If you’re often left confused by what your teenager is saying, you’ve come to the right place. There’s not a week that goes by where Gen Alpha (and indeed, Gen Z) aren’t coming up with new phrases and coining words which rapidly spread across the internet, mainly TikTok , like wildfire. Last year saw the rise of six-seven , which somehow achieved global status as a nonsensical term kids shouted out at all opportunities – often if someone innocently mentioned those numbers in conversation. (A real-life nightmare for any poor teacher who told their kids to turn to page 67 in exercise books.) There have also been popular portmanteaus (like choppelganger ), brain rot-inspired phrases (remember Ballerina Cappuccina ?) and a whole lot of insults. Without further ado, here’s a quick rundown of all the things kids say nowadays, what they mean, and where they appear to have originated. We’ll keep updating the article as and when more phrases drop – so keep checking back to keep up with the latest lingo. Mid When Gen Alpha uses it, “mid” means mediocre or of disappointing quality. If you’re described as “mid” by a teenager then they’re basically saying you are... average. According to Merriam-Webster , “mid” serves to express that something falls short of expectations, or isn’t impressive. The dictionary notes that this slang term is thought to have come from a shortening of the term mid-grade, “a designation in cannabis culture of medium quality”. City boy “City boy, city boy” is the call of Gen Alpha currently, with TikTok creator and teacher Philip Lindsay noting kids in his class have been saying it. “It’s a meme from an old video clip that they’re just repeating,” explained the teacher, who is based in the US. The memes actually first did the rounds in 2022 and appear to be popular again – such is the bizarre nature of the internet. The City Boy meme originates from a clip from the animated series, Gravity Falls. In one early episode, from 2012, a police officer character named Deputy Durland makes fun of the main character who comes from the city and thinks he can solve a local crime. Cue, Durland and his colleague mocking him and shouting: “City boyyyy, city boyyyyy.” From a Gen Alpha perspective, Mr Lindsay suggested the phrase doesn’t really mean anything and kids are just shouting it out at all opportunities – a bit like six-seven. Unc This is short for “uncle”. And, per Merriam-Webster’s dictionary , it’s “often used humorously to indicate old age” and may imply “someone is old, getting old, or acting older than their age”. Unc status may also be awarded to someone who “exhibit[s] behaviours that are considered outdated or out of touch”. Lowkenuinely Lowkenuinely is a combination of ‘lowkey’ and ‘genuinely’, which describes expressing something sincere in a casual, laid-back way, according to experts at language platform Preply. Essentially, it is a TikTok-era way of saying something is real or heartfelt. So, an example might be: “I lowkenuinely love this song” or “I’m lowkenuinely not going to make it through this exam”. Washed According to linguistic expert Esteban Touma, from language learning platform Babbel , washed is a slang word used broadly across Gen Z, “referring to something that has declined in skill, popularity or relevance”. So basically, they use it to refer to something that’s past its prime and no longer en vogue. Chopped In Gen Z and Gen Alpha speak, it means “ugly”. In some cases, younger generations have been calling people, mainly girls, chuzz – a less-than-friendly portmanteau of “chopped” and “huzz”, which means “ugly hoes”. If your child’s been called chopped at school, here’s some advice on handling it. Some kids have also been using ‘chopped’ to describe anything they don’t like. (So basically, “that’s chopped” became the equivalent of “that sucks”.) Choppelganger Choppelganger is a portmanteau of ‘chopped’ (aka ugly), and ‘doppelganger’, which is a person who resembles someone else. So basically, it’s calling someone a less-attractive lookalike of someone else. Harsh. Clock it This one seems to have many meanings, but mostly young people seem to be using clock it as a sassy and subtle way to call someone out . They’ll often tap their middle finger to their thumb while saying it. Some people might even say, “I clocked that tea”, which is kind of like saying you’ve exposed or called out the truth. Parents.com noted that “clock it” has roots in drag and ballroom culture, “where ‘to clock’ someone meant to notice something about them that might not be immediately obvious, especially something they were trying to hide”. Chat This is an easy one to remember. According to Gabb’s guide to teen slang , chat is quite simply used “to refer to a group of people, like friends or people in their class”. It can also be used to describe a person, as Slate explains: “It’s both singular and plural. It’s both second and third person. Everybody, regardless of the size of the intended audience, is chat.” TikTok creator and teacher Philip Lindsay , who is known for his explainers on what kids are saying, shared in a video that “chat originates from the world that these kids are growing up in: Snapchats, group chats and, most importantly, live-streaming chats”. Aura (and aura farming) Aura is a term kids increasingly use to describe how cool or uncool something (usually a person) is. You can gain aura by doing something cool – but equally you can lose it by doing something uncool. Aura farming is the act of doing something to try and convince people you have aura. And it can be seen as pretty cringe , as The Guardian explains: “Where there is cool, there is also cringe. They are two sides of the same coin. And trying too hard to aura farm is not cool. “If someone from Gen Alpha or Z says you’re aura farming, pay attention to the tone. If it’s accusatory, they’re mocking you. If they’re laughing, they’re mocking you.” Crash out Initially, crash out – as defined by Urban Dictionary – described “going insane and/or doing something stupid”. But over time it’s evolved to become an all-encompassing term for “the unfiltered actions of a person who is