Ah, the magical tween years. Not quite a child, but not yet a teenager either. The ages between 8 and 12 are generally considered the "between" years, hence the term "tween". Moreover, they're probably some of the most awkward of ages. Nevertheless, as awkward as they may be, these tweens seem to excel in popular slang. And leave it to these tweens to make everyone feel out of touch because, with their way of speaking, it's easy to feel out of touch with society.
After hearing some of these tween words, it won't be hard to imagine oneself in a spelling bee. Language of origin? Definition? Use it in a sentence, please… Without some help, there really is no way to decipher some of these words. Actually, I don't think they're actually even words. Let's just call them sayings or terms. Whether it involves creating a term to signify one's close friends, to a word for something that once helped but is now no longer necessary, to a word for after seeing something that is too funny to handle, these tweens have a lexicon all their own. So without further ado, here are 20 things tweens are saying to each other that moms don't get.
Bad. Bad is bad, right? Wait… bad isn't bad? Well then if bad isn't bad, then what's bad? Bad? I think I better sit down for a minute because my head is starting to spin. And guess what? When your head starts spinning, that's bad. While you might be inclined to think that bad actually means good, you may be right. However, "bad", might have changed into something entirely else. In fact, if you were to ask a tween what "bad" meant, they would probably tell you that it actually refers to someone who is really good looking. Go figure.
I know what you're thinking. This is something that a cashier would say to someone after ringing them up. "That'll be $25.48". "Here you go…" "Thank you, next". See what I mean? Well, as much I don't want to let you down, I'm here to tell you that that is not what "thank u, next" means. This term is actually in reference to an Ariana Grande song of the same name. This term refers to something that may have once helped you, but now it is no longer necessary. "Thank u, next", and you're on to the next thing.
If you are from the south, I'm sure you know a lot about crayfish. However, it came as a surprise to me when I found out that "cray" isn't short for "crayfish". How crazy is that? Wait a minute… Crazy? Cray? Could it be…? Well, it just so happens that the term "cray" is actually another term for the word "crazy". I actually have a little problem with this. All it involves is removing one letter. That's not much of a difference. I just don't see the point in something like this. I guess I must be the "cray" one.
This next one refers to the famous luxury brand. There, that one wasn't so bad. Right? Well, if only things were that simple… If you haven't realized it by now, when it comes to tween sayings, things are never what they appear to be. As much as one would think "Gucci" refers to the brand "Gucci", it does not. I mean, yes, technically, it does, but in this context, "Gucci" actually refers to something that is good. So instead of saying something like, "the famous luxury brand Gucci is very good", you would say "the famous luxury brand Gucci is very Gucci".
This next term comes to us courtesy of Keeping Up with the Kardashians because let's be honest, it was only a matter of time before one of their catchphrases ended up in our tween's lexicon. If you aren't well versed in the television universe of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, first, consider yourselves very, very lucky. And second, this term, "bible", actually comes up quite a bit. When one of the Kardashians uses the word, "bible", they are trying to indicate that what they are saying or referring to is the truth. For example: Bible, no one should be using this term like this.
You really have to hand it to these tweens for this next term. Apparently, when it comes to abbreviating words, no one can hold a candle to them. And in case you haven't guessed it by now, "turnt" is actually an abbreviation. But what is it an abbreviation for? Let's try and break it down in order to figure it out. "Turnt" is a shorter and almost similar word to "turned". And "turned up" was a previously common saying. So if you drop the "up" and change the "turned", you now get "turnt". And "turnt" means to get extremely energized or excited.
I think we all know by now that when tweens use the word "snatched", they are referring to the Amy Schumer and Goldie Hawn comedy film from 2017. Wait a minute… Is that not what the word "snatched" is in reference to? Well if it's not in reference to the movie, then I guess it must be referring to something or someone that looks really good. Not to toot my own horn, but if you could see my outfit right now, you'd probably say it's looking "snatched". Now that I think about it, I guess that makes a lot more sense than the movie reference.
Well, well, well… what do we have here? It would appear that every tween's favorite three letter word is next on the agenda. Despite what you may think about what this next word means, when it is used by a tween, it is never in reference to the past tense of the verb "light". So forget everything you have ever learned about the grammatically correct version of "light". "Lit" has to do with something that is awesome or exciting. The term "lit" is usually thrown around when referring to parties. For example, "hello fellow tween, that party was extremely lit".
Is it just me or are these words getting stranger and stranger? Oh well, let's keep going. Upon first glance of this next word, it's definitely a head scratcher. However, once you learn the meaning behind it, it starts to make a lot more sense. The term "hundo p" is essentially an abbreviated version of "100 percent". "Hundred" = "hundo" and "percent" = "p". Now that you know what the word means, let's put it into some context. When using the term "hundo p", you are going to want to use it when you are trying to show that you agree with something wholeheartedly.
