If you've not heard of the words 'rizz', 'vio' or 'cheugy' before, don't worry, you're not alone. With thanks to today's modern technology, people are able to create entire new slang phrases and expressions only certain demographics understand - especially when it comes to navigating the likes of worldwide popular social media app TikTok.
It would seem nowadays, calling someone or something ‘basic’ is a thing of the past - now things are ‘cheugy’, ‘sus’ or ‘salty’. Many parents say they often see their children arrive home from school or return from university with a whole new dictionary worth of words they've never heard of before, which can be pretty confusing.
However, to help people better understand the new generation of TikTok slang, global student housing brand and operator Yugo has created a cheat sheet, so parents don’t feel like they need to hire a Gen Z translator for their own kids. Below is a look at the latest 'on trend' slang words and what they mean.
Rizz
You may hear your child talking about ‘rizz’, and how much rizz somebody has. Although this sounds like some sort of cheesy cracker, rizz is actually short for charisma – and generally refers to how a person acts when they are trying to charm/seduce a partner.
For example, if you use a great chat up line at the bar and it works, you’ve got excellent rizz. If you struggle to talk to potential partners, you’ve got negative rizz.
Vio
Vio is short for violation, and is used when someone says something that is offensive to someone else. For example, if a person is taking the mick out of a friend, the mate may reply with something like: "Hey, shut up, that's a complete vio."
Beige flag
Most of us are familiar with the phrase red flags – serious traits in a person that make you want to avoid them or stop hanging out immediately. But have you heard of 'beige flags'? This trending new phrase depicts something mundane about a person that has the potential to put someone off.
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Cheugy
Prior to TikTok, people would to call those who are 'outdated' or 'stuck in the past' as 'grandma' or 'grandad' as a sarcastic light insult. But today’s generation has a different word entirely.
'Cheugy' is a word that Gen Z use to describe millennials when they are being particularly… millennially. Got a live, laugh, love sign in your home? Cheugy. Wear skinny jeans on a daily basis? Cheugy.
It’s the ___ for me
You might have heard your child watching TV and exclaiming 'it’s the ___ for me', with the blank referring to something that is happening in the scene. Well, they’re actually referring to something embarrassing or annoying that they can see in the scene.
If your child was arguing with you about not being allowed out one night, instead of the usual ‘I hate you mum’ spiel, they might say ‘it’s the lack of trust for me’. They are basically pointing out the exact reason they are annoyed in that moment, and slotting it into that perfectly poised sentence.
Go off/pop off
When your child is complimenting something, instead of saying ‘great job’ or ‘looks amazing’, they might say ‘pop off’. This essentially is a way of expressing excitement or positivity towards somebody else, in a complimentary way of course.
Alternatively, if your child hears someone putting in a great argument, or expressing an opinion they agree with, they may also say ‘pop off’ or ‘its popping off’.
We stan
A ‘stan’ is somebody who is a huge and enthusiastic fan of a certain TV show, film, band, individual or brand. It originated as a blend of the words ‘stalker’ and ‘fan’, meaning someone who was so obsessed with their passion that they would stalk people involved in it.
You can be a Game of Thrones stan, an Apple stan, a One Direction stan, a pizza stan – you can basically ‘stan’ anything. But, more recently the term has evolved to be less stalker, and more fan.
If your child sees someone in a restaurant wearing a cute outfit, they might say, ‘we stan’. If they saw a dog playing enthusiastically in the park, they might say ‘we stan’. They essentially mean that they are a fan of what they are looking at.
Salty
As explained by the language experts at Preply, describing something as salty doesn’t just refer to your food being over seasoned. The slang word ‘salty’ is often used on TikTok in relation to bitter behaviour.
If someone is being ‘salty’ they are probably upset about something of small significance. How to use the phrase: “They’re just salty because they lost a game of Fortnite.”
Sus
‘Sus’ is a slang word that is short for ‘suspicious’ or ‘suspect’, and gives the impression that someone or something is questionable or dishonest and shouldn’t be trusted.
