Rashida
Slang is a word with a different cultural meaning than the actual definition, and it is an important part of language and society. While it’s ever-changing, some slang terms hit the jackpot and end up becoming “idioms” or common expressions with their owning meanings that may eventually make it into the traditional dictionary (prime example, ain’t).
While 2020 has “hit differently” compared to many other years, one thing has remained the same: the explosion of slang. As we wrap up the year, it’s time to take in some of the top slang words of 2020.
I’ve spent the entire year heavily researching this topic, no cap, to bring you the best content. That’s right, hours poured over TikTok and YouTube, endless conversations with my trendy 14-year old sisters (who I reference in every Gen Z related article for obvious reasons), just to find out which slang terms you need to know.
So here are the top 10 slang terms of 2020, what they mean, where they came from, and how to use them.
Ok, Boomer
OK Boomer is a viral piece of internet slang used to put a halt to closed-minded or unpopular opinions associated with older adults. “Boomer” has a negative connotation when referring to people born from 1946-65, but the phrase is likely also used in relation to Gen X. “Okay, boomer” is a dismissive, humorous way to retort to older adults who have said something condescending or that totally missed the mark.
Example
Older adult: Kids nowadays don’t know the value of hard work. Maybe if they put these screens down they’d be able to do something productive in life.
Response: Ok, boomer.
Shook
If you’re shook, you are shocked. Something unexpected happened and you just can’t believe it.
This one has old origins, as it’s connected to Old English. Back in the 1800s, shook was used to figuratively mean moved or upset in some way. Hip Hop stars in the 1990s popularized the term, including it in songs to refer to an uncontrolled emotion. In 2020, it’s been pretty clearly used to mean “surprised.”
Example
“Dig you know that frogs absorb water through their skin instead of drinking it?”
“I was today years old when I found out about that. I’m shook.”
Stan
A stan is a hardcore fan of something. It’s often used in relation to celebrities, but you can be a stan of anything. The word can be used as a
- Noun: I’m an Ariana Grande stan.
- Verb: He’s so sweet to her! We stan.
The origins of “stan” seem to trace back to Eminem’s 2000 single with the same name. He refers to his super fans as stans in this dark song. Social media propelled the adoption of the term stan.
Straight fire
Many people may have heard of the slang term “fire” meaning something is great, cool, etc. Straight fire is an exaggeration of “fire”, used to emphasize the idea much like “straight facts” vs “facts”.
Example: “Have you had the new shapes Mac n Cheese? It’s straight fire!”
Go off (go awwwf)
“Go off” is usually a way to praise or encourage someone to continue. However, previously it’s been used in other ways. For example, saying “I’m about to go off/ pop off” would mean you were about to snap or erupt. The way “go off” has been used in 2020 is more akin to encouragement, and pronounced more like “go awwwwf”, but it can be used in several contexts.
Example
*Friend enters wearing a flattering outfit*
“Okay! Go offffff, sis!”
Chile (Whew chile, um chile)
“Chile’ is pronounced like “child” without the D. This phrase is heavily associated with African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and is an expression used to indicate that you’ve received overwhelming information (either a lot at once or highly intense information). Wheeeeewww chilleeee has been used to express “head shaking emotions” like a bit of disbelief. Near the end 2020, “chile” absolutely took off with a TIkTok that combines two original sounds. It goes like:
Example:
Guy:” I ain’t ever seen two pretty best friends, one of em always gotta be ugly”
Nicki Minaj voice: Ummmm chile, anyways so…
*insert pictures of you and all of your pretty best friends to prove him wrong*
Cap/ No Cap
Capping is equivalent to lying. “No cap” means no lie, to signify that you are “deadass” and telling the truth.
Here’s some fun history. Green’s Dictionary of Slang cites that “to cap” meant “to surpass” in the 1940s, and was connected to ritualized insults in the 1960s. The word is connected with “cap” as the upper limit, and it’s closely associated with Atlanta hip-hop, seen in Tweets as early as 2012. The 2017 song “No Cap” by Young Thung and Future certainly popularized the term.
Example
Person 1: Your brother did NOT just say that to you, are you serious?
Person 2: No cap, he said it in front of our whole family.
Canceled/ Cancel Culture
We all know that TV shows and public transportation can get canceled, but as of 2020 so do people. If a celebrity says or does something offensive or looked-down upon, they run the risk of getting “canceled,” which basically means you lose the support of fans and followers and become the brunt of a ton of criticism. Cancel culture refers to the toxicity of “canceling” people for anything they do that you don’t agree with, especially without getting the full story.
Example (true story)
Two well-known YouTubers, James Charles and Tati Westbrook had a huge feud and falling out. They were best friends, but James accepted a sponsorship with a brand that directly competed with Tati’s new supplement brand. Cancel culture surrounding the fight ran rampant as different stans sided with one influencer while canceling the other.
Karen
A “Karen” is a stereotype of an entitled, middle-class woman who tries to police other peoples’ behaviors without awareness of her own. According to the slang, demanding to speak to the manager and throwing a fit about wearing a mask in public are very “Karen” moves. The trend of using a first name to make fun of certain kinds of people began in 2010, but “Karen” is widely credited to Black Twitter, where it’s been around since the 2010s as well.
Tea
Tea may be a nice warm drink, but in pop culture, it means the gossip, the juicy information. “Spilling the tea” means to gossip or share the information.
Like “shade” and “yaas kween,” the slang term “tea” is connected to drag culture, especially black drag culture. It first appeared as the letter “T” in an early print interview with a prominent drag performer at the time, Savannah. According to the meaning in black drag culture, tea can mean a hidden truth or someone’s else hidden truth, aka gossip.
Example
“They broke up last week but are still going to the holiday party together.”
“Ohhh that’s tea!”
Simp
Simp is a slang insult generally used to describe men who are too attentive to women they are pursuing, but it’s also been adopted to be used for anyone.
Example
“He’s at her house everyday and he always brings her flowers”
“Man, he’s simping hard.”
Some other favorites
No cap, it’s pretty hard to cover all of the popular slang words of 2020. Here are a few other very common ones that are straight fire:
- Cringey: Embarrassing, awkward, uncomfortable. For Gen Z, their parents using slang is cringey.
- RT: Retweet. This is now used as verbal confirmation. If someone says something you agree with, you may respond by saying RT or retweet.
- Skskskksks: Maybe this one’s too 2019, but it’s the TikTok VISCO girl “laugh” seems to have originated on Portugese-speaking social media years ago as a key smash for laughter.
- I’m dead. A response to something you find absolutely hilarious . It’s SO funny or amusing that it’s killing you even though you usually aren’t physically laughing…
- Periodt. An emphasis on the term “period”, it used to end a sentence and signify the point has been made. This one is heavily tied to AAVE as well. “I’m not leaving the couch tonight, periodt.”
- Big facts. Another way to say “true”.
- It’s the _ for me. This phrase is a roast of sorts where you insert the characteristic behavior that you find particularly repulsive. My sisters did this back and forth for, I kid you not, 30 minutes. Nobody cried but one example was “It’s the pimple forehead for me.”
What we can see from 2020 slang is that it’s nothing new, even though it may seem like it at first. Some are new takes on old slang, and many originated with minority cultures like AAVE and LGBTQ+ culture. Despite the lack of in-person activities this year, these terms still found a way to sweep the nation (ahem, SOCIAL MEDIA) and make their way into the daily conversations of young adults and teens. Who knows how long these slang terms will last, and what new ones we’ll run into next year.
Now THAT’S the tea, sis.
