A collation of our 2021 Grandkids slang
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Why hello there! A few of you have reached out to us asking for all the ‘grandkids’ slang we’ve taught you this year so you can use it during the holidays to freak the grandkids out a little (we love your work). We have compiled most of the terms we have shared with you so far below!
“Salty.” Oh no, it has nothing to do with the ingredient. That would be far too easy. The kids nowadays use it to describe someone who is upset about something or towards someone. Examples include, Grandson: “Hey grandpa, my girlfriend hasn’t texted me yet. I won’t text her first! ” Grandpa: “Hey, maybe she’s just busy, don’t be salty!” or Grandson: “Hey grandpa, my girlfriend broke up with me” Grandad: “Too bad. Are you salty?”
“SMH.” SMH is an acronym for “shaking my head.” It’s a term that’s typically used when you’re disappointed or embarrassed at something or someone to the point that you will shake your head in disbelief. Examples include: “So you’re telling me you’ve never watched The Godfather? SMH” or “Jim spent his whole pay check on lotto tickets, SMH.”
“Receipts.” These aren’t the financial records you check every month or the document marking a bill as paid. Nope, that would be far too normal. Receipts is another term for ‘evidence’. It’s usually given in the form of screenshots of text conversations and tweets. Examples include: “Hey Grandpa, let’s go and buy me that PlayStation 5 you told me you’ll give me as a gift.” “What? Did I say that?” “Yes, I took screenshots of our conversation, so I’ve got receipts!” or “Hey Grandma, I broke up with my boyfriend, I know he’s cheating on me, and I’ve got receipts.”
“Cancelled.” If someone does something the internet deems “problematic,” they get “cancelled”. Cancelling means to stop giving support to that person. People usually cancel a celebrity or other well-known figures by boycotting their work. Examples include: “Hey grandad, did you see how Prince Andrew handled his sexual abuse claims?” “Yes, he’s definitely cancelled!” or “Did you hear about what that radio jock Kyle Sandilands said about the Virgin Mary?” “Yeah, it’s rubbish. He will surely get cancelled.”
“GOAT” (yes, goat, you read that correctly). This acronym stands for ‘greatest of all time’. It is commonly used as a form of praise or to express admiration for one of your idols. Examples include: “Grandma and Grandpa, you’re the GOAT.”
“Low-key.” Low-key is an adjective used to describe something you’re doing on the down-low or secretly. It can also be used as an alternative to “sort of” or “kind of” in a sentence. Examples include: “Hey grandad, I low-key failed my maths exam, please don’t tell mum” or “I low-key want to eat this entire cake, but I’m monitoring my sugar levels”.
“Feels.” Feels are feelings but on another level. Think of your favourite song or movie. The one you have a lot of ‘feelings’ about because it just speaks to your soul. The one that makes you feel a lot of very strong, usually positive emotions. Examples include: “John Farnham’s song “You’re The Voice” gives me all the feels every time I listen to it” or “Hey grandpa, that video for the animal shelter hit me right in the feels, I want to adopt ten puppies now!”
“Netflix and chill.” Let’s just start off with disclosing that you should definitely not use this one with the grandkids, however in saying that, we have recently learnt that you can indeed “Netflix and chill” with friends (maybe let the grandkids confirm this one). Anywho, apparently “Netflix and chill” is a euphemism for inviting someone, usually a significant other, to be intimate with you. It’s a polite way of saying, “let’s put on this movie we have no intention of watching and then fool around on the couch”. Examples include: “Hi honey, do you want to Netflix and chill?”
“Cheugy” (pronounced chew-gee). Cheugy is an adjective used to describe something that is ‘uncool’ or ‘out of fashion’, similar to ‘daggy’. It is most commonly used to describe clothing that has gone out of style. For example, “Wow Grandma check out my ripped jeans” “Those are so cheugy!” or “I’m worried my jacket is a bit cheugy”.
“Gucci.” Yes, you heard that right, it’s the name of a luxury Italian fashion label, but the younger generation has made it synonymous with “good.” It’s a funny way to express that ‘everything is good’ by referencing a wealthy lifestyle. You can use it to ask a person how they are going; examples include: “Hey grandson, what’s gucci?” It can also reflect a feeling, “I’m gucci grandpa, how about you?” or it can be used as an adjective for something you love, “thanks for making these pancakes honey, they’re so gucci!”
"No cap." This is used as an emphasis when assuring someone, something you’re saying isn’t a lie or hyperbole. Think of it as a synonym for the word ‘seriously’. The phrase originated from decorative gold teeth, divided into two varieties: permanent gold teeth (perms) or caps (pullouts). So when you say no cap, you’re telling the truth, not faking or joking. Examples include: “This meat pie is so good, no cap” or “You look beautiful today darling, no cap”.
“Lit.” Lit has been used as slang for over a century, but it was originally used to describe drunken behaviour. Now, “lit” has taken on a new meaning describing any situation, event, or party that is “really good”, “exciting”, or “excellent.” Examples include: “Hey Grandma, how was dinner at the club last night?” “OMG grandson, it was lit!” or “Finally, it’s the weekend! Let’s get lit!”
“Slay.” While Merriam-Webster defines it as “to kill violently,” the slang term became popular in the ’80s and ’90s ‘ballroom’ culture, where it was used to compliment someone’s outfit or demeanour and guess what? The grandkids have bought it back. “Slay” means to do something well. Examples include: “You got a promotion?” “You slay!” or “I love Seniors Discount Club newsletters, their writers slay!”
“Ghosted.” What is ‘ghosted’ you may be wondering? Well, assume you went on a date with someone you met on the internet. You were hoping for a second date because you thought things were going well, but, they never got back to you. Sadly, that means you’ve been ‘ghosted.’ This term emerged from the online dating landscape and refers to a situation in which a romantic partner suddenly does not return your calls, so you go back to being strangers. Examples include “I was seeing this man, I thought things were going well until he ghosted me” or “I hate that girl, she ghosted my grandson.”
"Iconic." This is used as a way to express that something or someone is 'the best'. You can use it in sentences like “that outfit is iconic” or “Natalie Wood is iconic”.
"Tea.” This term is frequently used by the younger generation not to drink their favourite tea, but to exchange hot gossip. You can give tea, spill tea, or get tea. Examples include “Ladies, I’ve got tea for all of you” or “All right, spill the tea, what happened between you and Samantha?”
We can’t wait to share even more grandkids ‘slang’ with you in 2022!
We hope you find this ‘gucci’!
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