Cool Isn’t Cool; It’s “Cringe” and “Slay” is Cool
Like many people my age, it’s hard to believe I am over 60 years old, and beyond “middle aged,” unless I live to be 135. I do my best to live a healthy lifestyle and keep my brain active but I am a baby boomer and, by most definitions, officially part of the “older generation.” When I was about 10, my family took a trip to San Francisco to see the “hippies” in Haight Ashbury. I was exposed to “flower power,” and things that were great were called “groovy,” “bitchin” and “cool.” Bell bottoms were all the rage; they left for a while and came back again recently. I should have kept all the clothes I owned as a chunky 12-year-old because they would likely fit me today. In my 60s, I could have been a fashionista/social media influencer. What a thought!
I have always considered myself to be pretty “cool,” though that word is no longer cool. I had an epiphany one day when I was teaching a pilates class and I made a reference to “skinny jeans.” One of the students giggled out loud. I said, “ahhhhh, I guess skinny jeans are not a thing anymore.” I was told, “they’re cringe.” It’s pretty easy to guess what “cringe” means; something that makes you want to cringe. I decided to go home and “google” contemporary slang (Gen Z, Millennial, etc.)
Why does any of this matter? Well, if you are over 60 and job hunting, the people who might hire you or work with probably speak a slightly different language than you, though it still classifies as English. To stay relevant, you would do well to at least understand what some of those “new” terms mean. There are several sources that can provide “slang” dictionaries. If you google slang for different generations, here’s what you may find.
Baby Boomer Slang (Born 1946-1964 or 60-78 years old in 2024)
Gen X Slang (Born 1965-1980, or 44-59 years years old in 2024)
Millennial Slang (Born 1981-1996, 28-43 years old in 2024)
Gen Z Slang (Born 1997-2012, 12-27 years old in 2024)
If you still work, the people you work with are likely younger than you, so you may have experienced feeling a little out of touch during “water cooler” conversations or on-line sessions. Of course, the old water cooler has long since been replaced by the “half-caf oat milk latte” from the local coffee place (or maybe your workplace has a cappuccino maker or vendor where you can make or purchase your brew of choice). However you choose to take a chat break, you might feel like a deer in the headlights when your younger colleagues talk about the “bussin’ food” at the local “slay” restaurant.
Every generation has its unique set of slang language; some lasts well into the next generation. However, the words you choose may be a giveaway to your age. The current up-and-coming generation is Gen Z though we are more likely to be working or interviewed by Millenials. Some of the Millennials might use some Gen Z Slang. By the same token, some Gen Xers may use up Millennial slang or even Baby Boomer slang. If you plan on working well into your 70s, or if you are a baby boomer looking for work, you would do well to at least be aware of the lingo your co-workers or interviewers use. Despite arguments companies will make to the contrary, there is ageism. Anything you can do to underemphasize your age (i.e., scale back the years to match a generation or two after you) can only help if your potential employer wants a worker who is current with the times. (I am tempted to say “hip,” but that is definitely not “slay”)
During job interviews, hiring managers usually want to know a little bit about you, more than just your work experience. It isn’t unusual to be asked, “What do you like to do in your spare time, when you’re not at work?” If you are a baby boomer who got stuck in a time warp, your answer might be as follows:
I love to chill out, hang loose and watch some far-out flicks on the boob tube. But, dig it, I am really psyched, because this weekend I’m going to put on some cool threads, and get together with a coupla cats, and listen to some musicians jamming. I will probably split early so I can catch some Z’s (explanations available in the Baby Boomer Slang link).
A millennial is more likely to say:
“I plan to have a low-key weekend, hang with my squad, nothing cray cray. We’ll listen to some dank music until I gotta bounce.”
Despite the fact that I am, by all definitions, a baby boomer, after reading up on generational slang, I realized that most of the words that have stuck with me come from the generation after mine, the 50-ish Gen Xers. Maybe this is because most of my classmates in graduate school were about ten years younger than I am. I prefer to think that Gen X slang is timeless. Here are the words I can’t let go of:
Chill Pill - Baby boomers merely said, “chill,” but “take a chill pill” is equally enticing
Diss - I love this one and can’t help using it when I feel I am being “totally dissed”
Dude – I hated this term beyond measure; it was in a close contest with “babe.” However, when I am in my car, with all the windows closed, and an incredibly rude or unconscious driver passes by, rather than enter into road rage, or use the “F” word, I’m likely to just screech out a “dude,” or, better yet, “WTF, Dude.”
Gnarly – I use this term typically to describe something like a hiking trail that is steep, has lots of turns, and endless obstacles to trip over. Occasionally, I might use it to refer to something really distasteful. I’m quite unlikely to use it in combination with “dude.”
Rock - I still say that something “totally rocks” or that someone “rocked it.” I think this word is still perfectly okay to use.
Yuppie. Did this term really go away? I was quite surprised to see it in the Gen X slang dictionary. I mean…. Aren’t there still young, upwardly mobile/urban professionals?
As If. The movie “Clueless” made this term famous. I do admit to occasionally using this one, usually sarcastically
Whatever. I…will…not….let….this…one…go! I mean… whatever!
If you are a linguist or a purist about language, and you refuse to buy into the concept of adopting generational slang, there is nothing wrong with that, but hopefully, you will get some use or at least enjoyment out of the slang dictionaries linked in this blog. If not, all I can say is “WHATEVER!”