The Youth Language Lexicon: McCrindle Research
The Youth Language Lexicon: McCrindle Research
B MA KMC RN L Y R C ID E w ru .e.u od pn t a
T EY U H H O T L N U G L XC N A G A E E IO
when these words are presented as slang used by Aussie Y-ers and Zeds, the young people often respond with indignation. As one Zed revealed: Its used, but more as a joke thing, if one of my friends is trying to be African American. Remember, context is everything with gens Y and Z!
ab
already?
aight
AMW
(Pronounced aite or ite) adjective. All right. See you at 9 tomorrow, aight?
noun. Acronym for actress, model, whatever. Woman whose appearance is closely linked to her success.
A-list
noun. Category of people who are in demand as additions to a party because they are desirable, glamorous and cool. Sasha is definitely on the A-list. Shes the best to have around.
arse hat as
noun. Idiot. preposition. Totally, much, very. Placed after an adjective, as intensifies it like so placed before. Sick as, gnarly as. A contraction replacing a simile, e.g. cool as a cucumber can be replaced by cool as.
all-g
all that
adjective. Superior in nature, wonderful or attractive. That boy is all that. That song is all that and a bag of potato chips!
176
as if
Thats totally not going to happen; it cant be. Can I come too? As if ! Kimmy on Kath and Kim uses this retort frequently.
aw yea
Thats right, correct. Are you saying she fully hooked up with him? Bang on. adjective. A lot of, very. That dude is bare uggers.
bang on
A B
ax
B
bare
barred
verb. Fooled. You got barred badly. adjective. Bland beyond belief. Are you going to invite Leah? As if. Shes b-cubed.
In the past. An imprecise way to refer to the past without sounding like a tryhard.Back in the day, Led Zeppelin . . . Old folks say Well, when I was a boy . . .
b-cubed
bait
noun, adjective. Obvious, self evident, annoyingly familiar. Did you know Jess and me are together? Yeah, that was bait, everyone knew.
beast
baked
1. noun. Impressive, usually customised car. 2. noun. Person who performs an impressive feat. Did you see him ollie those stairs? What a beast! 3. adjective. Coo.
verb, adjective. Substance-affected, out of it, off with the fairies. Dude, you should have seen him. He was totally baked.
bent
baked potato
adjective. Skewed, misconstruing reality. Thats bent, it aint like that at all. As in warped.
noun. Couch potato who is stoned as well as stuffed (from pigging out on junk food). Get a life Jimmy, you baked potato! verb. Reference to drugs. Typically said when asking people which drugs they are currently using or supplying. So wadda ya have bakin these days?. Derived from the practice of baking cupcakes, muffins etc. with drugs in them.
betty
bakin
noun. Girl, woman. An old-school term recently readopted in youth circles. Hey man, check out that fine looking betty.
bevan
noun. Daggy young male. (Pronounced bee-arch) noun. 1. Someone who is rude in behaviour. 2. Someone who says or does something unkind but amusing. Said tongue-in-cheek in
177
biatch
a friendly way. I feel like taking a pair of scissors to some of the clothes she wears. You biatch!
blig it
noun. Cool person. noun. Large person. noun. Ecstasy pill, not something you eat with a cup of tea. Those bikkies are hard core. 1. noun. Someone who crumbles under pressure. Blake is such a biskit. 2. BIkkIE. 3. Someone whose behaviour is repeatedly irrational and nonsensical.
verb. Stop raving on. Used to instruct someone that there is no point in continuing the topic, no one wants to hear any more. Blig it why dont you?
bling, bling-bling
noun. Jewellery, usually chunky and dazzling jewellery. Check out Johns bling! With Gen Y its not just the girls who wear bling.
blingin
biskit, biscuit
blinglish
noun. Contemporary African American vernacular borrowed from commercial hip hop culture. Compound of bling and English.
BIT
blogosphere
bitchin
noun. That part of the internet dominated by blogs. Stephs a great writer, but youve got to remember shes stuck in the blogosphere. noun. Serious bling. Now thats some blong youve got on!
blong
bite it
verb. Trip, fall down. See Dylan bite it when he was trying to jump that train?
blotto
biz
noun. Business, personal concerns. Nothing to do with you. Thats my biz, man.
adjective. Drunk, intoxicated, between the drink you shouldnt have had and the one that will have you hugging the toilet bowl; call a taxi. Youre blotto! Ease up a bit, dude.
blazed
blouse
noun. Effeminate male. Stop whining. Man, you can be such a blouse!
178
blow
1. verb. Be great, go off. Usually in reference to an event. This party is going to blow! 2. adjective. Terrible, of a bad standard. This movie blows!
you like my playlist? Book. Book is the first option given by predictive text to someone when trying to type c-o-o-l when texting. (oo is pronounced as in boo, not as in book). Like saying nice one, good call.
boosh
blow-in
noun. Someone from outside an ingroup. So, whats this blow-ins name?
blurfle
booty
verb. Said to someone caught talking very loudly at the moment the music suddenly stops at a bar, a nightclub, or a party. Ha, ha blurfle!
booty call
BMW
Acronym for bitch, moan, whine, usually used in SMS or online communication. Here she goes again. BMW.
noun. Phone call to arrange a romantic rendezvous, usually made late at night. Sarah got a booty call last night!
bootylicious
bomb, bom
noun. Best. That song is the bomb! Used since the mid-nineties.
