We don’t know about you but there seems to be more buzzwords and slang coming out than we can keep up with! When did we get so old? Are we not down with the kids anymore? And to think we laughed at our parents who used to end texts with ‘lol’ under the false assumption it mean ‘lots of love’, bless them. But now? We kind of feel their pain. We’re no longer teenagers, so naturally we won’t always be up to speed with the latest influx of words that the cool kids will be using on their Instagram comments in 2017. We’re still waiting for someone to inform us what ‘YKI’ means. Anyone?
Slang itself is no new trend, it’s been around for a few decades and has produced gems such as ‘rad’ and ‘411’ which we’ve become pretty accustom to. But as language evolves, as does a new batch of words that we need to get to grips with. Social media plays a huge part in the popularity of slang terms and buzzwords, you only have to log onto Instagram to find yourself presented with a fair few ‘smh’ or ‘rofl’ and so on.
So what to expect from 2017? C’mon girls, we’ve got this! We can totally be down with the youths. Leading translation service LanguageLine have carried out some handy research to find out what the words on the street will be this year. So if you’re a slightly behind-the-times millenial (guilty) who wants to remain on top of their cool game – check out their Infographic detailing all the words you need to know, including the following:
Ship: An abbreviation of the word “relationship.” The word describes fans’, or stans’ (a hybrid of ‘stalker’ and ‘fan’), approval of fictional or desired romances.
How to use it: ““They’re so cute together, I totally ship them.”
FR (for real): This one is nice and simple! Basically it’s a way to agree with what someone has just said.
How to use it: “I am loving all the new box sets on Netflix right now.” ‘FR”.
Low Key: Low key can be used in place of the formerly popular phrase “down low,” meaning something you don’t want everyone to know about.
How to use it: “I low key tripped walking into Waitrose today.”
Or “I am low key addicted to Honey G.”
High Key: This is the opposite of low key. When something is high key, it is the straight-up truth and there is no denying it. Basically, you love it!
How to use it: “High key love Ed Balls on SCD.”
Aesthetic: The new “vibe.” Vibe has a lovely, groovy 70s feel, but it’s been sharply updated for today’s visual world, where everything is about appearance.
How to use it: “I’m obsessed with Kim K’s new Insta aesthetic!”
Savage: It means vicious, or wounding, in an exaggerated way. How to use it: “The babysitter cancelled on us at last minute, savage.”
“The shots we did last night were savage!”
Woke: This is one of the biggest buzzwords going round, and was even chosen by Oxford Dictionaries as one of the words of 2016. Essentially, the more ‘woke’ someone is, the more they understand about a topic or a person. It is most often used to describe a man who is also a feminist (as most men should be).
How to use it: ““Love hearing Daniel Radcliffe praise the HeForShe campaign, he is so woke!”
Live: When something is so good, you can’t wait for it. Living for something, but in a cooler way!
How to use it: “ “I live for those memes”, or “I’m living for that gig on Saturday.”
Calm: The new “sweet”. It means it’s fine or cool, don’t worry about it.
How to use it: “Shall we split the bill?”
“No, it’s calm.”
Extra: When someone or something isn’t necessary. A bit like ‘random’.
How to use it: “I left the club early last night, it was full of extras!”
Vanessa Lofts, Translation Sales Manager at LanguageLine commented: “It’s always exciting to see how language changes and develops, and it usually starts with young people. Now you’ve got no excuse not to understand them – and even join in! For real.’
So what do you make to these new buzzwords? Are they totally woke or a bit savage? We’d love to hear your thoughts…
