Mollywood BLVD

A pocket guide to understanding your teen at Thanksgiving

People often joke about avoiding political conversations at Thanksgiving dinner because we all have that one uncle who will get into a heated debate- But there is little to no guidance on how to interact with or understand teenage relatives. If you can get their ear buds out long enough to have a conversation with a teen at your family get-together, you may need a crash course in Gen Z slang. It’s literally like a foreign language. As the mother of two teens, desperately trying to be hip, I have cobbled together a helpful list of slang words I have heard my kids use along with their definitions. Please feel free to cut out this column and bring it to Thanksgiving as a cheat sheet for your reference:

Bussin- No, they are not talking about bussing the tables when everyone finishes their meal. Bussin simply means something is really good. Use it in a sentence: “This sh** is bussin!” If they say this about your Thanksgiving meal, it means they like it.

Cap and No Cap- Cap means lie/lying. Use it in a sentence: Q: “Did you really bake that apple pie from scratch?” A: “No cap!”

Ice- Sorry grandma, no, not literal frozen water, and no, Gen X-ers it doesn’t mean meth anymore either. Ice now refers to expensive jewelry, often diamonds. Millennials- see also the outdated “bling.” Use it in a sentence: “He got ice on the wrists.” Not to be confused with being “Iced” which is when someone hands you a Smirnoff Ice and you have to chug it.

A bop- Believe it or not, this word/phrase is widely used on the internet. If you have heard it, it is more than likely true that it was a compliment of a song or music video. Use it in a sentence: “This song is a bop.”

Fam- This one is self-explanatory.

Fam is literally an abbreviation that stands for family, but the kicker is its usually used to address friends. Use it in a sentence: “What’s up, fam?”

Stacked- If you hear a teen say this word regarding your Thanksgiving spread, this is good news. If they are talking about Aunt Ruth, there is cause for concern. As a Millennial (or Xennial) I have always taken stacked to mean someone being busty or having a larger chest. Gen Z and Alpha gen kids are simply saying there is a lot of something. If everyone at the table is large breasted use your discretion on determining which version is meant. Use it in a sentence: “This table is stacked with food!”

Gucci- This is essentially the new “cool.” It’s pretty versatile and obviously based on the luxury fashion brand, but if someone says something is “Gucci” it has a positive connotation. Use it in a sentence: Texter #1: “I’ll be there in 10 minutes.” Texter #2: “Gucci” (as in, “cool” or “sounds good”)

4D Chess- Derived from the saying, “He’s playing checkers I’m playing chess” Gen-Z’ers have upped their game by throwing out the term 4D Chess. It is the same as “next level” essentially. (4D Chess is not an actual thing, by the way.) Use it in a sentence: “That was a 4D chess move.”

Flex- To show off or assert dominance. Use it in a sentence: “Dad is flexing his turkey roasting skills.”

Sneaky link- Your side guy or gal that you meet in secret. You don’t even have to be in a relationship to have a “sneaky link” it just means you are hooking up (sleeping with) someone but you don’t divulge to anyone else. Use it in a sentence: You don’t.

Throuple- Well, it’s not too hard if you just look at the word. It’s couple, with a third. A threeway relationship. Use it in a sentence: Your cousin shows up at Thanksgiving with two girls, one on each arm. Teenager removes ear buds and says, “Are they throuple.” P.S. Millennials use this more than Gen Z or Alphas.

Bet- “Bet” is used when you are in agreement with something. Simple as that. See also: “yes.” Use it in a sentence: Q: “Are you coming to Grandma’s for Thanksgiving?” A: “Bet”

Yeet- To throw or toss something. Use it in a sentence: “Yeah, I yeeted those sweet potatoes.” (Threw them away)

Finsta- This is the Myspace equivalent of an “alt” or “burner” account. It means “fake” Instagram account. You will have an account that your parents are aware of which is usually your main or real account, you may also have a “spam” account, which is where you post more frequently and freely, but if you want to actual identifying factors or would like to keep a private Instagram for just close friends — You know, pics of yourself doing a keg stand or baring more mid-driff than mom can handle, you post that on your “finsta.” Use it in a sentence: “Don’t follow my real Insta, it’s boring. Find my Finsta.”

Salty- If a teen at your Thanksgiving dinner says something or someone is salty, don’t panic. They probably aren’t referring to your green bean casserole. “Salty” means annoyed or upset. Use it in a sentence: “Grandpa got salty with me because I didn’t try the stuffing he made.”

Spill the tea- To disclose information, especially of a sensitive nature. Gossip, basically. Use it in a sentence: “You gonna spill the tea or not?”

Woke- Typically this an adjective meaning being alert to racial or other prejudice and discrimination-being sympathetic and aware of racial and social justice issues. Use it in a sentence: Stay woke.

Sus- Basically “sus” is short for suspicious or suspect. Use it in a sentence: “Cousin Alex is acting sus (as he goes for a third slice of pumpkin pie).”

Fit- “fit” is simply short for outfit, this one shouldn’t be a strain on your brain, but I’ll warn ya, them kids are gonna use it a sentence like this: “Rate the fit” and if that confuses you, it doesn’t mean determine whether an outfit fits well, it just means, is the outfit “clean?” Not “clean” as in “freshly laundered.” Clean as in “fire.” You know what, we might need an actual table dictionary…

I hope that this reference guide assists you in translating what your teenager may say at your next family gathering, but word to the wise- after this year, probably best to toss it. These may be obsolete in a few months’ time. Who knows what weird vocabulary they will come up with by next Thanksgiving. I may need to make this an annual feature for my November column. No cap.