2018 Texting Slang Update: How to Decode What Your Teen is Saying Online

Every year we update our teen slang and this year we’ve added a handful of terms that may make your jaw drop.

Slang is an integral part of growing up. A word or abbreviation can add significant meaning or emotion to a message or text. Slang helps kids define their connections, feel accepted, and gain independence. And of course, there’s the bonus of slang which is keeping parents in the dark. Every piece of that logic is reasonable for the most part, so we should be hands-off but aware in allowing this rite of passage.

The variable that’s different between kids today kids of the past is technology. If the meaning of a veiled word or phrase is funny or harmless, then no problem. But when a term is loaded with offensive, abusive, illegal or harmful meaning, then it’s time to take that slang seriously.

As always, we’ve unofficially canvassed a handful of teens, paid attention to the digital chatter, and curated a few impressive lists and here’s the slang we found that kids are using.

Harmless

Scoop: To pick someone up like at their house
Finna: Fixing to do something
Yeet: A way to express excitement over something
Skeet: Let’s go
Dip: To leave
Mans: A man/person
Low key: To keep something confidential between friends
High key: I don’t care who knows
AMOSC: Add me on snapchat
Gualla: Money
Rn: Right now
Slick: Cool
Geekin: Laughing too hard and too loud
Bet: Something is going to happen
Curve: To reject someone romantically
Salty: Talking in a sassy or bitter way
WRU: Where are you?
WUD: What are you doing?
LYAAF: Love you as a friend
NC: No comment
IDKWTD: I don’t know what to do
DOH: Expression of frustration, or realizing something
123: I agree
Hml: Hit my line; call or text me, I’ll be waiting
OBS: Obviously
OFC: Of course
ACC: Actually
POA: Plan of action
IMO: In My Opinion
GOMB: Get Off My Back
KOTL: Kiss On The Lips
Huggle: Hug and snuggle
Ship: Abbreviation for relationship
IDEK: I don’t even know
IKR: I know, right?
SMH: Shaking my head
Thirsty: Desperate, impatient, or overly eager
Dime: On an approval scale of 1-10; dime is a very attractive person
Fam: Very good friend
Basic: Someone or something is ordinary or boring
Westan: Showing support for person or cause
Woke: Awareness of current affairs or social issues (i.e., That girl is so woke 24/7.)
Savage: When a person speaks or acts bluntly or without a filter in public
Gucci: Very impressive
Sus: Suspicious

Risky 

Wth: What the heck/hell
Af: As f***, used to mean “extremely”
121: Let’s chat in a private message
Aeap, alap: As early or as late as possible referencing parties
Pods: For your Juul (vape)
Clouds: The vapor from your vape
F2F: Offering to video chat or meet in person
LMIRL: Let’s meet in real life
1174: Invitation to meet at a particular place, often for a wild party
9, CD9, Code 9: Parents are nearby
99: Parents are gone
MOS, POS: Mom/Parents over shoulder
KPC: Keeping parents clueless
WTTP: Want to trade pictures?
 S2R: Send to Receive (pictures)
Sugarpic: Refers to a suggestive or erotic photograph
TDTM: Talk dirty to me
THOT: That wh*** over there
Zerg: To gang up on someone (a gaming term that has morphed into a bullying term)
KMS, KYS: Kill myself, kill yourself
TBH: To Be Honest (a candid compliment or an insult may follow)
SWYP: So What’s Your Problem?
182: I hate you
Shade: Refers to “threw shade” or “throwing shade,” to put someone down.
A3: Anytime, anywhere, anyplace

Illegal 

Blow: Cocaine
Pearls: A nicely rolled blunt
Bud: Marijuana
Tree: Marijuana (i.e., Looking for tree, got any? )
Dabbing: Concentrated doses of marijuana (began as a dance craze)
420: Marijuana or let’s get high
DOC: Drug of choice
Yayo: Cocaine
Baseball = Crack Cocaine
Skrill: Money
CID: Acid
E: Ecstasy
Hazel: Heroin
Blue Boogers: Snorting Adderall or Ritalin
Pharming: Getting into medicine cabinets to find drugs to get high on
Pox: Opium
Robo-tripping: Consuming cough syrup to get high
Tweaking: High on amphetamines
White Lady: Cocaine; heroin
Wings: Cocaine; heroin
Speed, crank, uppers ,Crystal or Tina: Meth

With the nationwide growth in opioid addiction, this year we’re adding this list of slang/text terms for opioids. Opioids are prescription painkillers sold on the street. If you find or overhear your kids using these terms, address it immediately. A few nicknames, slang terms include:

Demmies: Demerol
O, Oxy, kickers, OC, kickers, blues: Oxycontin
Captain Cody, Cody, schoolboy: Codeine with Robitussin or Tylenol
Percs: Percocet/Percodan
Doors & fours, pancakes and syrup: Codeine with glutethimide
Vikes, lorries, Watsons, 357s: Vicodin or Lorcet/Lortab
Pink O, stop signs, pink: Opana (oxymorphone) 
Fentanyl: China girl, China town, tango and cash
Rids, ritties, skippy, skittles, study buddies: Ritalin
Black beauties, truck drivers, wakeups: Adderall

While these lists could go on for days, we’ve collected the ones we’ve noticed the most. Familiarize yourself with these words and abbreviations, pay attention to what your kids are talking about, who their friends are and whether or not they are using technology is amplifying positive conversations or dangerous ones. As always, make your relationship and open communication with your tween or teen a priority. It’s the #1 way to avoid digital disasters.

Have we missed any slang terms you’ve noticed online? Please comment below! 

toni page birdsong

 

 

Toni Birdsong is a Family Safety Evangelist to McAfee. You can find her on Twitter @McAfee_Family. (Disclosures).

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