is goals.”
(I will now run to the mirror to see if my eyebrows are fleeked enough.)
Ship
When you talk about two people who should be together but aren’t.
Use like this: “I totally see Brittany and Caleb like perfect together, I ship them.”
(I have nothing to say about how equally silly and sweet this is.)
OTP
This means “One Time Pairing” which refers to mostly fictional characters who should hook up.
Use like this: “Oh I think Katniss and Edward from Twilight would be such a great OTP.”
(OMG do these kids have nothing better to talk about than the potential awkward mating of pretend people?)
Thot
This is not a nice word for an unpopular girl.
Use like this: “She is a Thot so nobody dates her.”
(Because we needed one more crappy disrespectful word that marginalizes fragile girls.)
Fuckboys
This is what is used to describe young men who are arrogant and cocky and hang their pants down their bums. We used to know them as unrepentant mean boys or douche canoes and not date them.
Use like this: “That F-boy needs some new trousers”
(Actually don’t call them trousers… vintage again).
My Jam!
This means a favourite song.
Use like this: Shriek “This is my jam!” while jumping up and down.
(Make sure you are referring to a piece of music that you love and not something you just spread on toast. Also don’t wreck your cool groove by turning up the volume in front of your kids and playing your fave Kenny G tune. That should not be your jam.)
Practice using these terms in the correct context and your cred will be all up in their grills… not.
Do you have any words to add to my compendium of modern talk?
Author’s update: New one appearing in the household teen vocabulary. When you are grouchy over something (like… oh…I don’t know… cleaning your room for instance) it is called being “salty”. For us of more advanced age, it means grouchy. Consider this guide a gift in your struggle to be that cool parent…
111 Comments
“THOT” is short term for “that hoe over there.” Yeah, I had to urban dictionary that once. Damn kids.
The word you are looking for- instead of ‘short term’, is acronym. Thot is an acronym of That Ho Over There. T.H.O.T.
Slaying: hooking up with someone who is not your boy/girlfriend. I thought it meant On Point. My Bad.
That is not what slay means at all. To slay means you’ve done something great.
“My outfits slay everyday”‘
It has nothing to do with sex
Slaying means both this thing and the thing below. We use it mostly in this context….and to refer to how we demolished yummy foods….eg. “I slayed that poutine last night after the bar”
I thought Slaying meant “On Point” too! Like, “she slated those heels!” Whoops!
I’m a 40-something mom if 3 and LOOOVE using “totes” (totally) and “jelly” (jealous), “I’m totes jelly of that bag!” Is already out dated but close enough to still drive them nuts when I say it. Of course when I use “sweet” or “Rad” they look at me like I have snakes crawling from my eyeballs.
Oops.. I also thought it meant on point!
Lol that is not what slay means
It means when someone is doing something perfect or wearing something perfect
For example,” Yes girl! Slay those heels!” or “You are slaying that leather jacket.”
Remember when OTP meant “other people’s p¥$$y”?
Doh! Ok after I wrote that it dawned on me that’s “OPP”. Well Duh me!
THAT WAS ‘OPP’, NOT ‘OTP’
Opp?
‘Ship is “relationship” used as a verb.
“I (relation)’ship them”
ie [I would pair/put them in a relationship]
That’s OPP
That was OPP
Sorry but that’s OPP. My oldest boys father use 2 love the song & had a hat. That was in “91”
It just hit me that girls that lived in the valley always used the word “like”after & b4 every word. On point, thot & f- boys – I hav been saying that myself 4 yrs & I’m 43. Now that ship, goals, OTP, salty & fleek. I thought when I was growing up in the 80’s that a lot of the words we would come up wit were crazy but now Idk. Is that even English.
This list makes me want to throw the book at people. And that book would be the SAT vocab book. And maybe I’ll add a real dictionary for good measure. Goals? Seriously?
F-boys is an interesting one, cause when I was in high,school, kids used to call them “prison bitches.” As in, the guys who did it were primarily low-class thuggish types likely destined to be jailbirds who would keep up that fashion statement after being arrested… to keep their pants loose for easy access by men higher up the food chain. So perhaps some part of that definition has remained even after 20 years. I just can’t believe that in spite of that the low-rider dress has continued, especially when cooler ones like Jncos fell by the wayside.