adjective. Having great curves. Said about an attractive female. Look at you girl, youre bootylicious! Compound of booty and delicious.
boulanger
Chant indicating someone attractive has been mentioned or caught the speakers eye. It comes from a 2007 advert for Lynx deodorant, and is said on its own.
booyakasha
boo, b
noun. 1. Darling, sweetheart; term of affection used between lovers. Just you and me tonight, boo. 2. Girlfriend, boyfriend. Dont come near my boo.
book
adjective. Admirable, fashionable, cool. Hey, check out those book jeans. How do
179
brand nazi
buggin
BRB
bundy
Acronym for be right back. Mostly used when temporarily calling off electronic communication.
bunger
brick
adjective. 1. Cold. Man, its brick tonight. 2. Cool, appealing. noun. Wine cask. Often paired with the name of a residential area where drinking sessions around a wine cask are the norm. Broadmeadows briefcase, Bellambi briefcase.
noun. 1. Cigarette. Can I scab a bunger from you, mate? 2. Tom Thumb or similar firecracker.
briefcase
bunk
adjective. 1. Really bad or annoying. Dad wont drive us to the party. Hes so bunk! 2. Boring, stupid. This town is bunk, theres like absolutely nothing to do.
burn
Being very sexy. From Justin Timberlakes song Sexy Back. Someone who brings sexy back is claiming to be sexy. Girl, Im bringin sexy back.
1. verb. Enjoy something. Im burning this sandwich. 2. noun. Harsh criticism, often used by a third party as commentary. Sick, that was amazing! Thats what your Mum told me last night! Burn!
noun. Friend or close acquaintance. Whats up, bro? Derived from brother.
burnout
brown-town
noun. Car stunt involving loss of traction to the tyres. That burnout was mad! See doNut. adjective. Unfashionable. Do I look busted?
adjective. Dull, boring, like the colour brown in clothing. His style is so brown-town. See whItEBREAd.
busted
BTW
Acronym for by the way. Usually used in texting or online communication. BTW, the party was GR8.
bustin
buff
verb. Executing an action skillfully. Hey, look at Dan. Hes bustin some moves! Derived from busting.
butta
noun. Good stuff. Now thats the butta! Derived from butter.
B C
butters
1. adjective. Ugly, from butt-ugly. 2. noun. Clumsy person who drops the ball, from butter fingers. 1. adjective. Cool. 2. adjective. Excited. 3. verb. Feeling the effects of drugs, particularly MDMA.
C
adjective. Uncool, inferior. noun. Money. Hes got the cheddar. Thanks. Cheers, mate! A British word now common in Australia.
buzzing
cheese
noun. Money.
cheezin
caffescienti
noun. People who spend a lot of their free time in coffee shops. Hey look, here come the caffescienti.
chick flick
Expression used to accuse someone of crying or seeking sympathy over nothing important, or exaggerating a perceived injury.
noun. Film targetted at and popular amongst female viewers, usually a romantic comedy or tear jerker. Oh, not another chick flick tonight, babe! I thought we were gunna watch the footy!
chili
noun, adjective. Attractive female. Check that chick out bra. Yeah, shes chili.
c-bomb
noun. Very old taboo word starting with c, dropped into dialogue unexpectedly, with the effect of startling or embarrassing listeners.
chillax
verb. Relax and hang out with friends; relax and calm down. Sit down and chillax. Compound of chill and relax.
chillin
cha-ching
Expression used when one comes into money. Heres the rest of what I owed you. Cha-ching.
verb. Being calm and relaxed; hanging out with no particular purpose. Whassup? Just chillin. From chill, a Boomer word.
cash
chomper
noun. Computer slang for loser. I met this guy online the other day. Talk about a chomper!
chron
adjective. 1. Great, excellent. 2. Substandard. 3. Cool, awesome. From chronic. The sense depends on the emphasis and context. adjective. Cool, awesome. That car is chron dog.
coo
Cool.
coolth
chron dog
adjective. State or quality of being cool; from a hip point of view of course, not an indication of temperature.
clappin
Comfortable with that. adjective. Good, all right. Thats coota as.
adjective. Worn out, exhausted, outdated, unfashionable. Sorry dude, but those shoes are clappin.
clicked
adjective. Angry.
core
clownin
verb. Making fun of someone, joking around. Man, you clownin on me?
couch-hopping, couch-surfing
clubbing
noun. Going out to a club which plays loud music, such as dance, techno or RnB. Come out clubbing with us tonight?
verb. Staying temporarily with one friend after another. When are you going to get a place and stop this couch-hopping business, bro?
coupledom
confuzzled
adjective. Confused and puzzled. That was a guy? Im confuzzled. imperative verb. Shut up. Im not listening to your rubbish anymore. Control-alt-delete! A computer term for the function that forces a program to quit.
cracking, crackalacking
control-alt-delete
verb. Happening, being done by someone. Whats cracking? verb. Going very well. This party is cranking.
cranking
control-z
imperative verb. Undo. A computer term for the function that forces a program to undo the previous action.
182
crib
noun. House, flat, dwelling. Come over to my new crib some time.
credlocks
noun. Dreadlocks that have been grafted so as to increase ones street credibility. Check out that dudes credlocks.
C D
dad joke
cretin
noun. Sleazy male; creep. I wouldnt go near him if I were you, he is such a cretin!
