15 Words That Mean Different Things To You And Generation Z

Always thought that your English was very powerful? Sorry, it doesn’t matter anymore these days if you don’t know your “dead” from your “extra” and if you offer someone who’s thirsty a drink.

A WARNING: Using these in front of your children or interns will result in loud and instant ridicule.

1. Gucci

To the non-Gen Z: That designer brand lor.
To Gen Z: A term to describe anything good. Case in point: “That movie was so Gucci.”

2. DEAD/Deceased

To the non-Gen Z: No longer breathing and living.  
To Gen Z: It refers to a state beyond LOL. Like when your work rival gets caught using Tinder in the office.

3. Thicc

To the non-Gen Z: Eh, you spelled “thick” wrongly!
To Gen Z: Refers to a full, curvy figure.

4. Snacc

To the non-Gen Z: Eh, you spelled “snack” wrongly!
To Gen Z: Someone who is so attractive, you’d like to wolf them down like a platter of biscuits.

5. Salty

To the non-Gen Z: Too much sodium, too much MSG.
To Gen Z: Used to describe someone who’s upset or agitated, typically after being undermined or embarrassed (e.g. when someone steals the parking space you were eyeing).

6. Extra

To the non-Gen Z: When you want to top up your nasi lemak rice. Or you are a TV producer talking about calefares.
To Gen Z: Used when someone is doing the most. Example: “His $3,500 suit was a bit too extra for our company D&D, no?”

7. Flex

To the non-Gen Z: Showing off your biceps.

To Gen Z: Showing off just about anything. Say: “My colleague was showing off her new job title. She’s trying to flex.”

8. Fam

To the non-Gen Z: Short for your biological family.
To Gen Z: Short for your people, your friends, your ride or dies, or as older millennials would have put it back in the day, your homies.

9. Tea

To the non-Gen Z: English breakfast, oolong, green or chai, please.
To Gen Z: If you want to spill tea about someone, you want to gossip about him or her.

10. Thirsty

To the non-Gen Z: Thirsty so want to drink some English breakfast, Oolong, green tea or chai, please.
To Gen Z: Used to describe people who are desperate. Like that guy who comments with the heart eyes emoji under every girl’s Instagram photos.

11. “OK Boomer”

To the non-Gen Z: An ageist insult
To Gen Z (and millennials, who coined the term): A way to clap back at older people who make out-of-touch or derogatory comments.

12. Clown

To the non-Gen Z: Pennywise, Ronald McDonald, and the like.
To Gen Z: To make a fool of yourself. I’m a clown for texting my ex, you’re a clown for liking pineapple on pizza.

13. MOOD

To the non-Gen Z: A state of emotion
To Gen Z: Another way to say “same” and “relatable”, typically used in meme form.

14. YEET

To the non-Gen Z: An unintelligible noise
To Gen Z: A noise of excitement, like, “YEET let’s get it.”

15. Slaps
To the non-Gen Z: A form of abuse
To Gen Z: When something is extremely good. “This song slaps hard, man.” 

If you enjoyed this list, check out how Singapore aunties and uncles react to some of the above lingo in our Elderly Singaporeans React: Teen Slang video.

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