I miss my pipe-leg pants.
That’s funny you called them “prison bitches” because the pants-down-to-there look was supposed to originate from (and reflect) prison attire…aka you can’t have a belt, so your pants hang low.
Nobody wants to fuck you! Ever. Hoodrat!
I ran all of these by my daughter (who became a TEENAGER a week ago) and guess what? Not only did she know them all, but she asked me to let you know that OTP is short for ONE TRUE PAIRING (not one TIME) – so there… 🙂
THOT = That hoe over there…basically a new version of slut
Also, why the need for another affirmative, specifically “Yassss!” or “Yussss!” depending on the writer — but both said with equal amounts of gusto — where a simple and resounding “Yes!” would suffice? And I’m so with you on the “like, like, like…”. Like, knock it off!
[No idea why this page is glitching completely on me and yet others are able to read it. Weird. I see a blank space under the photo of the girls. Argh, tech.]
Sorry about that Liz, it might be that one of the ads was hanging and holding up the rest of the page load. Try refreshing?
Thanks! Refreshing didn’t do it last time but revisiting this time seemed to do the trick. My teen son doesn’t come out with any of these things! I’ll have to drill for what the boys say, though I expect it’s X-Rated and he will refuse to tell me. Oh well, Google will tell me, haha! 🙂
My 19 & 15 year old girls say that you don’t
don’t say something “is goals”. They say if you like something, like someone’s hair, you just say “hair goals”.
Also that “on fleek” is not limited to eye brows, it is pretty much the same as “on point”
OTP = One true pairing
THOT = Slut
“Slayin” basically means you look amazing.
You also say “Same” when you agree with someone or something.
My oldest also loved the comment about how instead of f-boys, it used to be prison bitches….lol…she wants to bring that back!
Personally, I can’t keep up with it, but I enjoy reading this, because I hear my girl’s use several of these….so funny!
I think some of these things can be quite regional too, so there might be differences in that as well. I know in my day “fuck boys” meant your trophy list.
OTP is one TRUE pairing. Not a one time pairing.
Ooops. I am an 80’s chick… so I was all about the One Time Pairing and may have put OTP through my own ancient filter. 🙂
I LOL when I read this! LOVE.
So on point–I know I am not referring to clothing here, but I’m a rebel like that. Plus I now exaggerate my un-coolness, which my kids think is funny. Funny is cool so it’s all good. Circle of life, people, circle of life.
Thanks for posting this. I’m now armed and ready to eavesdrop of the next of my daughter’s conversations–bitchin!
Lol this comment. Let me help you hon…. firstly, using “lol” in a sentence is very 2005 lol.
Second, on point isn’t just clothing it refers to anything that is well done or very true. “That movie was on point.” “This article was on point” “her outfit is on point” “the party theme was on point” if you can use the term “Nicley done” in the sentence, “on point” will work as a replacement .
Thirdly “bitchin” is to be left in the 70s .
?? Funny is cool!!! And it gets cooler the older the kids get, they will learn to appreciate a parent with a good sense of humor the older they get. So keep it up 🙂
Lol this comment. Let me help you hon…. firstly, using “lol” in a sentence is very 2005 lol.
Second, on point isn’t just clothing it refers to anything that is well done or very true. “That movie was on point.” “This article was on point” “her outfit is on point” “the party theme was on point” if you can use the term “Nicley done” in the sentence, “on point” will work as a replacement .
Thirdly “bitchin” is to be left in the 70s .
?? Funny is cool!!! And it gets cooler the older the kids get, they will learn to appreciate a parent with a good sense of humor the older they get. So keep it up 🙂
You are bitchin for sayin bitchin! I LOVE THAT!
I have a 14 year old boy and I’ve fallen victim more than once to whispered snickers. I definitely have heard f-boy and “my jam.” I’ll have to ask my kiddo about the other ones. Bet he will be curious where I picked up these new (new for me) words. Hahaha! Thanks for the vocab lesson! Very helpful!
Slang is generally a bit wittier and cleverer than Standard American English. Slang is everywhere he says—and youth slang, in particular, exerts enormous power.
Wait… no one says “word” anymore? What about “psyche?” Oh, man. I’m in trouble.
Every mom should knw the meaning of “Netflix and chill.” when we were kids we were necking or making out.
