How Much Of This Gen-Y Internet Slang Do You Understand?

I’m used to much of my slang falling on baffled, deaf ears. But how confusing is Gen Y internet slang really?

Using both my friends and the internet, I put together a list of 20 commonly used internet slang terms that make perfect sense to kids these days. I then asked a bunch of people over 25 to tell me what they mean, including my mum. Hilarity ensued.


Turnt : Drunk/high/ready to party.

Paul — The sound heavy metal makes through a bad speaker. So the start of Master of Puppets goes: “Turnt. Turnt, turnt-turnt…”
David — Totally burnt?
Alison — I know (think) this is about dancing? Like, just try get me to stop dropping this.
Alex — Shakespearean for turning.
Danny — Drunk?
Tim — No idea.
Genevieve — Like, high on drugs or really smashed. “We’re gonna get turnt tonight!” Or is it turnt up? “We’re gonna get turnt up!”
Adam — Like, Turnt Up means drunk/high – but like in a party context yeah?
Mark — Is this like a girl who’s turned out by like a pimp or something?
Sarah — Toasted/ burnt? Like when you burn someone?
Rob — ¯_(ツ)_/¯

My mum — Your turn not.


Bae : Acronym for “Before Anyone Else,” meaning your partner or significant other.

Anne Marie — Significant other.
David — Best advice ever?
Alison — Baby, babe, girlfriend/boyfriend. I prefer honey pot.
Alex — Like boyfriend or girlfriend.
Tim — No idea.
Genevieve — Before All Else. So you caption a pic of your boyf, “Bae” and then hate yourself forever.
Adam — I used to think this meant ‘Baby’ but learnt recently it means ‘before anyone else’ (I think that’s right).
Mark — I know this one. It’s short for baby.
Linda — Babe.
Rob — Good looking?

My mum — By the way.


Belfie : A selfie of your butt.

Anne Marie — Best friend selfie (?!)
Paul — I’ve heard this somewhere and can’t remember the translation. A photo of the tower where bats live? Bats in the belfie?
David — Best friend selfie?
Alison — Bed selfie?
Alex — A selfie with your best friend?
Tim — No idea.
Genevieve — Bum selfie? A necessary life skill.
Adam — Guessing – best friend selfie?
Rae — Butt selfie. Oh gosh how do I know this stuff.
Mark — A selfie of your belly?
Linda — Some kind of selfie.
Luke — Butt Selfie. Kill me now.
Rob — Belly selfie?

My mum — Selfie with your best friend.


.com : A suffix used to add emphasis.

Anne Marie — The annoying thing people add to words to make annoying Facebook statuses?! E.g. “bored.com” or ‘tiered.com”. I want to punch these people.
Paul — Added to the end of anything as an exclamation. “That was awesome.com”, or “I’m hungry.com”.
David — The end of a website name.
Alison — As in like, lame.com?
Alex — Of this generation.
Tim — International?
Genevieve — Awkward.com! Just a cool way to comment on things. “What do you think of The Rock doing the Lip Sync Battle?” “Awkward.com, bae.”
Adam — Is this like when you add it randomly on the end of a sentence like, “hot as fuck dot com” or something?
Linda — a website?.. have I missed something?
Luke — The internet.
Rob — The domain name com is a top-level domain (TLD) in the Domain Name System of the Internet. Its name is derived from the word commercial, indicating its original intended purpose for domains registered by commercial organisations.

My mum — company.


Icymi : An acronym for “in case you missed it”.

Alison — HELP ME. I hate this game.
David — lick me?
Danny — I missed this one.
Tim — No idea.
Genevieve — In Case You Missed It! A handy hashtag to search on Twitter.
Adam — Nope.
Rae — This sounds like a type of fungus.
Sarah — Another form of LGBT community?
Linda — No idea! Some kind of sushi?
Rob — I can’t even.

My mum — I see your mind inside.


All up in my George Foreman : Aka all up in my grill which means to be in someone’s face

Anne Marie — In my face.
Paul — Another term for “All up in my grill”, meaning “annoying”.
David — Up in my grill?
Alison — All up in ma grill!
Alex — When someone invades your personal space.
Tim — I don’t make decisions.
Danny — Grillz player.
Genevieve — George Foreman is a grill. So you’re “All up in my grill.” I.e., someone is pestering you.
Adam — All up in ma grillz!!
Rae — I’m guessing this means “All up in my grill”? Like in my face?
Linda — In my face.
Luke – Isn’t that cockney rhyme slang for all up in one’s grille? I quite like that.
Rob — Up in my Grill!

