These days, you’re not young and hip if you’re not using words and phrases like “lit” and “savage.” Teenagers have basically made their own language comprised of words used in rap songs and phrases used in Instagram captions, and because I am old person goals AF, I sometimes try to speak in this language too.
Teenager language is nothing new. Young people are always speaking in trendy code, phasing things out as soon as parents and journalists start using them (example: Netflix and chill), which ultimately leads to newer words and phrases… forcing the cycle to go on and on. Think back to when you were a teenager. You used words your parents didn’t understand, and now you look back on those weird words and phrases and think one of two things: “what was I thinking” or “hey, I still say that.”
Here are 24 words and phrases every teenager used between the years of 2002 and 2006. Maybe it’s just me, but today’s teen lingo is way cooler than ours was. Oh well.
1. Bling
Blinged out cell phones, bling-bling for jewelry, blinged out sweaters. We were all about that “bling” back then. Now, “bling bling” would be considered too much.
Today’s equivalent: Kim Kardashian’s stolen engagement ring
2. Dime
Made popular by the Ying Yang Twins was the phrase “I’m looking for a dime.”
Today’s equivalent: THOT (That Ho Over There) (this is my favorite one by far)
3. Crunk
Can you believe people actually used “crunk” seriously? You couldn’t just say drunk? Or fucked up? Or black out? The same thing goes for the word “turnt.” This can only be a word used in Insta captions and Snapchats, right? Can I bring crunk back on social media?
Today’s equivalent: Turnt
4. Tipsy
Again, another word to describe how drunk we were. For this one, we have J-Kwon to thank because everyone was – and still is – in the club getting tipsy. But also turnt. And also fucked up. And also, like, drunk.
5. Trashed
We had too many words for the meaning of fucked up.
6. That’s hot
Paris Hilton coined this phrase on her show “The Simple Life” where she paraded around like a fucking moron saying “that’s hot” to things she had an interest in. I actually miss this.
Today’s equivalent: Fire emoji
7. Word
Today’s equivalent: K
8. Biotch
Today’s equivalent: Friend
9. Boo
Usher’s “My Boo.” A classic. If only it was still cool to call your sig oth a “boo.”
Today’s equivalent: The ___ I’m hanging out with.
10. Owned
This word was probably the most annoying of them all, actually said and used by the most annoying people.
Today’s equivalent: The same annoying people probably still use this.
11. You got served
Almost as annoying as “owned.” Also a movie.
Today’s better equivalent of this: “Clap back,” a phrase that makes me think of Blac Chyna literally clapping and screaming in Rob Kardashian’s face.
12. Aiight
This just makes me think of Kerry Washington’s character in “Save the Last Dance,” which makes me smile because lol. We not only typed this on AIM, but we said it out loud.
Today’s equivalent: K
13. Baller
Ballerrrrrrrrrrr. Today’s equivalent would maybe be goals?
14. Stoked
A cool word from the ’70s or something that we were STOKED to recycle.
Today’s equivalent: V excited?!?!??!?!
15. Peace out
I was a fan of saying peace out, which now just seems really annoying.
Today’s equivalent: Ghost and say nothing.
16. Bounce
Today’s equivalent: Leave
17. Dope
This was used to describe something cool, which confused our parents probably because they maybe thought we were talking about drugs.
Today’s equivalent: Lit
18. Dawg
Remember when you called your friends “dawgs?” Ugh. And then there was Randy Jackson who called everyone “dawg.”
Today’s equivalent: Plural “dawgs” would totally be fam
19. Poppin
A word used in many songs.
Today’s equivalent: Lit
20. Wassuppppp
AIM + budweiser commercial = people sounding like morons IRL
Today’s equivalent: What’s up, because no one is this annoying anymore.
21. Waz crackin’
Same as above, but worse
22. Da bomb
Want to upgrade this? Da bomb dot com.
Today’s equivalent: Maybe lit again. I HAVE NO IDEA I’M 28 YEARS OLD
23. Sucky
He is a sucky person.
Today’s equivalent: Maybe a “sus,” which means suspect AKA a “sketchy, sucky person,” and is actually used by people according to my 17-year-0ld brother who uses this phrase
24. Wangster
There is no equivalent of this today, TG.