We Called it scamming!
Thirsty=desperate
“That girl is thirsty. She’s all over that guy.”
The rest of these are fairly easy to follow. We used to have “slore”– combo of slut and whore. Now that’s imagination.
havent heard of goals yet… knew most of the rest. my daughter uses lurking for Internet stalking and one new one to me crossfaded-getting drunk and stoned at the same time. idk apparently it should be looked out for if your worried about that sort of thing….
or want to know if your child is hanging out with the wrong crowd
Lurking is an old internet word. It meant joining a chatroom or forum and not saying anything, just listening and lurking.
I guess I’ve been lurking and laughing
I have a younger teenage sister she likes using “live”, so instead of using today or now, it’s live. And one that annoys me is”perf”. It’s like short for perfect…Radical lol my daughter’s are not yet teenagers. One is a tween.
This was so funny! Enjoyed reading…I wouldn’t be caught dead using there phrases! “Fleek”, is probably the most annoyinan followed by “fboy”. How degrading it is to the person letting the words come out their mouths! It makes people sound like they have no education!
their
I’m 37 and I have three 14 year olds but I already know all these slang words and use them correctly with them. I knew the slang before they knew some of them. Am I the only one that already knew these terms and how they are used properly in convo? I think we have to keep up or they think they are getting over on you. Not on my watch 😉
You have 14 year old triplets?
Most of the slang on this list is already outdated and on its way out. Just sayin’
By the time it’s on most parents radars, they know it and moved on to something else.
When my daughter makes fun of my old words and she reveals the new ones, we laugh and bond over those moment so keeping up on something’s ofcours are important, but personally really most of it is just pure comedy…LMAO!!!….Now can someone please tell me what the new word for “kick it” or “chill” ?….cuz when I say that “she says “mom,don’t ever say that again,” while laughing historically!
One small thing, OTP means Only True Pair, saying that they are the most important couple ever. This is coming from a 14 year old boy 😉
OTP means on the phone
Who want to get OTP
Slay means perfect and goals still mean something to aspire to.
Sorry not slay, fleek means perfect or flawless not good
I wonder if “fleek” is a mix of flawless + sheek (chic) ?
Huh… that makes good sense.
I wouldn’t allow any of these terms to be used in my home. Completely inappropriate and attitudes that we need to make sure we don’t perpetuate in society.
Verbal corrections in my home and office…any parent or boss that does allow this type of nonsense is questionable as a leader.
Do you actually have teen aged children? Because if you do, you would know that they speak one way with you, and another entirely with their friends. They are testing their boundaries but over time, they will use more adult language in school and the workplace as they mature. It is just a phase.
calm down stalin, it’s just words. you sound like you’re fun at parties.
‘Ship is short for relationship
Another slang word is “solid” it means favor
As in “do me a solid and get me a frap”
You just made my morning.
I’m 25 so on my way out of this phase! Ah!
So a few of these I know and use, a few I’ve heard and had no idea what they meant and a few I’ve never even heard of! Lol.
Here’s a few more of the current super popular slang…. “LEGIT” “LIT” “100” and “PLUG” (PLUG one you will hopefully NEVER hear your kids saying… I explain it at the bottom).
Legit- ‘cool’ is equal to ‘legit’……. “that dinner was legit” “her outfit is legit” “that joke was legit” “your project was legit” “that party was legit”
Or it is used kind of similar to ‘extreme/extremely’ “that party was legit fun” “your outfit is legit on point”(see what i did there 😉 two slang in one! Lol “this article is legit funny” “her attitude was legit bad” “the food is legit good”
“Lit” meaning cool . It can be used as cool or good. “The party was lit” “that class was lit” “her idea is pretty lit” “tonight will be lit” “her outfit is lit”
“100” (one hundred) meaning 100 percent. Used often as “keepin’ it 100” means keeping it 100% honest. Often used in relationships, “I’ll keep it 100 with you” or used like after saying something they will just say 100 at the end f the sentence to prove that they really mean what they are saying. “I like you, 100” “this movie sucks, 100” “that party was fun , 100″ … often pronounced ‘one hunded”
Another one you parents of teens should know is “PLUG” …. hopefully that is one you will never hear your kids say but it is referring to a drug dealer. If they call their plug, or go to see their plug, it is referring to a dealer of some kind…
Enjoy shocking your teens with your pop culture knowledge! 😉
You have done all of us a great service.
