Not too long ago, I was at a movie theater and passed by a group of teenagers. I overheard one of them say, “Let Him Cook.”

What an odd thing to say… I thought.

Shortly after, my family got together to celebrate a birthday. Coincidentally, one of the youngsters said, “Let Her Cook.” It turns out “Let Him Cook” is slang for “Give him space to do his thing.”

I had a hard look at myself in the mirror that night and came to the realization that I don’t know the “cool” slang anymore. To make things worse, my cousin, who is only a few years younger than me, knows the slang. 

Well, let’s not dwell on the past. Here’s a guide to these new-age words. All information is pulled from a reliable source…Google. 

Bet | Be•t: to agree. 

Ex: Teenager 1 – “Want to go to Starbucks?”

      Teenager 2 – “Bet.”

Bussin’ | Buss•in’: something is really good. 

Ex: “This sandwich do be bussin.” 

Cap | C•ap: a lie or falsehood. On the contrary, “No Cap” means not a lie.

Ex: “That story is cap.” 

Clutch | Clu•tch: something that is good or useful. 

Ex: “You found five dollars in your pocket? That’s clutch.”

Cringy | Cri•ngy: feeling of disgust or embarrassment.

Ex: “This song is so cringy.”

Delulu | De•lulu: a replacement for “delusional.”

Ex: “That girl is Delulu if she wants to marry Harry Styles.”

Drip | Dr•ip: refers to stylish clothes or something cool. 

Ex: “Mike’s outfit is dripping today.”

Fresh | Fre•sh: something that’s good, attractive, or stylish.

Ex: “You’re looking fresh today.”

Finna | Fin•na: getting ready to do something. Short for “fixing to.”

Ex: “I’m finna go to the store.”

Gucci | Gu•cci: a replacement for “cool” or “good.” 

Ex: Teenager 1: “I’m on my way to pick you up.”

      Teenager 2: “Gucci.”

Mid | Mi•d: something is mediocre or low quality. 

Ex: “This burger is pretty mid.”

Rizz | Ri•zz: to charm or seduce. Short for “charisma.”

Ex: “He’s got some serious rizz.”

Simp | Si•mp: a person who is desperately trying to get someone’s attention or affection.

Ex: “You’re being a simp. Stop texting her.”

Slaps | Sl•aps: something is excellent or amazing. 

Ex: “This milkshake slaps.” 

Slay | Sl•ay: used to compliment, applaud, or emphasize.

Ex: “Oh my gosh girl, slay.”

Sus | Su•s: someone or something shouldn’t be trusted. Short for “suspicious.”

Ex: “You’ve been acting pretty sus lately.”

Tea | T•ea: a replacement for “gossip.”

Ex: “Spill the tea! I want to hear everything.”

Phrases

It’s giving | used to describe an experience or situation that is intense or over-the-top.

Ex: *Sees an older vehicle* “It’s giving retro vibes.”

The ick | a sudden cringe feeling. 

Ex: “They give me the ick.”