Sort of witticism affected by ones father, which may have been slightly funny in a previous era, and keeps on amusing him through countless repetitions. How could you, Em? Thats such a dad joke.
cruisy
adjective. 1. Going well, without problems. Lifes pretty cruisy at the moment. 2. Easy going, relaxed, laid back. Wont Pete mind if I stay over again? Dont worry, hes cruisy.
daddy
noun. 1. Older, rich boyfriend. 2. Boyfriend. Come here, daddy. I have a surprise for you. Originally African American, from sugar daddy.
crunk
adjective. Drunk and a bit crazy. Hes so crunk. Better call him a taxi. 2. Very good. That burnout was crunk.
da hood
CUL8TR
Phonetic contraction of see you later. Usually used in SMS and online communication.
noun. The neighbourbood, a certain part of town. Meet me in da hood at nine thirty.
dang
cuz
noun. Close friend. Usually used as a term of address between male friends. How are things goin, cuz? From cousin.
Expression indicating disappointment or surprise. Dang Richie, you said youd be there man!
dapadan dart
cyberloafing
noun. The leader, the man. noun. A cigarette. Lets go for a dart.
noun. Using the internet at work for non-work purposes at the bosss expense. Guess what? I was caught cyberloafing the other day. So embarrassing!
dash
cyberslacking CyBERloAfINg
183
dat
pronoun. That.
devon, dev
adjective. Bad, unfortunate, gross. It was devon. Possibly derived from the soft meat which has the same name in some regions.
dip out
deep
diptron
adjective. 1. Unpleasant and inferior. 2. Impressive and attractive. That chick is deep. The meaning depends on the context. adverb. Definitely. Yeah, I would defs tell her about it.
noun. Someone who is inept and makes a nuisance or spectacle of himself. What a diptron!
dirt
defs
adjective. Ugly. Hes dirt, I cant believe you hit that. verb. Disparage, disrespect, insult. Yo, why you dissing me? From disrespect, or according to some, dismiss.
dis
defriend
verb. End a friendship with. From social networking websites such as Facebook, where you can friend or defriend people.
delishes
adjective. Cool, awesome. I went back there last night and it was delishes!
dero
1. adjective. Old and broken down. Their school is dero. 2. noun. Lame, unfashionable person. Dude, Alyssa is such a dero. From derelict.
dogg
noun. Friend, accomplice. Used like homie and bro. Hey dogg good to see you!
dev, devvo
dogged dogger
verb. Abandoned.We dogged him. noun. Police officer. Oh no, its a dogger. Better pull over.
184
dont go there
imperative verb. Avoid that subject because its touchy. Guess what your ex got up to the other day? Please, dont go there!
donut, doughie
Dave just broke up with Shazza . . . keep it on the DL. 2. Phrase accompanied by gesture, inviting someone to join in a high-five salutation with arms extended downwards. 3. Knowledgeable, informed. 1. adjective. Very drunk. He was so drank he fell off the chair. 2. noun. Another word for drink. Pass me that drank.
noun. Car stunt, involving driving in a tight circle with loss of traction to the tyres. That donut was awesome. Wanna go again?
drank
doof
(Rhymes with hoof) noun. Dance party held outdoors or in a warehouse, but usually in the bush. I went to the best doof on the weekend! (Rhymes with hoof) noun. Usually techno or electronically produced music.
dred
adjective. Dreadful, terrible. That car is dope. Nah its not, you have dred taste.
dude
doof-doof
door bitch
noun. Discriminating person on the entrance of a nightclub or licensed premises who permits or denies patrons. That munter door bitch wouldnt let me in!
noun. Friend, person. A retro term, yet still commonly used to address someone. Much like mate, refers to a friend or a person in general. A dude is notionally male, but the term can be used to refer to a male or female, like the word guys.
durri, durry
dope
adjective. Good, appealing. Check out his dope ride! A nineties term still in use.
e-class
down
1. verb. Happening. Whats down with Wil? Hes been real strange lately. 2. adjective. In agreement. Man, Im down wit whatever you decide.
noun. A really expensive car. Smithy is ridin e-class. From the Mercedes E-class range.
emo
down low, DL
noun, adjective. Emotional person, someone into emo (emotional) music or the emo subculture itself, charaterised by black clothes, black hair and a focus on depression.
epic
feral. 2. adjective. Gross, disgusting. Man, lunch was pretty feral. 3. noun. An unkempt or daggy person. Did you see what he was wearing? Yeah, what a feral!
ferosh
fail
1. interjection. Used to declare that someone has done something that doesnt work or is stupid. 2. noun. Used like a suffix after a word that specifies the kind of failure or scale of failure that has been observed. Epic fail. Fail is taken from fail posters: labels appearing on the internet over material they condemn as failures.
adjective. Appealing or desirable, relating to fashion. That coat is ferosh! Derived from ferocious.
fetch
adjective. Cool or stylish. The shoes are fetch. Where did you get them? Popularised by the movie Mean Girls; probably short for fetching.
fine
fang
verb. 1. Go somewhere. Im going to fang over to Amys. 2. Travel in a hurry, with great speed. Im gonna have to fang it home.
adjective. Beautiful, said of a girl or woman. Shes fine and out of my league.
fit
fap
adjective. Drunk and confused. Check out Davo. Hes fap! Totally off his face!
fitty
f-bomb
noun. Taboo word starting with f, dropped into dialogue unexpectedly, with the effect of startling or embarrassing listeners.
