Fortunately, or unfortunately, I am a member of the group known as Gen-Z. This means that though my family didn’t let me use the Internet until I was 8 and most of my cultural references came from the shows and movies that Mom and Dad let me watch, I have been privy to some of the slang terms used by my generation and Gen Alpha, especially as I have grown into a teenager and am now on the Internet. While I recognize that every generation has had some sort of slang to go with the times, in my observations of my fellow teens and new adults, the English language is slowly devolving into gibberish that I cannot understand without having to Google it extensively. With that said, here’s a guide to what little I understand Gen-z/Gen Alpha slang and why I hate or enjoy some of these terms.
#1: Gyatt
This shouldn’t even be considered a word. To a sane person, it sounds like the sound you make when you stub your toe on a piece of furniture and are trying not to cuss out loud.
Unfortunately, no one ever said that Gen-Z was necessarily sane, so apparently this has become an exclamation that guys use when they see a woman with a large butt. It’s also become a term for a butt, and I’ve seen it used by weirdos on Roblox chats. It can be used in a longer sentence or it can be used by itself, however the longest sentence I’ve ever heard it used in is the slang term, “Gyatt gyatt Ohio rizzler,” which I can only assume can be translated to normal-speak as, “Big butt, big butt, Ohio person with charisma.”
I hate this term.
#2: Cap, no cap
Somehow this means lie/no lie.
Why does a word that can either mean a hat or a covering for a bottle now mean “to tell a lie”? I don’t know. It just does for some reason and it’s the most confusing thing I think I’ve ever seen.
#3: Bop
Okay, this is actually one that I like and use sometimes. A bop is a song that’s really good or – in more Gen-Z slang – “slaps”. I like this word since it has a fun sort of tone to it that makes it perfect for its definition and seems to have been used somewhat before Gen-Z with bands like Kidz Bop. It also kinda reminds me of the term, “It’s a vibe,” which I’m more familiar with.
#4: Rizz
This means charisma and I have a love/hate relationship with it. On one hand, it’s kinda fun to say. On the other hand, it sounds retarded after a while. Why can’t we say that someone’s smooth, charming, or charismatic instead of saying that they have a certain type of “rizz” or are a “rizzler”. I don’t get it.
#5: YEET!
This word became popular after a Vine (R.I.P. 2014-2017) included it and has been used ever since. It started off as an exclamation that you make while throwing something, but has since become its own verb meaning, “to throw.” I use this al the time. 10/10.
#6: Getty
No, someone did not sneeze in the middle of saying “Gettysburg”. This is just a dumb way of saying “get together”.
#7: Sussy-baka
The first time I ever learned this word was during a church camp I went to in 2022 when I was staying with a group of girls who all loved anime who explained to me that “sus” means “suspicious” and “sussy-baka” means “suspicious idiot” with “baka” being a real word in Japanese that means “fool/idiot.” While I don’t use the full term, I have been known to describe things as sus before, so I’ll give it my approval.
#8: Bussin’
No.
Just…no.
For something to be “Bussin'” it has to be really good. According to Miriam Webster, it comes from African American slang, but I still don’t get how it relates to something being good. Can someone tell me in the comments, please?
#9: Bombastic Side Eye.
I think this one also came from a Vine, but basically, it’s a term to describe a dirty look. Though this term is fun to say, I honestly don’t understand it. The word ‘bombastic” means “high-sounding but with little meaning; inflated”, so where it fits in with describing a dirty look, I’m not entirely sure.
#10: Simp
I like this one because, unlike most of them, it is a shorted version of an actual word and that word is “simpleton.” It can be used to describe a foolish person, but more often in Gen-Z, it’s used to describe a guy who is way too enamored with a woman who isn’t reciprocating his affection, though I think it’s also used to describe women who act that way as well.
Until next time,
M.J.
The Tanuki Corner 
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