Do you know that feeling when you leave the gym after an intense workout and your body feels so weak that you just want to fall down on the floor and lay there for all eternity? Well, whether you do or you don't, this version of "I'm weak" isn't actually referring to being physically weak. Nor does it refer to being mentally weak either. This version of "I'm weak" refers to something that you find funny. For example, if someone sends you a funny video or meme, you would respond, "I'm weak". It's almost as if to say that what you just saw was so funny that your body is now weak.
Say what you want about tween sayings being nonsensical, but for the majority of their terms, once you understand the meaning behind it, they start to make some sense as to how they were conceived. However, this next one really has me puzzled, especially considering that I know the meaning behind it. After seeing this word for the first time, I had some ideas as to what it could possibly mean, but I was sorely mistaken. "Finna" actually refers to something that you are going to do. For example, I'm finna start my New Year's Resolutions. Well not really, but you get the idea.
You may have heard of the word "FOMO", or "fear of missing out", but I would now like to introduce you to its new cousin, "JOMO". In case you haven't guessed it by now, instead of the fear of missing out, "JOMO" stands for the "joy of missing out". I don't know about you, but I can absolutely get behind "JOMO". For me, there's nothing better than lying in bed. Who needs to stay out till four in the morning in hot and sweaty clubs partying? I'll take a Netflix marathon any day of the week. So the next time you're concerned about missing out, be happy about it.
If there is one thing synonymous with tweens and their sayings, it's farm animals. Well, not exactly. But the "GOAT" reference could have something to do with my prior thought. Much like "FOMO" and "JOMO", "GOAT" is also another acronym. What does "GOAT" mean, you ask? Well, "GOAT" stands for the "greatest of all time". When a tween is using the word "GOAT", more often than not, they are using it in reference to sports. For example, they could be having an argument as to whether LeBron James or Michael Jordan is the GOAT. Of course, this is ridiculous as we all know that Michael Jordan is the GOAT.
Tweens these days are always doing their little chemistry experiments in the lab, so it makes perfect sense that these tweens would come up with a word that has to do with a variation of NaCl, or otherwise known as sodium chloride. If only it were that simple… "Salty" actually refers to the act of being jealous or bitter towards something. For example, if you were wronged by something a while ago and you still haven't gotten over it by now, you would be considered "salty". Does this mean that if you are too forgiving and accepting, you are considered "sweetie"? Did I just invent a new saying?
I don't know about you, but I love a good snack. In fact, I almost love a good snack as much as I love a good nap. Unfortunately, the snack that I am referring to is not the same snack as the one that tweens are using in their everyday talk. Nevertheless, the two aren't total opposites. In fact, there may very well be some overlap. A "snack" is another way to refer a girl or guy who you consider attractive. So much for not treating others like a piece of meat. Well, I guess a snack is a step forward so we're making progress.
"Yeet" is a bird call for the scaly-sided merganser bird. I'm actually just kidding about that. I mean, that's at least what my intention was. The scaly-sided merganser is actually a real bird, so for all I know that could very well be their actual bird call. But I digress… While it may or may not be a bird call, when it comes to tweens, "yeet" is just another word for yes. Where did such a beautiful and majestic word come from? Your guess is as good as mine. For me, I think I'll just stick to the word "yes".
I'm sure that we all know what swollen means. However, just to give you a quick refresh, when something is swollen, it has expanded beyond its normal size or limit. So now that you know what swollen is, it will make understanding what "swole" means, that much easier. The term "swole" refers to being extremely muscular. Think about it this way; if your muscles are huge, they are almost swollen, and you are considered "swole". I think you better get to know this term because people love to work out, so I don't see it going away any time soon.
Prior to tweens, whenever the word squad was either spoken or referenced, it usually had to do with either sports or military personnel. However, once tweens got a hold of it, it became something else entirely. For tweens, what was once either athletic or tactical became their own. Now, whenever "squad" is spoken, it is usually in reference to a group of friends. So instead of having friends, tweens now have "squads". And if you're wondering how many friends constitute a squad, I'm actually not quite sure. If I had to guess, I would say at least three, just to be on the safe side.
I seem to have noticed a trend among tween sayings. More specially, when it comes to friends and family, tweens are quick to give them their own terms. This exciting phenomenon can be seen when it comes to tweens referencing their close friends. While your friends may be considered a "squad", tweens have come up with a saying for their friends that they consider to be even closer. These close-knit friends are referred to as "fam". And yes, "fam" is indeed short for "family". While I am not entirely certain, I do believe that some friends can be both members of your "squad" and your "fam" at the same time.
Now that we have covered the friends in our "squad" and the close friends in our "fam", it is time to move onto "bruh". "Bruh" is just another name for the word "bro". Now, this is where things get a little confusing. I'll go slow, so please try and keep up. While your close friends are considered "fam", which is short for "family", your "bro" wouldn't necessarily be considered part of your "fam", even though your "brother" is part of your "family". And since "bruh" is another term for "bro", "bruh" isn't part of the "fam". I think I better stop before I hurt myself.