flaky
adjective. Unreliable. Off with the fairies. I cant believe Rani ditched your party. Shes so flaky.
feel me
verb. Understand me. If you dont stop buggin, Ill bust your grill, do you feel me? 1. adjective. In reference to someone who has let their appearance and/ or behaviour go wild. That girls gone
186
flamed
feral
verb. Victimised in a cyber-bullying attack; digitally dissed (see dIs, BuRN) usually in an online chat room. It can lead to a flame war.
flip ya
flog
verb. Drive a car hard. He wont lend it because he knows youll flog it. 2. Assault physically. Seen Mitch? That scum flogged him real bad. Flog still also has meanings given it by older generations, including steal and sell and defeat.
frothing
verb. Cheering, stokEd. Corynne was frothing after catching that epic wave.
F G
FTW
flow
acronym. For the win. Used in electronic communication to indicate support or high expectations for a person, team, horse, etc.
fudge
fly
1. noun. Very stupid person. That guy is such a fudge. 2. adjective. Fake, artificial. She always looks fudge to me.
foo
fugly
Term of address. 1. Used insultingly. What you lookin at foo? 2. Used to address a friend. Whassup foo? From fool.
fully
intensifying adverb. Very, extremely. Often used in response to signify agreement with a statement, typically compounded with an adjective. Thats fully sick.
freak 1. noun. Amazing athlete. 2. noun. Very good looking person. 3. verb. Dont freak! Its a fake spider! freestyle
funked up
All dressed up and ready to go out. Wow, look atchoo, all funked up.
funky
noun, verb. Behaviour practised without regard for structure or established procedure. A term associated with the rap subculture. adjective. 1. Mad, cool, awesome. Those shoes are fresh! 2. Newly hookEd up with someone.
187
adjective. Cool. Your new hair style is funky. Where did you get it done?
G
fresh
1. Address used when greeting a friend. Whassup G? From gangster. 2. noun. Someone you associate with.
verb, noun. Playing computer games at a high level, as if they were an art or sport.
gaming
get go
noun. Starting time. Starting point. Jay was winning from the get go.
gammin
get over it
Stop over-reacting, stop going on about it. I cant believe I spilled coke on my new shirt! Get over it.
gang banger
noun. Someone who is in a gang. Stay away from him. Hes a gang banger.
ganga
(Often pronounced shwerve). Get into a rhythm, achieve a positive momentum. When playing a sport, if your team does well you can say Now we got our swerve on!
ganja
ghetto
noun. Marijuana.
gaper
1. adjective. Undesirable. That place is ghetto. 2. adverb. Out of control or vying for attention. Mel, stop acting ghetto!
noun. Beginner skier or snowboarder who has little or no idea of local snow sport style and etiquette. That gaper is wearing a one-piece. 1. Uncool, inferior. That shirt youve got on is so gay. 2. Undesirable. Shes making us do work over the holidays. Thats gay.
ghetto booty
noun. Appealing curves on an attractive female. That girls got ghetto booty!
gay
girlfriend, girlfren
noun. Term of address, usually used by one female to refer to another, often a close friend. Whatcha doin, girlfriend?
g-daddy
glitched
noun. Grandfather. More flattering or inclusive way of saying it. So, youll be a g-daddy by the end of the month, Dad?
verb. Coming down off alcohol or drugs in a bad way. Shes been completely glitched all morning.
get down
gnarly goon
verb. Execute something with skill. Look at her get down on that dance floor!
188
goonbag goth
noun. Cask wine container. noun. Member of the goth subculture who typically appears pale, wears black attire and avoids exuberance; someone who imitates the style of a character from a Gothic novel. Whats with the black clothes? You look like a goth.
grunger
noun. Devotee of grunge culture, who typically wears a flannelette shirt and long hair, washes infrequently and likes grunge music like Nirvana, Soundgarden and Alice in Chains.
G H
GTG, G2G
acronym. Got to go. Mostly used when signing off from text messages and online chat.
grain grill
noun. Money. noun. Someones teeth or smile. He better shut up or Ill bust his grill! adjective. Impressive, excellent. Check out those grimy wheels. adjective. Large quantity, pile. Hes got a grip of cheddar.
gump
grimy
hack
grip
verb. Speak badly of someone or something. Dont hack on him like that. Hes trying his best.
hainess
noun. Child; child surfer, skater or snowboarder. noun. Loser, idiot. Stop acting like a gronk, Jase!
handbag
gronk
noun. Wine cask. Often paired with the name of a residential area where drinking sessions around a wine cask are de rigueur. Dubbo handbag. See BRIEfCAsE.
gronk out
hard-case
verb. Go home to bed, to crash. Sorry guys, but Im going to gronk out.
grunge
adjective. 1. Very funny, funny as. That was hard-case, bro. 2. Horrible and unexpected. That accident back there was hard-case. A term of Kiwi origin.
hard-core
adjective. 1. Intense, extreme. That bikkie was hard-core. or Dude, thats so unfair, your Mum is hard-core. 2. Feared or fearless. Those lads are hard-core. 3. Fantastic, great. That band is hardcore. All meanings have a sense of awe-inspiring intensity.
hek
adjective. Cool, awesome. (Pronounced with emphasis on hell). Very, very good. That curry was hell good.
hell good
hard out
hilare
Really cool.
