Even the birds know what slay and vibe mean, but what about the new TikTok expressions that you hear every day from your Generation Z colleagues or children ? We have prepared 10 new phrases that you are likely to hear while hanging out with younger people, along with TikTok examples, as this is often the easiest way to explain them.
1. Delulu
If someone calls you delulu, what does it mean? It is an abbreviated jargon for delusional, which describes a person with unrealistic ideas and who believes that they can influence their destiny by willpower. Young people have come up with expressions such as “delulu is solulu“, where solulu means solution. This phrase emphasizes the importance of self-confidence, deception, and confidence in oneself to achieve one’s dreams.
In addition to solulu, there is also trululu, which refers to truth, i.e. the idea that the deception is so strong that it will come true or has already come true.
In other words, if something bad is happening to you in your life and you want to avoid thinking about it: delulu is the solulu.
2. Yap
If you like casual chatter about a variety of topics, then yap is the term for you! This jargon means just that – informal chatter or yap session if the conversation is prolonged. There is even a yappanese for people who like to chatter all the time.
3. Bed rotting
We are all familiar with the self-care culture, but what if you want to spend all day in bed doing nothing? It is bed rotting – a term that symbolizes relaxation in bed after an exhausting day or week. However, bed rotting hides a bitter truth. Such a state occurs after someone is tired or in burnout from school, college, work, or life in general. When you are so tired that your body shuts itself down and needs time to recover, give it that and rotting in bed.However, if you notice that this happens frequently, consider seeking professional help.
4. Brain rot
We continue with the “rotting” trend and come to the popular term brain rot. It is used to describe a condition in which too much time spent on the internet changes your behaviour and thinking. This can result in you starting to behave in ways that are incomprehensible to people who are not part of your online community.
5. 13th reason
The term comes from the series 13 Reasons Why, which follows the story of Hannah Baker, a girl who committed suicide, leaving behind 13 tapes explaining the reasons for her tragic act. This phrase describes a moment in which a small event or action can turn out to be a trigger for an emotional breakdown. It is often used to highlight the power of little things in elicit strong emotional reactions.
6. Whomp whomp
Whomp whomp is a cute term used to say “shame” or “how sad” in a humorous way. It originates from the sound in video games that plays when the player fails a task. That is why whomp whomp is actually a lot of fun to hear in response to situations that are not too important but are a bit sad, or when someone experiences a minor setback.
7. Side quests
The term side quests can refer to additional hobbies or tasks that are not related to one’s main interests, and the term originates from video game terminology. It can also denote unplanned dates with friends without a specific goal or expectation. These spontaneous adventures often take place after the main event, such as a planned get-together or party, and usually involve a smaller number of people than the original event.
8. Do it for the plot
Generation Z took YOLO (You Only Live Once) and reshaped it into DIFT (Do it for the plot). This phrase encourages people to make bold decisions and take risks to make their lives more interesting and fulfilling.
9. Era
Era is often used to indicate a person’s current interests or priorities. On TikTok, users often use phrases like “in my __ era” to describe their current priorities or aesthetics. People use terms like “in my sporty era” or “in my girlboss era” to express the different stages or themes they identify with. Eras can also be associated with music, celebrities, movies, television shows, or books.
10. Core
The suffix -core describes certain aesthetics, trends, or subcultures. This can include everything – from patterns, colours, feelings to garments. For example, fairycore is popular among those who love the mystical and magical.
Your core refers to the central, inner, and most constant part of your personality. Gen Z creates compilations of core values through various aesthetic TikTok videos. While some use their own recordings, most only find already recorded videos on the internet.
The new expressions popularized by Generation Z on TikTok reflect their creativity and way of communicating and expressing their identity and interests. Through humorous videos and personal expressions, these terms become an indispensable part of their digital culture, providing a unique insight into their everyday world and way of thinking. If you want to be trendy, follow CTA komunikacije on TikTok.
