20 Jun Decoding Millennial Speak

No idea what your teenagers or millennial colleagues are talking about? Don’t worry, it’s only history repeating itself – and language evolving (really).

Written by Daniela Cavalletti

3 min read

Bizarrely, it’s only about five minutes after I turned 37 – yet I have a the big five-oh birthday coming up this year.

Funny how that works.

A good handful of my friends also turn(ed) fifty this year – and being part flabbergasted, part horrified at the fact. They look around their home … and wonder where all those teenage and just-grown-up children came from.

Weren’t you only five-year-olds somewhere around yesterday, kids?!

The Upside of Not Understanding Your Teens

Alongside the confusion about how this all happened so damn quickly, another big confusion lurks: what on earth are those kids talking about?

Teen slang is rampant. And many an adult scratches their head at the lingo of their teen and millennial family members. Either with said confusion, in high amusement, or with irritation.

But whether you ever wanted to slaughter someone because for the umpteenth time they thought something was ‘totes amazeballs’ (or actually added it to their reputable dictionary), were told to chillax on said occasion, and then went a little salty over all that – you should actually be proud of your brood.

Teen slang is helping to evolve our language.

No, seriously.

Why Teen Slang is Totally Lit

Young adults having an informal language all their own is nothing new. They’ve been at it for yonks. The idea is simple: teen slang helps them form a tribe apart from the adults, by using a code the oldies don’t get.

I remember that at one time I thought exclaiming “Schädel!”at every opportunity was the best way to express something was impressive or exciting. ‘Schädel’, by the way is the German word for ‘skull’… exactly: what the?

Very surprisingly, it didn’t stick past my teen-generation …

But you should give your kids (and millennial staff or colleagues) a pat on the back for using their creativity to mould existing or create new, made-up words into a unique language. Some of their teen slang has already found its way into the English dictionaries. And more will: no matter how strange, annoying, amusing, inaccurate, etc. you might find those slang words right now.

Today’s Slang: Tomorrow’s Common Language

The words you might be chuckling or shaking your head about today may just become part of everyday English someday.

You wouldn’t raise an eyebrow hearing or using blended words like motel, workaholic, brunch, telethon, smog, biopic, etc. for example, right?

But many people were having kittens over the ‘trivialisation’ or ‘destruction’ of the English language when those words first became en vogue. They then snuck into common use, closely followed by inclusion in the various dictionaries, and some people thought the world had gone mad.

So, who knows: you might just use ‘tope’ as a synonym for ‘cool’ without batting an eyelid in the years to come.

Don’t Try This at Home, Dude

The latest incarnation of millennial and teen slang: it’s here to stay. At least until the next generation or cohort comes up with their own – because your kids’ and colleagues’ teen slang and millennial code is now an old hat (and they’re the oldies; hahaha!).

Teen slang is an evolving beast.

Just when you thought you’d caught up – bang! – you’re just making a fool of yourself trying to use the lingo. Don’t try that at home, … or anywhere else. Just don’t. Simply appreciate your young friends’ creativity (and chuckle into your hanky, if you must).

In the meantime …

If you want to understand your teens, bond with your millennial colleagues – or merely feel a little bit more trope – treat yourself to this very funny ‘Gucci’ video on millennial slang.

If that doesn’t give you the feels for teen slang, I don’t know what will.

You’re welcome.