adjective. Hilarious. That movie was hilare. noun. Derogatory word directed at a woman. Lisas a nasty ho. Derived from whore.
harvey norman
adjective. Mainstream, uninteresting. Thats a bit harvey norman. From the retail chain, Harvey Norman. verb. Do or say unkind things, express dislike. Why you gotta be haten on Bec like that? Shes a cool chick. Derived from hating.
ho
haten
hold up
holla
heads up
noun. Head start, inside information. Often expressed as a warning.Heads up Molly, your Dads on his way over.
imperative verb. Make noise to show your approval or support. Holla if youre with me! 2. verb. Understand, comprehend. Originates from rap subculture.
heavy
holla at ya girl
I agree/sympathise with what youre saying. adverb. Overly dramatic. No need to be all holly about it.
hecka
1. Prefix used as an intensifier. Heckacool, hecka-stupid, hecka-crazy, hecka-funny. 2. Adjective. Many, lots of, much. He dissed me a hecka times.
holly
homie
hectic
adjective. Crazy, full on. Josh smashed my car up! Thats hectic.
190
hood
noun. Contraction of neighbourhood and used in the same sense. Yo G, Im in your hood, whats doin?
adjective. Wearing a lot of bling. Check out all that bling, youre iced out!
iced out
H I
ignoranus
hook up
verb. 1. Get intimate, start a relationship. Hey, did you hear Mel hooked up with that hottie from the club? 2. Kiss passionately.
noun. Ignoramus. Im not an ignoranus, Brett! Malapropism popularised by Kath and Kim.
ill, illin
hooptie
noun. Large, seventies style American car. Big, old, beat up car. Check it out, theres Brendan in his hooptie!
noun, adjective. Cool, relaxed, in style. Dazzas lookin ill tonight totally sick!, Im just illin with my friends. I am leaving, Im off. Im out This place is bunk. Derived from Im out of here.
Im out, Im outtie
horse
adjective. Cool.
hottie
Im straight
noun. Good looking male or female. Check out that new guy, hes a hottie!
hydro
noun. Marijuana thats grown indoors. That was some good hydro, mate. Derived from hydroponics. I noun. 1. BlINg, jewellery. Check out the ice on that dude. 2. The toxic drug, crystal methamphetamine.
191
innit
ice
insane
jiggy
Everything is under control and fine. Usually rebutting an accusation. Justin, are you trying to thieve some of my CDs? No man . . . quit trippin! Its all good!
jock
izzle
noun. Male who is into sports, especially footy, typically at the expense of other concerns. This word originates from jock strap, an American term for protective underwear generally worn by football players. Check out the legs on that jock.
suffix. Decorative sound used to replace the middle and end of words starting with consonants. E.g. I twisted my leg can become I twizzled my lizzle. Popularised by American rap artist, Snoop Dogg.
J
joshing
juicer
noun. Obsessive gym junkie on steroids. Look at the muscles on that juicer, he looks like a freak!
K
jacked
verb. 1. Thoroughly annihilated, ruined. Looks like the barber jacked up your hair. 2. Stolen. What happened to your car Alex, did it get jacked?
Stay cool, be true to yourself. verb. Chilling, usually with friends. Where are you going Nath? Just kickin it with my mates.
jawsin
verb. Lying, exaggerating. Shut up Lucy . . . you be jawsin. noun. Someone whos got a way with the ladies. Yo, whassup jigga? From gigolo.
jigga
knacking
L
verb. Snacking.
jiggin
verb. 1. Dancing. 2. Doing something. Im just jiggin it here with my friends! 3. Truanting or wagging. Whatcha doing in town? Are you jiggin? From jigging.
192
label whore
noun. Someone who only wears brand name clothes, often with the label
displayed. Jen, youre such a label whore. Whos going to care what brand names youre wearing?
lad
acronym. Laughing out loud, laugh out loud. The variant spellings of LOL can be found on the internet.
noun. 1. One of the boys in a male bonding sort of way. Hey bra, where are the rest of the lads? 2. Member of the lad sub-culture, affecting aggressiveness and indifference to authority.
lolcat
ladette
noun. Photo of a cat accompanied by a humorous caption. A popular distraction amongst CyBERslACkERs. The lolcats on that website are hilarious. The lol is from lol.
noun. Rowdy, rude, boisterous, beerloving and frequently obnoxious young lady. lAd + ette. Popularised by British TV series Ladette to Lady.
look atchoo
Look at you.
loose
lamo
(Pronounced lay mo) adjective. Lame, done with minimal effort (to the aggravation of the person who hurls the insult); pathetic, tRy-hARd.
adjective. 1. Not inhibited by morals or self restraint, open minded, outgoing. That chick is loose. One of the old meanings of the word, with a positive spin on it. 2. To get drunk. Lets get loose!
later
verb. See you later, Im going. Something to say when leaving, and you want to sound cool. Instead of saying, Dad wants me home by 11pm, so I have to go now, you can simply say, Later.
lush
lifer
machine
noun. 1. Very pretty girl. 2. Someone who is solid, well built. noun. Guy that others want to be like, a smooth operator. Derived from Mac-10, a powerful machine gun.
lets roll
mac, mack
lick, the
adjective. The best. Man, those new jeans are the lick!
mack daddy
193
macked
verb. BlINgEd out, dressed up to the hilt. Where are you going, all macked out like that?