My mum — You understand where I’m coming from.


Ikr : Acronym for “I know, right?”

Paul — I know right.
David — Licker.
Alison — I know riiiiiight?
Alex — A girl saying “I know riiiiiiiigggggghhhhhhttt”
Tim — No idea.
Genevieve — I Know, Right. For the lazybones’ who can’t be bothered to write it out.
Rae — I know, right?
Mark — ARGH I KNOW THIS BUT I ALSO DON’T KNOW THIS.
Sarah — Like that health food store?
Rob — I kannot recall.

My mum — I know really.


Af : Acronym for “as fuck”.

Paul — After something? Possibly x-rated.
David — as if?
Alison — Ah, fuck. That’s not right. I know that’s not right.
Tim — No idea.
Genevieve — As Fuck. “She’s stylish AF.”
Rae — As F&*^. Like that skirt is hot Af.
Mark — Actually don’t know.
Sarah — After?
Linda — Ahhh f*ck.. (I don’t know)
Rob — Auto focus.

My mum — Affogato.


Fomo : Acronym for fear of missing out.

Anne Marie — Fear of missing out – I personally get ‘jomo’ – joy of missing out 😉
David — Fear of missing out… that’s easy. Come on!
Alison — Fear of missing out, boom.
Alex — It means “I’m scared to be in my own company”.
Tim — Formal, official.
Genevieve — Fear of Missing Out. Something I’m acutely aware of.
Adam — Nope.
Sarah — Fear of missing out – such a first world problem.
Luke — Fear Of Missing Out.

My mum — Forward motion.


Swerve : An exclamation similar to “oh really?” or “yeah, cool!”

Anne Marie — To pass.
Paul — Avoid someone.
David — This is a wrestling term. When you think something is going to happen and then it doesn’t. Think Sixth Sense when Bruce Willis is actually dead. Massive swerve!
Alison — Is this like Tinder – as in, swipe right? Swerve that guy?
Danny — My mate.
Tim — A person has no principles.
Genevieve — I have no idea but I sing the word all the time in Kanye songs. So . . . Tempted . . . to Google.
Adam — Nope.
Rae — Okay, so I’m old enough to only be able to relate this to driving.
Mark — To avoid someone.
Sarah — you’ve got some super nerve
Linda — How can this word be turn into anything but its actual meaning.. seriously?
Luke — Is that a dance move?
Rob — dodge something?

My mum — Off the subject.


Fresh to death : Really cool or looking very fashionable.

Anne Marie — New and awesome (?) I know Estelle says in American Boy ‘sneakers looking fresh to death..’ so I have always assumed it means new and awesome?!
David — Someone dying really fast?
Tim — Very fresh.
Genevieve — I genuinely have no idea. So fresh . . . you’re dead?
Adam — Nope.
Rae — Something my little sister had as her email address.
Mark — This is old school. Means I’m looking good or whatever.
Sarah — like so fresh it could kill you?
Linda — I feel so old.. I don’t know.
Luke — Being murdered by vegetables.
Rob — Recently dead?

My mum — Very fresh.


Idk tho : Abbreviated form of “I don’t know though”.

Anne Marie — I don’t know though (?)
David — I like dick though
Alex — “I donnnnnnnn’tttt kkkkknnnnnoooowwww tttthhhooouuuggghhhh”
Danny — I do.
Genevieve — I Don’t Know Though. See point Ikr.
Adam — I don’t know tho – I think this is some kind of meta thing you see on reddit/forums, yeah
Mark — I don’t know tho.
Luke — !?!?!?!
Rob — I don’t know though.

My mum — I’d know though.


Throw shade : To trash talk or generally hate on someone.

Anne Marie — Calm something down (total guess!)
Paul — Pay insults or speak in a derogatory way about someone, or something.
David — Throw me some sunglasses?
Alex — Make an impression.
Danny — The sport of internet shaming Luke Hopewell.
Tim — Be open, and be happy.
Marc – Dis-compliment.
Genevieve — To insult someone. Like when Katy Perry threw shade on Taylor Swift calling her a Regina George in sheep’s clothing.
Mark — To disrespect someone.
Sarah — I’m such the boss you are all in my shadows.
Linda — some dodgy form of sun protection.
Rob — Sunnies.

My mum — Be inconspicuous.


Smh : Acronym for “shaking my head”.

