Have you ever walked down the halls of Oshkosh North and wondered what on earth are these teenagers saying? It sounds like English, but the words are not found in a dictionary and are ever changing. Here is a guide to unlock the coded language of Gen Z and help you connect to our bussin’ vocabulary. 

 (That’s) real – This can have different meanings depending on the context. Typically, someone would say this if they wanted to respond in agreement. 

 BFFR/Be freaking for real: Be honest, or be serious. (“Oh my god I did so bad on this test!” A response could be, “Girl, BFFR. You got a 95%!”)

Rizz – Stems from charisma. This is usually used in the sense that someone has game. (“He’s got rizz.”)

Slay – Synonym for good. (“You are slaying that outfit.”)

Flex – This term is used when trying to show off, or impress someone with money or something they have. (“My biggest flex is my hair.”)

Dawgs/Dogs – Toes. (“Your dawgs/dogs are barking.”)

Cap – A lie. (“He’s capping” = “He’s lying”)

Dupe – A cheaper or alternative version of something popular. (“That shirt looks like a LuluLemon dupe.”)

W – A win. (“We took that W at the game last night.”)

Foul – Disgusting or rude. (“She’s actually foul for that.”)

You ate that – Used to tell someone they either look really good, or that they did something really well. (“You ate that outfit up.”)

Bussin’ – Similar to slaps; usually used in reference to food (“This cake is bussin’.)

(That’s) sus – Suspicious or weird. (“The way he said that was sus.”)

Baller – Used to refer to someone or something that is awesome. (“She’s baller, did you see what she did?”)

FOMO – Fear of missing out. (“I should’ve gone to homecoming. I have terrible FOMO.”)

Lowkey – Lowkey means “maybe,” or feeling moderately about something. (“We should get Taco Bell.” A response could be, “I was lowkey thinking about getting Subway.”)

Highkey – The opposite of lowkey; feeling strongly about something. However, most people use lowkey, even if they feel strongly about something. (“I highkey thought I was going to bomb that test.”) 

Now that you know how to speak in slang like the kids, you can now possibly comprehend the conversations had at this school– until it changes this week.

*PSA* If you are a teacher or a person over 30, please do not attempt to use this language to appear cool. It will backfire and we will cringe.