meathead meh
noun. Stupid person, boofhead. 1. adjective. Expression signifying an unenthusiastic response. What do you think of my new band? Meh. 2. whAtEvER.
macking
verb. Flirting with, pursuing or chasing. You were macking on him, girlfriend.
mad
adjective. 1. Good, cool. 2. Plentiful, extreme. Check out Jai, hes got mad skills!
messed up
mad dogg
adjective. 1. Badly hurt. It was a bad accident Tim was messed up! 2. Awesome, good, cool. So, that was some messed up party is a compliment.
minger
maggot, maggotted
adjective. Extremely intoxicated. Luke goes hard he got so maggotted last night . (Pronounced magwa) adjective. Drunk in a stylish way. Probably a compound of MAggot and Jaguar.
mint
maguar
adjective. 1. Cool. Thats mint in fact, its the bomb! 2. Hot (attractive). Damn, that girl is mint.
majorly
monged moo
adverb. Extremely, totally. It was a majorly weird experience! adjective. 1. Mammoth. 2. Hugely muscular. Wow, that dude is mam. 3. Built up from working out. Im going to the gym to get mam.
mam
moolard
verb. Incapacitated from the intake of alcohol. I was totally moolard after 12 pints.
man girl
noun. Athlete whose claim to be female is unconvincing, due to the influence of steroids.
moshing
verb, noun. Jumping up and down and head-banging to music in the moshpit at a rock concert. Everyone was moshing like crazy at the festival.
194
mosh pit
noun. 1. Large area where crowd of people dance at the front of the stage at a rock concert. Come on, lets get right up the front of the mosh pit! 2. The crowd of people at a rock concert dancing at the front of the stage. Farout, that mosh pit was off the chain!
M N
nah-uh!
1. Exclamation of resistance. Pick up garbage? Nah-uh! Not me! 2. Expression of amazement or awe used when learning of something incredible. Matto won $1,000? Nah-uh!
mother, mutha
noun. Difficult dilemma, hard task. That job was a mother! noun. 1. Sudden appetite or craving for junk food. A term used by earlier generations for the food craving brought on by drugs, usually marijuana, now used more generally, Ive got the munchies. 2. Junk food or snacks. Do you have any munchies?
munchies
natch
netiquette
munt
newb NooB ninjad verb. Furtively stolen. Carly, some guy just ninjad your drink. no diggity
1. Definitely yes. 2. No way, definitely not. Derived from no doubt.
munted
adjective. 1. Feeling the effects of drugs or alcohol. I am utterly munted. 2. Hurt, damaged, even tired. My leg is munted after that stack. 3. Ugly. His face is heaps munted.
munter
my bad
noun. 1. Sorry, my fault. 2. Expression admitting to miscomprehension. Sorry, my bad. Can you repeat that?
noun. Inexperienced person, newcomer. Originating in gAMINg communities. He doesnt know anything, hes a noob.
195
not
adverb. Negative. Used at the end of a statement to reverse its meaning. That band was great . . . not. Popularised by the film Waynes World.
O
ollie
noun. Aerial skateboarding manoeuvre, in which board and skater lift off the ground together.
OMG
off chops
ooft
exclamation. Used to emphasise a feeling, or denote that something is impressive. When waking after a big night one could say: Ooft! I have a serious headache.
verb. 1. Drunk or high on drugs. 2. Lost to reason or good sense, as when doing something very foolish or crazy. You told the cops about Robbo? Are you off your face or something?
OP
acronym. Other peoples, meaning other peoples alcohol or drugs. So what did you drink the other night? OP.
off tap
old school
1. adjective, noun. Old, classic, vintage. Im cool with Bob Marley cause old schools tight 2. adjective. Old, outdated, obsolete. Hes so old school. Context is everything with Gen Y.
out there
ones
own
olds
verb. Dominate, win convincingly. Used mainly in the gAMINg community. Dude, I totally owned that guy.
oh shut up!
196
pill
peace out
expression. Goodbye. Sometimes accompanied by a hand gesture where you pound your chest with your fist twice, then give the peace sign at a horizontal angle (with your elbow up). Right, Im off. Peace out.
pillin
verb. Peaking on drugs. Look at Gemma, shes pillin off her head!
pimp
peg
1. adjective. Something very admirable or desirable. Check out his pimp ride! 2. noun. Man who is popular with the ladies, and has a lot of girlfriends.
pez out
play, played
verb. Hang out with friends. Interestingly, over a dozen youth terms have been identified which mean hang out, but so far none meaning work with diligence and commitment.
phat
verb. 1. String someone along by pretending to have a genuine serious interest in them, but with ulterior motives. I am sorry to say this sweetie, but he played you. 2. Deceived, hoodwinked, misled. He played you, man. You fell for it.
(Pronounced fat.) 1. adjective. Very good, cool, top notch. His Beemer is phat! 2. adverb. Acronym for pretty hot and tempting.
player
phatty
adjective. Incredibly good. Usually said by someone who is in admiration of a feat or trick. That 360 was phatty!
piece
noun. 1. Someone who plays the field. Derogatory or complimentary, depending on context and who is using it. Said by one male about another, it is generally complimentary. What did you get up to last night, you player, huh? Said by a female to another about a male, it is derogatory, even a warning. Dont go near him girl, hes a player. 2. Man who misleads or deceives. Used by both sexes. Dont trust him, hes a player. adjective. 1. Boring, dull. This class is porridge. 2. False or nonsense. What porridge!
pike it
verb. Let someone down; go home early. You wanna come clubbing with us? Nah, I might just pike it guys.
porridge
197
pov, povvo
adjective. 1. Undesirable, unhip. See Sophies shoes? Yeah, talk about pov! 2. Unable or unwillingly to part with money. Australian slang word derived from poverty.
put that on
verb. Please confirm. A way of verifying authenticity, like asking you swear? Tim got a new car? Put that on? I put that on!
prank
putting me on blast
verb. Call someones mobile phone so they will have your phone number.