Paul — Shaking my head. (So smh.com actually means “I’m extremely disappointed.”)
David — It should be Sydney Morning Herald but it’ll be some moronic human.
Alison — So many hoes. Haahaha.
Danny — Sydney Morning Herald.
Tim — Sydney Morning Herald.
Genevieve — Shaking My Head. I used to think it was So Much Hate, which I much prefer.
Adam — Smack my forehead.
Mark — Come aaahn. Even my mum knows this one. Shaking my head.
Sarah — Sydney Morning Herald.
Linda — Shaking My head.
Luke — The Sydney Morning Herald.
Rob — Sydney Morning Herald.

My mum — Sydney Morning Herald


Titf : Acronym for “taking it too far”.

Paul — Till I… idk I give up.
David — Tit face.
Alison — Absolutely not idea. It reminds me of something I can’t say here.
Tim — hat
Genevieve — Tits in the Face? I have no idea.
Adam — It’s ‘today I…’ something something.
Rae — That probably means what I think it means. Or I just have a dirty mind. We’ll see.
Mark — Titfuck? Oh man, don’t use this in the article.
Sarah — I’m pretty sure this is rude.
Linda — Zero Idea!
Luke — Taking it too far.
Rob — Is this a sexual thing?

My mum — Getting emotional.


So soy : Really bad or really annoying, possible derived from “salty,” meaning angry or bitter.

Paul — So sorry?
David — Like crap milk that is meant to be health but tastes like shit.
Alison — Oh my god what even is this. So healthy? So bland?
Danny — You’re sorry? You should be.
Tim — So cheap.
Genevieve — Is this something you’d say if you were mocking a Bondi hipster?
Adam — Nope.
Rae — Something is really, really made from soy? I don’t know. Kids are weird, man.
Mark — Is this when someone looks asian or acts asian?
Linda — So hipster? Hang on, I drink soy and I’m not a hipster.. god, I don’t know.
Luke — A way of saying one’s food is salty. “My food is so soy”.
Rob — Salty? Is this another sexual thing?

My mum — So cool.


On fleek : On Point or looking fly.

Paul — Perfect all the time.
David — This is terrible.
Alison — Perfection. Brows on fleek.
Alex — Exactly right.
Tim — No idea.
Adam — Nope.
Genevieve — On point. Like, really good. Eyebrows on fleek means your eyebrows are looking fiiiine.
Rae — The new “on point”. Often used for eyebrows.
Mark — On brand?
Linda — On trend??
Luke — Is that an emoji?
Rob — Nfi (no fucking idea).

My mum — On the ball.


Baller : A word meaning “really cool,” similar to “pimping”.

Paul — High-spending. Rockpool is a baller restaurant.
David — Doesn’t wear undies and swims free ball.
Alison — So gangster.
Danny — Someone who is the shit.
Tim — People who love balls.
Genevieve — Cool, tough, a bit gangster. Like, Rihanna is baller. She doesn’t give two shits about what you think and she’d probs punch you if you looked at her sideways.
Mark — BALLER MEANS BALLER.
Sarah — This is a good thing I’ve been told.
Linda — Basketballer/gangster/ an on trend word for a cool kid.
Luke — A basketball player.
Rob — Someone with big brass balls?

My mum — Dickhead.


Totes appropes : Abbreviated form of totally appropriate.

Mostly everyone got this right! Even my mum!

Anne Marie — Totally appropriate.
Paul — Correct behaviour.
David — Totally appropriate. Thanks Dolly!!
Alison — Totally appropriate.
Alex — Totally Appropriate.
Danny — Totally appropriate.
Genevieve — Totally Appropriate.
Adam — Totally appropriate.
Rae — totally appropriate. Sometimes used sarcastically
Mark — Totally appropriate.
Sarah — Totally appropriate
Linda — Totally appropriate
Luke — Totally appropriate
Rob — Totally appropriate?

My mum — Totally appropriate.


Kray/Cray : Crazy or wild or gangster. Some believe this relates to the ’60s gansters, the Kray Twins.

And they got this too!

Anne Marie — Crazy. Obvs.
Paul — Crazy.
David — Crazy
Alison — Crazy
Alex — Crazy person.
Danny — Crazy
Genevieve — “She’s cray” = “she’s a crazy bitch”
Adam — Crazy. Ball so hard muthafukkas wanna fine me!
Rae — Crazy
Mark — Crazy
Sarah — Crazy
Linda — Crazyyyyy
Luke — Crazyyyyy
Rob — Something that the audience of Jerry Springer would say – you know who that is right?

My mum — Cool or Krazy.


Do you know any ridiculous internet slang? Anything baffling or just plain annoying? Let us know in the comments.

Selfie image via Shutterstock


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