The Internet. A place where a mix of Millennials and Gen Z-ers seem to run things. So much that they say what they want and pretty much invent their own language. No, seriously. Linguists even declared that the internet created a new prepositional phrase for the English language in how the word “because” has evolved.
New phrases, acronyms, and abbreviations pop-up and catch on like wildfire. At socialfly, we’re a young bunch. We get it. We like to think we’re a cool, up-to-date, trendy millennial bunch. But, sometimes we run into terms on the internet that have us searching for answers. So, this list of slang terms is for you, other members of the internet society that are concerned you’re losing your clout.
Remember “on fleek”? Well, it’s dead. Don’t say it anymore. The new term is snatched, also synonymous with slay, is used to describe anything that looks great or on point. So, the next time you’re feeling yourself, you can say that outfit is snatched!
Old, but brought back to life, sus comes from the word suspect. It’s for those moments where someone is being shady or sketchy. For example, when that one true pal you can always rely on to not be on the latest diet fad has suddenly denied your invitation to grab a dollar slice… SUS.
Low key is exactly what it sounds like—on the low, not well known, under wraps, you get the idea. It’s used mostly to describe things that people don’t know about you. High key comes in ironically to express the obvious. Like, I high key wish I was Beyonce or I low key think Twitter is a better social media app than Instagram.
Okay, this is one that we are still trying to comprehend and don’t know if we’ll ever actually use ourselves. Are we old? Did we hit that age where the youth is making absolutely no sense? To add emphasis to whatever you’re saying you just add the word boots to the end of an adjective or verb. For example, if you’re really hungry, you’d say you’re hungry boots. We don’t know how it came to be but don’t try and say this out loud. It just sounds weird.
Derived from low resolution, low res means a situation that could be improved on, of poor quality. As an example, when your friend asks you how the party was last night and you say it was low res. When used to describe a person, it’s used as an insult.
This is another old one that has become popular this year once again. Stan is the Internet’s word for a die-hard fan. It’s origin? The Eminem song Stan released in the year 2000 about an obsessive fan. It can also be used as a verb—stanning.
That’s our round-up of 2018 internet slang that you need to know. How many of these did you know? Are there any you’ve seen recently that need explaining? Tweet us at @socialfly and let us know!