Scolding me publicly, yelling at me. Why was Mrs Ryan putting me on blast?
prang probs
pwn
adjective. Scared. adverb. Probably. Will Nat be allowed to come? Probs not.
puff
adjective. 1. Good, excellent, appealing. 2. Solid and lasting (in contrast with something which dissipates quickly or is light and fluffy like puff). adjective. Cool, as in appealing. That chicks pump.
(Pronounced as pown) verb. Dominate, beat convincingly. Used as an alternative to owN in the computer gaming community. Dude, I totally pwned that guy. Came about due to regular mistyping, since the p and o keys are adjacent on the computer keyboard.
pwnage
pump
noun. Act of dominating or convincingly beating someone, a computer gaming term. There was some awesome pwnage in that fight.
Q
punch on
Exclamation signalling to opponents who are confronting each other that they must start punching each other. It wasnt even a rough game till some diptron yelled out punch on!
QP
punkd
verb. Embarrassed or surprised by someone. Caught out by a practical joke. Ha, ha, you got punkd! From the American television show of the same name where practical jokes are played on unsuspecting celebrities.
198
random
1. adjective. Unrelated to the situation or context; totally out there. I didnt expect you to say that. That was so random. 2. noun. Stranger. This total random just came up to me and said hi.
noun. Redhead. From orangutan. noun. Non-complying, independent type (who wears dreadlocks under his large yellow, green and red hat, like every other rasta). From Rastafarian.
represent
verb. To claim belonging, earn respect for yourself and/or your associates. West Wollongong, represent!
retro
rat
adjective. 1. Old hat, out of date. 2. Classic, stylishly old-fashioned. I love your outfit. Its so retro.
adjective. Ugly, dirty, cheap, no class. Hes rat. verb. Like, approve of, value. I rate that.
retrosexual
rate
noun. Person with traditional ideas about sex and sexuality. Loosen up a bit, you sound like a retrosexual.
ride
rave
noun. Mode of transportation, usually a car. Check out his mad ride!
noun. Dance party (often illegal) held in a large space such as a clearing or warehouse. I had so much fun at that rave on Saturday.
rig
real
adjective. Honest, down-to-earth, unaffected. That girl is real. verb. Respect. Boy you better recognise! Sometimes pronounced recugnise in imitation of Kim in Kath and Kim.
rock up roids
verb. Arrive. Gee, youve rocked up early. noun. Steroids. Jakes really bulked up we reckon its gotta be roids.
recognise
roll with
regulate
verb. Take enforcement action. Punish or hurt. Man, if you dont stop buggin Im gonna have to regulate!
rollin
rents
noun. Parents, old folks. My rents went feral when they found out I wagged.
rough
adjective. Good, well done, venturesome. Those moves are heaps rough!
199
rude dude
score
verb. Get something free or for a small charge. Look what I just scored!
safe
scrap
adjective. Cool, all good, under control. Need a hand? Na man, its safe.
verb. Fight.
scrub
1. noun. Someone undesirable. Man, I aint hangin out with them scrubs! 2. verb. Trip over or fall down, usually hurting oneself. Didja see Steve scrub when he was trying to hop that rail?
saffa sally
adjective. Coolest of the cool. noun. Fight. Oshmagod! Did you hear about that sally between Mick and Jason?
secks
salty
adjective. Exhibiting a bad attitude towards someone or something. Dont be gettin salty with me.
adjective. Desirable. Check out my pokemons! Secks. adjective. In fact the opposite of shabby cool, smart, dA BoMB. That outfit is totes shabby.
shabby
say my name!
Exclamation used to intimidate or in celebration. If your team just scored you might yell, Say my name, gronk!. Alternatively you could just cheer.
shallow
scab
1. verb. Ask for something that belongs to someone else, cadge, bludge off someone. Hey man, can I scab a smoke? 2. noun. Someone who begs and borrows as a way of life, takes what is rightfully anothers. She just went to my wardrobe and picked out an outfit to wear. What a scab!
Shame on you. A cheeky phrase used to accuse people of humiliating themselves or doing something selfish. I cant believe you got with that sluzza. Shame on your name! Originally a Kiwi expression.
scam
shut up!
shevel
noun. Article that enables a person to become shevelled, the opposite of dishevelled. Classic example is a scarf or sarong, for protection from sun, dust, etc. Wheres my shevel? noun. Party. Lets go to that shindig on Saturday night. Its meaning has become less specific and is no longer limited to dances.