angry, anxious, confused, stressed out, or experiencing mental health issues”, according to Vox. “It can describe a range of behaviour, from emotional outbursts to altercations to withdrawals. There are a lot of ways that ‘crashing out’ can look, but like obscenity, you know it when you see it.” As with a few slang terms currently being used by younger generations, multiple sources suggest “crash out” stems from African American Vernacular English (or AAVE). Ohio Despite it sounding pretty inoffensive, Merriam-Webster suggested Ohio – as in, the state in the United States – is used to describe something as “weird, awkward, cringeworthy, or otherwise undesirable or bad in some way”. The online dictionary said the term can also be used to mean boring or foolish. According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, it probably originates from a number of Ohio-related memes which have become popular in the 2020s. Huzz It’s worth pulling your kid up on using this – even if they mean no harm by saying it. Mr Lindsay said last year kids at school were using the words huzz (and bruzz, and gruzz). He explained: “Basically, huzz is a replacement for hoes.” The teacher added that “in it’s most innocent form – meaning it’s a kid that doesn’t really understand what they’re saying – it’s used to reference a group of girls or a group of women”. “But a lot of kids are aware of the true meaning of the word,” he noted. Glazing In TikTok video, Aaron Makelky, an AI teacher and consultant, asked one of his Gen Z students to explain glazing to him, to which the student replied it’s “basically overhyping someone or having a biased opinion towards another person”. The online dictionary Merriam-Webster explained further that the word glaze or glazing – aka showering someone or something with excessive praise – usually carries “a note of disapproval”. “The word is often used in online fandoms of sports, movies, anime, etc., to suggest not just that someone’s praise is over-the-top, but that it is unwarranted, and even annoying to the individual who does not like the person/thing being glazed,” according to the dictionary. Parade adds that : “Glaze is when you praise someone too much to the point of it being annoying or cringe.” Six-seven Perhaps the biggest trend of 2025 was when kids everywhere became obsessed with “ six-seven ” – to the point where some teachers banned kids from saying it in class. The saying seems to have originated from the drill rap Doot Doot (6 7) by Skrilla and was also associated with basketball player LaMelo Ball who is 6′7″. According to Parents: “Some say it means ‘so-so’, especially since kids often pair the phrase with an up-and-down hand motion. Others argue it refers to a person who is tall, some think it stands for a basketball term, and so on.” But Mr Lindsay said in an explainer video : “It’s actually meaningless. It means nothing.” Gurt In a video explainer on the word, Mr Lindsay said the meaning of gurt is “confusing”, as people seem to use it in two different ways. The first way refers to a joke where someone says “Yoghurt” and a character called Gurt replies: “Yo”. According to Know Your Meme (KYM) , this actually dates back to 2012, but took off last year thanks to videos on TikTok. Mr Lindsay said “in this scenario, the proper response to someone saying ‘gurt’ is ‘yo’ and vice versa, if somebody says ‘yo’ you say ‘gurt’”. So, it’s basically a greeting. The teacher explained that the term evolved over time and developed a different meaning, “to do something smart yet dangerous”. Tuff Tuff might be used by kids to describe someone who’s tough. But the general consensus on social media is it’s like a compliment – it can be used to describe something that’s really cool, awesome or even impressive. Although there are also some who might use it in a very different way, for example, saying “damn that’s tuff” in a similar vein to how you’d say “too bad” or “that’s unfortunate”. Ballerina Cappuccina Trending in 2025, kids were saying “Ballerina Cappuccina, mi mi mi mi” thanks to an AI-generated meme based on a character who has a human body and facial features, but a cappuccino head. Good boy Last year, a trend emerged among kids where they would ask someone to do them a favour and when that person did it for them, they’d respond: “good boy” (or “good girl”). According to Parents , the trend emerged on TikTok when someone asked a police officer for their badge number and name. When the officer provided the information, the person responded with “good boy” – and so a quietly hideous trend was born, which eventually seeped into children’s vocabulary. It’s used as a way to mock someone, so if your kid uses it with their friends (or even you), a therapist has shared some tips on how to talk to them about it. Sigma Sigma typically refers to a type of guy who is a lone wolf and doesn’t follow the pack – someone who is considered successful and cool, but on their own terms. Kids have been using it in a simpler way, however, to describe something as “cool” or “the best”. For example: “Those trainers are so sigma.” Bop Bop is being used as an offensive term to call someone else, usually girls or women, promiscuous. According to dictionary site Merriam-Webster , it’s thought to have originated from a rap song called Lala Bop. “In 2023 a trend spread on TikTok and other social media platforms, in which people would tag users, generally young women, with lala bop, in an implication that the person was sexually promiscuous, or overly immodest in the way that they presented themselves online,” the site explained. “Following the introduction of lala bop the word began to be used as simply bop, or as school bop (implying that the person had many sexual partners at a particular school).” The site added that the word is “considered harmful” and is typically an example of “cyberbullying”. Read more on what to do if your child is called a ‘bop’ here. Related... Most Teens Aren't Vaccinated Against 'MenB' – Charity Calls For Change Therapist Shares 5 Signs Your Teen Is Disconnected From You Not Enough Teens Read For Pleasure. Try These 6 Books To Entice Them