And if I hear the word plug from my kids, I will rain hell down from the sky. Thanks for the tip.
Whew.
I thought fleek was an edgy dating site.
My 16yo daughter says a fuckboy is male slut. Or at least a male who is only interested in getting into your pants.
I suspect this expression refers to a host of problematic behaviours in teen boys. Interchangeable with Douchebag apparently.
As a teen, myself f**kboys means a guy who goes out with one girl after another and flirts with multiple girls.
Bro changed from when i was younger. I was visiting some of my younger brothers friends at WMU and they used it to describe the “preppy/pretty frat boys” the times i heard it used they acted like they thought they were better then others. There were some new ones one here i did not know about! I dont have teens yet… Thank goodness not ready for that challenge… But interesting how quickly things change!! Agree with saying “like” it is very annoying!!
DM. Direct message. “It’s going down in the DM” is a private mailbox within apps (usually Instagram). Parents might wanna check there every now and then.
Fboy is also the popular haircut attributed to that style look. Heard hairstylist admit it’s a modern comb over. Haha!! Jokes on you you boys.
I remember OTP also being on the prowl (looking to hook up).
I’ve heard a few of these. My son and his friends call themselves a squad, or crew. Often, when they see something they want to do together, they’ll say “squad goals”.
Groovy
Throwing Shade means to be rude
I have to say that douche canoe is my Fav lol!!
OK, I’m a kid and a laughed my ass of reading this, you guys need to stop, for real, if my parents started talking to me and my friends like this, I would wanna run away
I am 30 and not a father yet and so far I am convinced that when I have kids their slang terms are going to make me want to spew. Even my own generation’s grammar makes me want to vomit.
What about lit? My daughter uses that word a lot. She explains that it means something exciting and fun – as in “that party was lit” But I think it could be a regional thing.
Urban dictionary! It’s my go to
Wheeling- like courting back in our days but not dating officially yet.
Ferda- for the boys/ girls
Goat ?- greatest of all time
Sick- means awesome or cool
Tight – means awesome or cool
Lit- means awesome, cool “that night was lit”
Yo mom I completely respect what you’re trying to do and you’re kind of right and some aspects of it but can I just be honest I’m a 28 year old male kind of up to the lingo kind of you some of the lingo old school and new age and my mother worked with kids in the school system and so she talks kind of old school in New Age if you’re dealing with teenage girls you’re better off just to be the old corny mom and just say groovy and douche canoe and all the other really cool phrases that you had back in the days when you try to use the stupid lingo that the kids are using nowadays it just makes you look even cornier and yes they still say corny. But I love and respect that you’re trying and keep it up signed young lonely and Unionville
Thanks for reading and commenting. I agree with what you are saying, totally. What I have been doing is actually storing these expressions in my head and not using them. Then, every once in a while I will surprise my teen and her friends by knowing what they are saying. I even dabbed in front of her friends the other day. They were in hysterics over it. They know I am old, but not unaware. It is a good balance.
Also, I am sorry you are lonely…. truly.
As usual you’re forgetting that you might be told one thing to keep the real meaning hidden. Case in point, fuckboy. A fuckboy is the boy who gets fucked over all the time. He’s the one you take advantage of for sport. Context is important because girls may say fuckboy as in he’s only good to use for a fuck. The common meaning is the boy is only good to use and toss aside. Thirsty means desperate and only used as a derogatory sexual reference. Dead ass means serious. You’ll be happy to know WORD is back.
Thus idiocracy begins
Why in the world would any of you want to be acceptable to teenagers?
Shit My Kids called me a thot and my boyfriend tiny pint i found out thot means hoe and tiny pint is tiny dick Damb Kids smh
MY children called me a thot
“Sick” goes down like a cup of cold sick! I hate when they (kids) use this one. The only meaning it will ever really have for the entire human race (in my humble old girl fricken opinion) is negative. Take it from mom’s who’ve cleaned up other people’s “sick”. Just because terms such as “wicked” worked fine to say something was good/positive, sick is . . . Just off (point) or colour or off like food that goes off. And when people my age use “sick” I am kind of. . sickened. . Cos it reeks of some one trying just a wee bit too hard.
