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Teaching Profession

The Top 10 Slang Terms Teachers Never Want to Hear Again, Explained

By Marina Whiteleather — December 20, 2024 2 min read
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Has a student ever called you “Bruh”? Or have you ever scratched your head trying to figure out what “skibidi” means?

Student slang seems to change by the minute, making it tricky to keep up with the latest terms hitting the hallways.

We asked educators on social media to share the slang terms they wish students would stop using, and they did not hold back. Over 360 comments poured in on and with educators wanting to add their nominations.

Some teachers think slang is distracting, even going as far in some cases to . But, as Jill Davidson, a school psychologist, noted in a , slang can “enrich our language, [and] encourage creativity. It’s important to know what they mean and how they’re used.”

To help educators better understand the most popular and prevalent slang, we’ve rounded up the top 10 terms teachers told us they are sick of hearing. We put together definitions for each one and selected videos of teachers explaining how this inscrutable, secret language is used in schools.

Sigma

/˛őɪɡłľÉ™/

This is a slang term for “the best” and can be used to describe someone who is an alpha male.

What the are these kids saying?

Drip

/drip/
It is often used to describe clothes or accessories that are cool or stylish.

Replying to @authentic.homes time to expand your vocabulary!

Ate

/ate/
The verb is used to used to praise someone for doing something well or having good style. The phrase “4+4" can also be used in the same way as “ate.”

Learning slang from Gen Z students 🙄

Bruh

/˛ú°ůÉ™/
This word is mostly used as a friendly way of referring to someone, especially a male friend, or as a way of expressing surprise or disagreement.

What is up with the phrases that students are using daily?

Skibidi

/˛ő°ěÉŞ.˛úÉŞ.»ĺľ±/
This can be used to mean “cool” or “dumb” or “bad” depending on the context and is typically used as a filler word. It originated from a YouTube videos series called â€Skibidi Toilet’ that featured animated talking heads.

Oh what do you mean?

Delulu

\dih-loo-loo\
The term is a shortened version of the word “delusional.” Most often it is used to accuse someone of having faulty judgment.

Asking our faculty and staff slang words 🤣đź™đź…

Low-key

/±ôĹŤËŚ°ěŧ/
An adverb meaning “secretly” or without intense emotions. It can also be used to describe doing something modestly or moderately.

21.

Bet

/bet/
It’s often used to mean “OK” and is used to express agreement, affirmation, or approval.

What’s your favorite slang phrase kids have used in your class???

Crash out

/kraSH out/
A slang term meaning to become hysterical and do something reckless, or to pass out from exhaustion.

Crashing Out What does crashing out mean? Gen Z students keep coming up with different ways to say tantrum. Do your students say crashing out?

Rizz

/riz/
This term is a shortened version of “charisma” and refers to a person’s charm or attractiveness.

Asking LC teachers what our slang means Part One

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