As a Baby Boomer, I have difficulty keeping up with the Gen-Zer’s constantly changing language. Since this group played computer games once they emerged from the nursery, many of their words and phrases are steeped in gaming and modern American culture. The author posits that this is all the ‘revenge of the nerds.’ The author explains that his book is a stab at catching the changing lingo at one point in time. However, their lingo is constantly changing.
This short book shows the origins of some of the catchphrases and then explains many words that ‘people of a certain age’ don’t know. The next section discusses the ever-evolving world of memes. Many of the memes originate on Reddit. Part of the reason for this is that Reddit has 450 million active monthly users. Look at the subreddits, such as r/dankmemes (dank refers to something cool). (I’m marking the important Gen-Z phrases in dark and bold letters for easy reading.)
However, you are reading this to learn the ‘in’ phrases and their meaning. The author recommends going to Reddit and scanning the memes because Gen-Zers use their phrases and by reading them over time, you will become adept at understanding. Lest you think that gaming is a passing fad, by 2025, this industry will rake in $256.97 billion!
I’ve chosen some less salacious items in the author’s dictionary. Some of them make me wonder about the future of our culture and morals (but that’s another story and I’ve left those out). Later in this listing, some names have become part of their lexicon (in a derogatory way).
Basic – anything mainstream. “So who’s her fave singer? Jason Timberlake. Man, that’s basic.”
Based – true to themselves, they don’t care what is popular. “She’s crazy based. She’s voted for Democrats for years but now wears a MAGA hat.”
Bop – refers to a good song with a nice beat. “Eminem’s latest album is a bop.”
Cap – a lie, a blatant one. Often matched with no. “I just played the first round of my new game and no cap; the game is trash.”
Drip – denotes coolness and a great sense of style. “Her dress was drip. She’s a fashion icon.”
Karen – someone cranky, entitled, demands to speak to the manager over some small issue. “Did you see how she acted? She’s such a Karen.”
Chad – pure alpha male. “Did you see him strut into the theatre? He’s such a Chad.”
Other names are used ironically or in a derogatory manner, including Jan (constant liar), Harold (too old or too stupid to understand some significant point), and Simon (annoying person who does something embarrassing in public). Kyle is another internet archetype. He’s annoying, under-educated, with no future plan.
Catfishing/Woke Fishing – pretending to be something you’re not online. “Basically, being a hypocrite online to get laid.” Woke Fishing is spouting woke thoughts and beliefs when you don’t.
Emergency call – going on a risky date? Call one of your friends to call with an emergency so you can escape a terrible date.
Haunting – after breaking up, one party starts stalking the other’s social media, leaving a trail of likes.
This is a small sampling of the Gen-Z lexicon from this author. I found the book on Amazon. It is available as a Kindle, Audio, or paperback.
