DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 17 January) – The small meeting room at The Ritz Hotel at Garden Oases here erupted in laughter as the crowd of the mostly-veteran MindaNews journalists got their baptism of fire on Generation Z (Gen Z) lingo over the weekend.
Of the 17 persons in the room, six are in their 60s, two in their 50s, and three each in their 40s, 30s and 20s.
Gen Z belongs to the demographic cohort born from 1997 to 2012, Millennials from 1981 to 1996, Gen X from 1965 to 1980, and Boomers from 1955 to 1964.
Newbie reporter Ian Carl Espinosa, 24, walked the older MindaNews journalists down the Gen Z language lane.
He looked at ease sharing some common Gen Z words, which is “basic” (read: no effort) in their language.
It was meant as an ice-breaker for that afternoon meeting, but it served its purpose very well.
The room would roar in laughter shortly after he was done.
Carolyn Arguillas, MindaNews special reports editor and head of archives and publications, was almost ROFL (Google it, dear readers!) when Rommel Rebollido handed her his phone. Both are senior citizens, or in their 60s.
Rebollido was applying what he just learned in a convo with his daughter Guia over Facebook Messenger.
Guia was shocked reading Gen Z words replying to her message, such as “slay,” “basic” and “FR.”
She wondered out loud: “Tatay sino nagahawak phone mo … (?)” (Father, who’s holding your phone … ?)
The room exploded in laughter.
Here’s the actual conversation between father and daughter, as posted by Rebollido on Facebook:
Upon arriving home, I, too, tried the Gen Z speak with my daughter Zaki, using the very same words that Rommel used with her daughter.
Zaki, who is an Information Technology graduating college student, typed back: “Jorge? Is that u?”
Jorge is her 11-year-old brother.
On Tuesday night, 16 January, it was Carol’s turn with a Gen Z word. She posted in her Facebook page her encounter, writing it this way:
“UNSA DAW?
Gen Z: slr tita. do u still need help po?
Me: unsay slr? (the slr i know is single-lens reflex camera)
GZ: sorry late reply po hehe
Me: ambotsalangawpilayidadsaokok
G2G!”
The Gen Z language, indeed, is hard to fathom for “tigolz” like many of us at MindaNews.
But it is worth knowing or speaking some of their language—if not to be one of them, to communicate or understand them even if we are not their age.
Here are some of the Gen Z words that Ian Carl shared to us, which he compiled from the Urban Dictionary. To the Gen X and Boomer generations, learn and “glow up”!
- Glow-up: transformation
- High-key: straight up, obviously
- Low-key: simply, simple, secret (e.g., low-key relationship is a secretive relationship)
- Sus: suspicious
- Boomer: older people who are “resistant to change”
- Bad vibe/s: Giving bad emotions and sensations (e.g., I’m not into you, you given me bad vibes)
- Good vibe/s: Giving positive emotions and sensations
- Vibe: can be defined as being at peace, being at the present, to relax (e.g. It’s a vibe listening to this music)
- Vibe can also be defined as a nostalgic atmosphere or situation (e.g., Being in this restaurant is a vibe)
- L: a loss, to lose, things don’t go as planned depending on the context
(Take this L – Take this Loss; If I get one more L – If things don’t go as planned) - Yeet: To discard something in a high velocity, to violently throw something
- No cap: Telling what you’ve said is true and authentic, that you are not lying (e.g., The food is delicious, no cap)
- Whole-ass snack: attractive
- Whole-ass: describing a level of extreme excitement, extreme confusion, or intensity. Could be a synonym for literally (e.g., I’m whole-ass anxious right now). With full effort (e.g., He is whole-assing that job; He is doing this job with full effort.)
- OTP: one true pairing
- Dogwater: Extremely bad or unskilled
- Cheugy: out-of-date, incompetent
- Cancel: to make someone or something irrelevant, to dismiss or reject
- Bet: another word for OKAY or I AGREE
- No bet: another word for NOT OKAY or I DISAGREE
- Chill Zdaddy: the greatest of all time (GOAT), the best of the best
- Drip: fashionable, trendy (Can be described as your outfit style is good-looking. e.g., Your drip is fire!)
- Fire: Very nice
- Slaps: amazing, impressive
- Stan: v. being a fan, albeit an obsessed fan, synonymous with slang words fangirling and fanboying. n. Your idol.
- Swag: a person who displays confidence to the point of being arrogant, overconfident or cocky
- Slay: a feminine term of appreciating someone, usually being told to women
- Simp: describing someone who shows excessive sympathy and attention toward another person, typically someone who does not reciprocate the same feelings, in pursuit of affection or a sexual relationship
- Ghosted: being left without prior notice
- Basic: No effort, sometimes being unimpressive or boring
- Chill: to being fine, to relax; a relaxed person
- Woke: those who seek to wipe out social injustice
- Shook/Shookt: To be incredibly shocked or shaken up
- Flex: to show off, to brag
- Lit: extremely exciting and enjoyable
- Tea: Chismis
- Spill the tea: Tell me the gossips
- Salty: being bitter, angry, agitated
- Thirsty: trying to get attention
- Thirst trap: a social media post intended to entice viewers sexually
(Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)
