Zoomer Zone: Decoding Gen Z-Speak

EMMA DISON BRANTLEY

Have you ever been in the middle of a conversation and the other person says something you really don’t understand, or it seems out of context? I've even had to look up certain phrases in an attempt to understand a conversation. Whether it’s an in-person conversation or over text, Gen Z has adopted many phrases and acronyms in their everyday communication. Many of these terms are quite different in meaning from how the older generation uses them.

Cap refers to something unbelievable, or fake. For example, if someone told you they were able to speed run Mario Kart and finish in four hours, you would say “that’s cap,” or “you’re capping,” meaning you don’t believe they did it. Another example is, you tell your friend, “I got 70% off at Zara, no cap,’ meaning the deal was real.

Periodt is a variant of "period,"used mostly in text and chat to signal the end of a discussion or to emphasize a point, similarly to when people exclaim, "Amen!" If your friend just told you they broke up with their cheating boyfriend, you would write "You're too good for him. Periodt!" IYKYK is an acronym that people will usually post with a picture, with a hashtag, or sometimes over text. It stands for “If you know, you know,” meaning not everyone will understand what I’m talking about, but if you’ve been through it or seen it, you know what I’m talking about. I think of this like an inside joke, but it commonly refers to either something only girls understand, or something only boys understand.

Living rent-free doesn’t refer to someone living rent-free in your house, but rather something like a video, song, or picture that sticks with your memory, and you just can’t get it out. (Think “earworm.”) I know Taylor Swift is living rent-free in my head. “Living rent-free” can also have negative connotations, meaning someone could live rent-free in your head because you’re just so fed up with them, and what they did continuously upsets you. As a Gen Z citizen myself, I haven't heard anyone use this phrase in a sarcastic way, but if you have, think of it as your fan base constantly ‘awe-ing’ over you.

If you aren’t the main character of your life, then who is? I’ve always heard the term “main character energy” on the internet and thought it meant an extrovert, or spontaneous person. With Gen Z, it means setting goals and bettering yourself; you shouldn’t evolve for other people, you should evolve for yourself.

In L & W, rather than “L” meaning losers, Gen Z has changed the letter to mean “taking an L,” or losing. Losing a soccer game would mean that the team “took the L.” On the other hand, if you won your soccer game, that means your team “took the W,” or the win. These letters can be used in any context where there is a good or bad outcome. These letters are usually used in a light manner, like when someone spills coffee on their homework, that’s an L, or if you find you have a free dozen donuts from Krispy Kreme, that's a W.

These are only a few phrases I’ve heard around the internet and if you haven’t heard any of them, try using them in the next conversation you have. Boomers should ask their kids or grandkids if they use them. too. Either way, I try to keep my parents up to date with the newest Gen Z lingo and I hope you can, too.

EMMA DISON BRANTLEY is a third-year student at the University of Cincinnati, where she is pursuing a degree in information technology on the game development and simulation track. When she is not gaming online, she spends time with her parents trying to help them not be so boomer.