I’d like a correction to the sight. I am a teen and I use some of these. But OTP does not mean one time pairing ? It actually means one true pair. Meaning that someone and their boyfriend/girlfriend is the perfect couple. (OTP)
Thanks Payton, I suspect there are regional differences, but I have certainly heard both.
Thank you for reading. If you have any other good ones, lay them on us!
Omg!! I absolutely had fun reading this and the hilarious comments!!!!!! Still LOL-ing by the way!!!
OTP is actually One True Pairing. It has nothing to do with sex (well as little as relationships do lol) and everything to do with thinking that people/characters are soulmates. It’s like shipping…but deeper. And shipping and OTP are both generally used about fictional characters in tv shows, movies, or books.
Shipping actually goes back a lot further than this generation. I don’t remember exactly what the story behind it is but one of my English professors in 2010 told us about the history of shipping…it’s been around a while it has just become more prevalent because the use of the internet allows groups of people to get together with other people who ship the same characters and it becomes a fandom.
What’s funny is “THEY” think phrases like salty or my jam or slaying are “SO NOW”… but they’re actually old sayings. I was in a predominately black company in the 90’s and the OLDER folks in the company were using, salty and my jam. Slaying I always heard from the rocker dudes, heh heh.
And THAT’S what slays me; they think they’re so on point but “they” only steal slang that’s already vintage!
thank you so much!! My sons gf listened to one of our conversations and then later told him “my mom just called and we literally talked 7 seconds- you and Lori are goals” I was completely lost!! lol
What on earth does “my child” mean? And why does it come across like a person crushing on an older than child person? Disturbing much?
I’m 46 (almost 47 yah me – I’m almost there) and our 13 year old daughter – wow, she said I had a bangin’ ass – and that girls work hard to get such a big butt – I used to be 110# and now am full pregnancy weight, with no pregnancy – and now, seriously, my ass is bangin! I felt so utterly cool, on point, fleek, wtf? oh well, the worse is THOT – and because we are so freakin’ politically correct, the things they say are awful! “I bet your mom rapes you” is my alltime hated – and whore, spelt hore since some have mom and dad’s that have language blocks – I hated middle school the first time – I despise it this time
“Thot” is not ok, but “fuckboy” is ok. More sexist feminist double standards.
Wow, dis mom don’t know shiet.
salty is not the same as grouchy and the def’s for thot and fuckboy are inaccurate, plus this list is far from complete.
source a recently not teenager, but still at least somewhat hip.
also grils
Well, thank you for that. I put it through my old people translation machine so I could read what grils means.
Back in my day it was spelled “grills” and meant some good meat was a cookin’.
Thanks for reading.
my kids said get woke even before #metoo or Parkland shooting but now it makes sense.
nice post really liked it
Check more at funny mothers day quotes and jokes
thanks for sharing
This isn’t even close.
So enlighten us.
OTP means “over the pants”
as in:
“Dude does that chick let you feel her up?”
“Pretty much”
“Does she let you slide your hand in her pants?”
“No, it’s been OTP so far, but next time I’m going for it.”
This. Is. Hysterical. !!! Love it!
One more word I had to look up…turnt…one of my daughter’s friends referred to me as that once. Good thing? Still not sure
I told my daughter (13) she was “fleek” today and I got an audible eye roll, a snicker and a clear “No, mom, just no.” So I think fleek is either 1) No longer in use or 2) No one over the age of 22 is allowed to use it. Thanks for the cheat sheet.
I think this post needs updating as a whole new vocabulary springs up all the time. Likely however your daughter probably doesn’t want you speaking her special words. Stay tough Mama… they will someday realize you made an effort to connect.
These are corner asf, white people..
Not literally speaking, what does it mean when a teen says that someone has six toes?
This post is old, now, I guess, but I stumbled across it. Thought I’d correct:
OTP doesn’t mean “one time pairing.” To my knowledge, it never did. It means “one true pairing,” and refers to two people that you think belong together forever. It’s used by fans to declare the couple they feel most strongly about on a TV show, in a book, or in a movie, and that trickled over IRL. The meaning between those two things (“one time” vs. “one true”) is pretty important.
Thanks for the list, though!
This is boomer AF
What does “being a leather hoe” mean?