Gen Z Lingo We Learnt Recently (So You Should Too)
One of Deciml’s young(er) team members recently called our latest app update ‘dank’. And well .. you can only imagine the question mark of a reaction that some of the not-so-GenZ team members had.
Anyway, it turns out ‘dank’ means ‘excellent’ which got our team into a whole ‘that generation’s lingo vs. this generation’s lingo’ debate and well, everyone had fair points but our takeaway was – Many interesting new words make for a fun blog! (And a super fun IG reel!)
We are after all building not only for young millennials, but also the Gen Z populace – so this counts as research, right?
So here are some interesting terms we learnt recently:
1. No Cap – This phrase has replaced its millennial predecessor – “For Real”, or “True Story”. It is used when someone means to relay that they are telling “no lie”. Interestingly, the evolution of this term can be dated back to the 1900s, when “cap” meant someone was exaggerating or bragging.
Usage – “Deciml lets you invest as little as ₹1 per day. No cap!”
2. Cheugy – Apparently “you’re just not cool” didn’t cut it with Gen Z. So “cheugy” is used to describe something that is typically “uncool”, “untrendy”, or if someone is trying too hard. First coined in 2013, this term found fame after #cheugy went viral on Tik Tok in 2021!
Usage – “FDs and RDs are so cheugy! I’m all about micro-investing in Mutual Funds!”
3. Hits Different – You know that feeling you get when something surpasses your expectations and has an impact on your life? That’s when something “hits different”. This one was first used on YouTube and was another benefactor of Tik Tok making hashtags viral! Who knew Tik-Tok was the new Webster?!
Usage – “I liked the old Deciml App. But the new update just hits different!”
4. Main Character – Self-explanatory, this one. It started as a… you guessed it… TikTok trend – where people started posting themselves as the #maincharacter in a montage of their life! It is also popularly used to describe someone who might be getting a lot of traction on Social Media platforms. Hey, at least millennials can proudly say we popularised our slang more creatively than just through social media!
Usage – “Micro-investing is definitely the main character in Deciml!” // “Deciml is definitely the main character of my investment journey”
5. Skrrrt – This one caught us by surprise. It is supposed to be the sound of screeching tyres and implies this sentiment – “Whoaaaa. Wait. Hold up! What???” We feel bad about not putting it more eloquently, but, what did you expect Gen Z? We can confidently tell you (through an informal survey we conducted in our office!) that millennials are definitely the least impressed with this one!
Usage – “I updated my Deciml A…” – “Skrrrt! It’s out already?”
6. Glow-up – It’s a positive word that is used when someone has gone through a big physical, mental, or even spiritual change. Rapper Chief Keef first used this term in his song “Gotta Glo Up One Day” back in 2013! Since then, both, “glo-up” and “glow-up” have been used widely for transformation stories on Social Media. Makes you wonder – were older generations more intellectual? Because we simply called this a metamorphosis. *Smug grin*
Usage – “My financial portfolio is about to get a huge glow up in 2023 with Deciml!”
7. Salty – When you’re feeling irritated, annoyed, or resentful and are throwing shade at others because of it – you run the risk of being called “salty”! Interesting tidbit – back in the 1860s, this term was associated with sailors and meant something that might be a bit crass. Oops! We like the Gen Z meaning better though!
Usage – “Don’t be salty because you didn’t start investing yesterday, just start now!”
8. Living Rent Free – This is used to denote something or someone that is always on your head, whether or not you want them there. Disney song lyrics are a good example of something that lives rent-free in the mind of most Millennials. We thank you, Gen Z, for finally having this term to use!
Usage – “Deciml’s “invest now” mantra is living rent-free in my head for the whole of 2023!”
9. Stan – This word is meant to denote a super (read: over-enthusiastic, almost crazy) fan of something or someone! Interestingly enough, this term was first popularized by the Millennial icon – Eminem – and is also said to be an amalgamation of stalker and fan. Yikes! Turns out that while Millennials were the original Eminem “stans”, Gen Z are more about popularizing his words!
Usage – “I downloaded Deciml three months ago and I’m a stan for life!”
10. Yeet – An excited “Yessss” apparently just doesn’t sound excited enough for Gen Z! Yeet is here to fulfill that need. It is essentially a grouping of “Yes” and “Neat” and is typically used as an exclamation! *Cue collective Millennial eye roll* (obviously, a kind of salty millennial writer here)
Usage – “I just invested my first lump sum with Deciml! Yeet!”
That brings us to the end of this list. Remember – you’re the main character in your investment journey. So, don’t be cheugy and become a Deciml stan already! Once the immediate returns start rolling in, you’ll notice that your financial glow-up just hits different!
Oh, and if you want to see the ‘dank’ new app update we’ve got – click here 🙂