I’m a language expert – the 12 slang terms your kids use every day and what they actually mean, including “cheugy” and “salty”.

YOU HAVE most likely heard your teenager say words like “salty” and “cheugy” to their friends – but do you have any idea what these much-used slang terms actually mean?

Luckily, language experts from writing app ProWritingAid are on hand and have decoded popular Gen Z slang terms that might as well have been a foreign language until now.

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Using data from Google to see what phrases are most searched for in the UK, they came up with the top 12.

Coming in at number one with 21,000 searches is cheugy, while following the word closely is “caught” with over 5,000 searches.

Meanwhile, “No cap” has over 4,000 monthly searches in the UK, while “vibing” has over 3,000.

Here we take a look at the hidden meaning behind your teen’s favorite words, which means you can now join the conversation.

CHEUGY

The most searched phrase has been around since 2013 when it first appeared on the scene. It describes someone who tries too hard to be trendy – and largely fails at it.

CAPTIVE

If you’ve ever seen RuPaul’s Drag Race, you’ve heard this one many times. Shaped by the popular show, being perfect or excellent means being perfect when it comes to looks.

NO CAP

“No ceiling” is directly related to the phrase “ceiling,” originally used to talk about something that was grossly exaggerated or to lie about something. “No cap” therefore means taking something absolutely seriously.

VIBRATE

This term is not out of place on shows like Love Island as one of its two meanings can be to enjoy getting to know someone and their presence. “Vibing” can also be used to say that you are enjoying an event – for example “the vibe was good”.

SALTY

We can guarantee your teen will be “salty” the moment they discover you’re on their new vocabulary. The term means to be upset, angry, or frustrated about something, usually of minor importance.

OK BOOMERS

As early as 2019, “Ok Boomer” was used for the first time to dismiss the opinion of the older baby boomer generation.

MAIN CHARACTER

This one does what it says on the tin as it simply refers to someone being the center of something.

UNOBTRUSIVE

Similar to “play cool,” “low key” is used to describe when you’re genuinely excited about something, but try to downplay it and remain calm.

HIGH KEY

As you’ve probably guessed, High Key is used in the opposite way to Low Key. So if you’re “high key” excited about something, show it openly and don’t bother to hide it.

BLOWS

Although it sounds like the opposite, “slaps” is actually a positive term meaning something is awesome. This is most commonly used to describe things like music, where someone is saying that a particular song “claps”.

SKKRT

American rapper and singer Cardi B is known to use this phrase in several of her interviews. The word “Skkrt” is meant to sound like an accelerating car and is used to represent excitement about something.

BEATS DIFFERENTLY

When you’re told something “beats differently,” that’s a huge compliment. The popular phrase, often used on social media, means he’s had a huge impact on another level.

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