11 Slang Phrases Gen X Is Sick Of Hearing Gen Z Say
Gen Z slang is really out there for us older folks.
CREATISTA / Shutterstock Ladies and gentlemen, it has come to my attention that I speak like a Gen Z adult despite being a millennial. Part of this is due to the fact that my marriage has a major age gap of roughly 10 years. The other part of this is because I deal with a lot of Gen Z people in my day-to-day life.
Sometimes, I can tell the slang I pick up from my friends and partner drives older Gen Xers up the wall. These phrases, in particular, drive them downright batty.
These are 11 slang phrases Gen X is sick of hearing Gen Z say
1. ‘Rizzed up’
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This is both a Gen Z thing and a Gen Alpha thing. The official definition means to be able to display a show of charisma to a romantic partner or a potential date. It’s the way to show off your gift of gab.
It also happens to be one of the most annoying phrases teachers hear on a regular basis.
2. ‘No cap’
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This is one I say almost daily, and it has actually been in existence since the 1990s. To cap means to lie, which means that if someone responds to something you've said with "Cap," it means they think you’re lying.
Gen Zers might proactively follow up an assertion with, "No cap," in order to stress just how true what they're saying is. Gen Xers and older groups might roll their eyes hearing this, simply because it seems to be everywhere.
3. ‘Major W / Major L’
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To be fair, the “W” and “L” slang have been around for about 10 or so years at least. If you’re unsure what this means, it’s simple. It’s gamer slang for “major win” or “major loss,” and it’s even managed to find its way into boardrooms.
If you’re Gen X, you might’ve heard this phrase's predecessor: “Take an L.”
4. ‘E-boy/E-girl’
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This is not slang, per se, but more or less a style of dress that online models wear. It’s similar to being a goth or an emo, at least stylistically. The only difference is that they are usually only caught wearing this clothing online.
E-kids, as the gender-neutral term is dubbed, are more or less just online personas they put on in order to get people to pay for their subscriptions or fan gear. Maybe that’s why a lot of Gen X people I know get annoyed by them?
5. ‘Salty’
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This is another local slang term I’ve heard since the early 2000s in New York that became a national Gen Z slang term as I got older. It means that you’re a bit hissy and upset over something, usually about being rejected or being otherwise left out.
Older generations might have heard this word often, too, considering that the term originated in the 19th century! So maybe it’s annoying because it’s such an old term?
6. ‘High-key’
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By now, most people know that “low-key” means that you’re doing something in a subtle, perhaps even hidden way. If you’re “high-key” doing something, it means you’re doing it in a bluntly obvious way.
Gen X and Boomer folks sometimes find the use of low-key to be a bit redundant. But high-key? We’re all here for it.
7. ‘Drip’
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Maybe it’s just the old codger in me talking, but the whole term ‘drip’ gets to me too.
Drip is the new swag, if you get my drift. It’s the Gen Z way of saying that you’re wearing some stylish, perhaps a little overpriced, gear.
Bleh.
8. ‘Hinky’
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This is a fairly recent addition to the college student lexicon, from what I can tell, but it definitely makes sense. Gen X and millennials like me might not like it because it makes us feel old, but the term hinky also just makes sense.
It sounds like what it means: something a bit off, a bit weird, a bit… hinky.
9. ‘Sus’
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Assuming you’ve not been living under a rock, you likely have heard someone under the age of 30 say the word “sus.” This is short for suspicious, and it got its steam from the game Among Us about five-ish years ago.
However, this is another word that has a longer history than most might think. It’s been around since the 1920s, possibly earlier.
10. ‘Bussin’’
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I first heard this from a friend of my husband’s, after I made a meal for us. I asked him how he liked it. He replied that it was “Bussin’,” which made me worried that it was bad.
It actually is short for “bustin’ with flavor,” and it’s a big compliment. So, if you’re lame like me and haven’t heard this before, don’t panic. It’s a sign you’re a great chef!
11. ‘Vibe Check’
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Believe it or not, the phrase “vibe check” started to take off during the pandemic. It’s been around ever since. Though there are some weirdly aggressive takes on vibe checks out there, the actual meaning is very benevolent.
To “vibe check” someone is to actually ask how they are feeling and if they’re doing okay. Someone who is moody and irritable didn’t “pass the vibe check,” which might be why some folks get grouchy when they’re vibe checked on a regular basis.
Ossiana Tepfenhart is a writer whose work has been featured in Yahoo, BRIDES, Your Daily Dish, Newtheory Magazine, and others.
