If your teenage son or daughter tells you you're looking "ill" or that you're "the lick", don't be offended. You've just been given a compliment.
When it comes to communicating, if men are from Mars and women are from Venus, then today's teens sound like they come from another galaxy.
If you've recently listened to your teenager talking to a friend on the phone or walked past the computer while they're composing an email, you've probably been left scratching your head.
Don't worry, your hearing isn't going and neither is your eyesight.
Today's young people, Generations Y and Z, are developing their own slang and expressions in the cyberworlds they now inhabit.
Australian social researcher Mark McCrindle has published a language guide called Word Up - compiled with the input of today's teenagers and 20-somethings - to try to bridge the communication divide between generations.
Mr McCrindle describes the snapshot of today's teen lexicon as a "light-hearted snapshot of a new vocabulary".
He says it's a fun way to build bonds across generations.
"Young people have always had their own slang. It's a part of their identity, part of being young," he says.
"Hopefully this guide will open up a channel of conversation. Parents can share some of their slang from the 60s and 70s and have a laugh about some of the words they used like 'groovy'."
Mr McCrindle says some words that emerged in one generation have been reinvented by another.
"'Cool' is an iconic word of the 60s that still survives. Although you've got to drop the 'l' now to 'coo'," he says.
Mr McCrindle says the written and spoken language of today's youth is shaped and influenced by new trends and technologies such as mobile phone texting.
"Whether it's via mobile phone, in the online chat room, instant message or in email, their written communication has been transformed," he says.
"If something is funny they may 'LTM' (laugh to myself) or even 'LOL' (laugh out loud) and if it is really good, who knows, they may even 'ROTFLUTS' (roll on the floor laughing, unable to speak). NINKU (no, I'm not kidding you).
"They are the product of their times.
"They are the most equipped for the 21st century workplace. They're truly a multi-tasking generation."
However, Mr McCrindle advises parents against adopting the language themselves to try to appear 'coo'.
"Observe their language and I guess understand and relate to it. Don 't be dismissive or condescending of it," he says.
"We tend to put on the adult hat and say it lacks proper grammar and structure, but it does show incredible innovation and creativity."
Professor of Applied Languages Studies at The University of Queensland, Roly Sussex, agrees and doesn't believe such creativity should be stifled.
Professor Sussex says text messaging and emailing are encouraging this generation of young people to write.
| ab: | Weird, strange - as in abnormal. "My olds have gone totally ab on me." |
| bananas: | Hot, cute, adorable. "That guy is bananas." |
| buggin: | Acting strange. "Why you buggin?" |
| bunk: | Really bad or aggravating. "Dad told me to go to my room. He's so bunk!" Or something boring or stupid. |
| call the wambulance: | To cry about nothing important. To exaggerate. |
| chat: | Disgusting, wrong, not very nice. "That sandwich looks chat." |
| cheezin: | Smiling. |
| cracking: | To question what someone is doing. "What's cracking?" |
| down low (or D.L): | A secret. Not public information. "Dave just broke up with Shazza keep it D.L." |
| foo: | (from fool) A friend. "Whassup foo?" or an insulting name for someone. "What you lookin' at, foo?" |
| fo shiz: | For sure. Sometimes "fo shizzle" or "fo cheesy" |
| giggan: | Dancing. A generic verb used for an assortment of activities. "I'm just giggan it here with my friends!" |
| hussy: | A mate or friend. |
| iced out: | Wearing a lot of jewellery. "Check out all that bling-bling, you 're iced out!" |
| ill: | Cool, in style. "Dazza is lookin' ill tonight totally sick!" jawsin' Lying. Exaggerating. |
| the lick: | The best. "Man, those new shoes are the lick!" |
| mad: | Meaning good or cool. To have a large amount of, extreme. "Check out Michael, he 's got mad skills. |
| moo: | Bored |
| my bad: | An apology or excuse. Sorry, my fault. |
| pez out: | Hang out with friends. |
| phat: | adj/adv. (pronounced "fat"). Very good, cool, top notch. |
Copyright |
Disclaimer |
Privacy |
Access keys |
Other languages
© The State of Queensland (Department of Education, Training and Employment) 2008.