Gen Z Slang: From Coast to Coast

Despite being connected online, no matter what state you’re from, each city still retains its own language, slang, and vernacular. At my public high school in Los Angeles, we had our own secret language. A party was a “yart,” and if it got busted by the cops it was “rolled.” A beer was a “brewsky,” an uber was an “ubis,” and school was “skizz.” The way some of the boys from my high school talked was a little bit ridiculous [or maybe a lot ridiculous]. If I tried to use these words in front of anyone that didn’t live in Los Angeles, they would have no idea what was going on. 

When I came to college and used these words around my roommate from the East Coast, she would look at me with a blank stare. It’s interesting to note that people around the world all have different terms for everyday things. Teenagers are often blamed for dismantling standard linguistic patterns, but I have often found it’s a way we connect with the people we live around. When I found other friends from the same place I was, it felt comforting that they knew the way I talked.

Although I’m not a linguistics major, I find it fascinating how we all make up words and phrases that become a part of our day to day speech.

Last year, I stumbled upon a British show called Love Island, which is a reality show that mixes people from different parts of the United Kingdom in a villa for about eight weeks. As a bystander, the way they talked felt so elegant and fun, but to them, it was just normal. 

From the West Coast to the East Coast to the United Kingdom, here are a few English words or phrases that have different meanings to Gen Z depending on the place:

When Someone is Good Looking

A typical American thing to say when you find someone attractive is to call them hot, but in California oftentimes people will say “he or she is ‘fire.’” However, on Love Island, people will call a person “fit” if they find them attractive. Typically, when I think of the word fit, I would think they were in good shape, but in the United Kingdom it might mean you find them super attractive. 

When You Agree With Something

In California, when someone agrees with what you are saying, a typical response is to say “I feel” or “I feel you” or “I feel that.” When I started college, I noticed all the East Coast kids would say “word” every time they agreed with what I said. I thought “word” was something people said in 2006, but I guess I was wrong. 

Not Sure Why We Call Water This… 

Something that both East and West Coasters say is “wince” for water or adding “ince” to the endings of things. I have no idea why people do this, other than the fact that they think it sounds cool when in reality, it doesn’t.

When You Want to Go to a Party

Another difference between the East Coast and the West Coast is the words we use for parties. On the West Coast, a party during the day is a “dayge” but on the east coast it’s called a “darty.” If you’ve ever seen the Real Bros of Simi Valley, a show about four young men who live in a California town in the Valley, they call their small get-togethers a “kickback.” While I thought this was widely known, my friends on the East Coast had no idea what I was talking about when I used the term. Instead they call it a “hang out.”

This One’s Pretty Shocking!

This one may be universal for English, but whenever I would feel shocked about something I would say “I’m shook” or “I’m shooketh.” The most surprising word I learned, though, was from my roommate who said “wig” if you were ever surprised by anything. Essentially it means that you are so shocked that your wig fell off. 

When You’re Not Feeling Too Good

This one is kind of disturbing, but in Los Angeles, if you had to throw up people would either call it “yak” or “boot.” In other places, they would most likely just call it “vomit,” but it was more fun this way. If you were able to “rally” then you’d call it the old “boot and rally,” which is more of a universal English phrase, but teenagers love to make it their own. 

This One is Trouble

Whenever someone got in trouble, a typical thing you would say is that person is grounded, right? At my high school, if someone or a party got in trouble, we would call that being “rolled.” On the East Coast people called that “busted.”

When You’re Upset

If you’re angry, a way you would express that is by saying “I’m heated” or “I’m fuming.” In Love Island, if someone was upset, they would say “I’m pied off” (similar to “I’m pissed off”).

Getting Along With Someone

Typically, Americans would say “we hit it off” when we get along with someone we are interested in, but in Love Island they like to say they had “banter.” They also say we “crack on” or “get on,” meaning they got along well with the person and can make jokes with them. 

In Conclusion…

Why do different regions across the world have different lingo that they use? How does this even start? Our lingo and the way we speak constantly changes over the years and is dependent on who we are around. The way my parents used to talk isn’t the same way that teenagers in high school talk now. Our virtual world has caused Gen Z to start trends across the country with what phrases and words we say. After living in my hometown in Los Angeles and going to college with people from all over America, I have learned that each region still has its own English lingo. Midwesterns say “pop” but I say “soda,” East Coasters say “seltzer” but I say “sparkling water,” Southerners say “y’all” but I say “you guys.” Whether the way we talk is regional or from online, our communication is what keeps us connected to other people.

Chloe Uhls

Former CSS Intern

Article adapted from “English Slang at It’s Finest,” as it appeared on Flique Editorial.