The Brief: In his latest video, YouTuber CoolCarll breaks down Generation Z lingo with the help of his "favorite spokesperson from the Gen Z kids" his cousin Brock.

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Sunday Cool Tees creates screen-printed t-shirts and the man behind the brand, YouTuber and influencer CoolCarll recently released a video breaking down Generation Z lingo.

In the video, Carll laments that older generations like Millennials and Baby Boomers can’t keep up with the Gen Zers who seem to have a new phrase or slang term every week.

He calls on his Gen Z cousin, Brock (also played by Carll) for “translations”, though in typical-Gen Z fashion, Brock can’t be bothered to look up from his phone other than to ask for the WiFi password.

Decoding Gen Z Slang

Gen Z: Suh

  • Translation: A casual greeting, similar to “Hello, how are you.” Most likely an abbreviated version of the word “sup?” or “wassup?”

Gen Z: Fam

  • Translation: “Friends,” not to be confused with…

Gen Z: Fam Jam

  • Translation: “Family,” as in those you are actually related to.

Gen Z: The fest was lit

  • Translation: The term “lit” means something crazy or exciting, so in this case, Brock means to say, “It was a fun event.”

Gen Z: Okurrrrrrrrr.

Gen Z: I’m finna dipset.

  • Translation: Previously, “I’m about to dip” or “dip out”, this phrase indicates that someone is about to leave.

Gen Z: Them kicks are drippin.

  • Translation: “Kicks” refers to shoes, while “drippin” is an allusion to “dripping in” wealth or diamonds. Altogether, the phrase means, “Those are some neat shoes.”

Gen Z: BET.

  • Translation: An abbreviated way of saying “better believe it” or “you can bet on it”. If someone were to ask for help, one might reply with “Bet”, as if to say, “I would be glad to help”.

Gen Z: Dudes took an L.

  • Translation: My favorite team lost. In this case, “L” represents a loss.

Gen Z: Dudes got clapped.

  • Translation: Much like the clapping emoji can be used for emphasis, “getting clapped” refers to emphatically getting destroyed or taken down. In this case, Brock means to say, “My favorite team lost very bad.”

Gen Z: He little mad. 

  • Translation: A shorthand version of “He is a little bit mad”, this phrase means, “He’s low key upset.”

Gen Z: He big mad.

  • Translation: Definitely more than “little”, this phrase is meant to convey that someone is high key upset. Similar to big mood, where in this case, the mood is mad/upset.

Gen Z: That’s a bop

  • Translation: “I like this music.” References the way you might “bop” your head when good music claps.

Gen Z: No cap

  • Translation: No cap is a synonym for TBH and signifies a moment of honesty. Someone might also say “no lie”.

Gen Z: Oof.

  • Translation: Rather than use words to express discomfort or apologize for something that happened to someone, “Oof” is a simple interjection, signaling discomfort.

Gen Z: Weird flex but okay.

  • Translation: A phrase often used to respond to something strange online, usually when someone is flexing, or showing off, this phrase means, “That’s an interesting statement.”

Gen Z: These apps are booty. 

  • Translation: When comparing food to “booty” is a less crude version of saying “this tastes like a**”. In this case, Brock is saying that he’s “not a fan of these appetizers”.

Gen Z: Facts.

  • Translation: This phrase indicates that someone “completely agrees” with a statement or is acknowledging something as factual.

Gen Z: Yee Yee!

  • Translation: An interjection expressing one’s agreement.

Gen Z: Yeet!

  • Translation: ??? “Yeet” is a multi-use slang term that essentially means everything and nothing, all at once – even Brock can’t define it. Brock uses the term to convey, “Wow, that’s exciting news!” as well as “Congratulations on your baby boy” and “Excuse me,” all of which have very different meanings. When asked to further explain what “yeet” is, his response is simply, “Yeet is yeet,” which only further exemplifies the generation gap between Gen Zers and their older counterparts.

The Truth is in the Comments

As of now, the video, “HOW TO SPEAK GEN Z”, has over 300K views and 2.5K comments. In many of the comments, YouTube users (ironically?) use some of the same Gen Z lingo to express their thoughts about Gen Z lingo and share which of the phrases they typically use in their lives.

In one comment from ComicConCarne, they admit to using “yeet” ironically, which seems to have become the norm amongst Gen Zers and Millennials today, who, much like Brock, can’t explain what the term actually means.

They even added an F, short for F in the Chat, which has again, become popular amongst younger generations, specifically those in the video game community.

Another user, Princess, called the video itself a “weird flex but okay”.

In several other comments, users shared additional lingo that they felt should’ve been included in the video, such as tea, throwing shade, and it me.

There’s also mention of how many of these terms have origins in African American Vernacular English (AAVE), or more commonly, Ebonics, yet they’re being used by non-black Gen Zers.

Regardless of where the words come from and what they actually mean, it’s clear that this video definitely hit home with Gen Zers, who have said as much in the comments.

And if nothing else, let this be a lesson that the past tense version of Yeet is indeed “Yoted”…