Expression of incredulity. As if to say, Really? Rach is going out with your brother. Shut up! adjective. 1. Cool, awesome. 2. Extremely good used to describe a manoeuvre, such as in an extreme sport. That was a sick ollie, braw! (You could also say that was some ill ollie but dont say it was an unwell ollIE.)
sick, sik
shindig
skag
shorty, shawty
noun. Good looking woman. See that shorty over there? Im gonna make her mine.
noun. Ugly girl or young woman. Sometimes used to insult a woman without implying she is ugly or disreputable. Get over it, skag!
shorty snap
skank, skanky
noun. Someone who is hot or attractive. adjective. That was right; that was hot. Used positively to acknowledge something good.
shot
adjective. 1. Promiscuous yet undesirable. An insult usually directed at women. 2. Trashy typically referring to an article of revealing clothing. Its a bit skanky. I wouldnt wear it. A sixties youth word that has later spread internationally.
shotgun
skeg
verb. I bags the front seat. Nobody is allowed to deny the first person who calls Shotgun! Evolved from the American coaching practice of riding shotgun travelling armed in the seat beside the coachman.
noun. Skater, someone who is involved in the skateboarding subculture. Check out that skegs moves!
sketchy
adjective. Dodgy, sinister. What are they up to? Looks a bit sketchy.
shotty
skippin
exclamation. Bags, I claim. One of thems got a walnut on top. Shotty! Shotty front! means I bags the front seat! From shotguN.
201
skirt
snap
slag
1. noun. Unattractive or disreputable female. Like skAg, sometimes used to insult a woman without implying she is ugly or disreputable. 2. verb. Insult. Gabe was slagging you off behind your back the whole time.
1. Exclamation used by someone shocked or scared by another who randomly grabs attention. Boo! Oh snap! 2. Exclamation conceding that someone has scored a point or established a position; touch.
snide
slammin
verb. Obtain goods or services by eloquent dishonesty, or underhand means. While my mate was checking out that bird at the bar, I totally snided his pie from his plate and scoffed it. adverb. Very much. Traditionally used as an intensifying adverb for lone adjectives, so has become an intensifier for whole clauses, predicates, phrases, etc. Usage may have gained popularity from TVs Friends. Chandler: That is so not the opposite of taking somebodys underwear! Joey: So didnt know that, but you should have seen your faces.
slap up
so
verb. Beat up. Did you see those two girls slap up each other?
sluzza skux
smak
noun. An untruth, usually a negative or derogatory comment or conversation about (or to) another person. He be talking smak bout me.
solid
1. adjective. Reliable, genuine. Hes really solid. 2. noun. Favour. Hey man, can you do me a solid?
smackety smack
sound
smashed smokin
adjective. Cool, great, well liked. Nothing to do with a logical argument! Sure Tonys flaky but at least hes sound.
soz
spent
noun. Attractive girl. Opposite to stANgER. Straight up, shes a stinger, dawg.
stinger
spenk
stingers stoked
Nice work. adjective. Extremely happy. Originally a skater and grunge term. Im so stoked I passed that test.
sprung
adjective. Obsessed with, usually in a romantic way. Shes so sprung on that guy, its pathetic.
straight up
srigh
adjective. All good, everythings okay. Dude, you want a hand with that? Srigh. From its alright.
1. adjective. Honestly; Im being straight with you. Straight up, I swear. 2. adverb. Totally, simply. Uttered mid-sentence when no other cool sounding words come to mind. He just straight up told me that he liked me! Oh, straight up!
stralia, straya
stanger
(Rhymes with banger) noun. Very unattractive girl. His sisters such a stanger!
studged
step off
verb. Stood up or forgotten about. Will studged me last night so that he could hang out with his mates.
sticking it
sup
verb. Pulling off a feat or trick; landing a trick on a board, motocross bike, etc. Did you see Nathan sticking it out there on the wake board?
swag
stiff
adjective. Unlucky. I missed out on tickets to Pyramid Rock this year. Ohhh, stiff !
swarve
adjective. Cool. Look at my new mobile. Swarve. Most likely from suave.
203
(Can be pronounced as saw-wheat.) 1. adjective, adverb. Very good, excellent, often followed by the ubiquitous as. His ride is sweet as! A nineties term still widely used. 2. sentence substitute. Expressing approval. Okay, sure thing. Ive just uploaded that pic of you from the party. Sweet.
T
sweet
adjective. Shy. noun, adverb. Tomorrow. noun. Someone who is socially inept or doesnt fit in, a loser. You can be such a tool sometimes.
tosser
tax
noun. Untrustworthy person, someone who says one thing and does another. You cant trust that guy. Hes a tosser.
that bites
totes
Thats unfair and unfavourable. A phrase acknowledging that circumstances are unfair and unfavourable. After all that driving, the beach was closed and we didnt get a surf. That bites!
touch down
the man
exclamation. Excellent, top job. Mark Holdens signature catch phrase made popular by the reality TV series, Australian Idol.
trap
thrash
verb. Wear out. I totally thrashed that board, need a new one now.
ticket
tight
trippy
toasted
adjective. BAkEd.
204
true
T U V W
try-hard
vaycay
1. adjective. Uncool, pathetic; trying to seem cool with the opposite effect. An old person moshing at The Big Day Out, embarrassing his or her teenage children thats try-hard. 2. noun. Person who tries to seem cool with no prospect of success. He just looks like a try-hard to me.
U
vintage
noun. Old-fashioned but stylish. Said of clothing and accessories. That dress is very vintage.
virtual tribe
uber
noun. Online gang or group of users who go by or are known by a name, such as the goths or the smart kids.
W
prefix. Ultra, extra, very. That game is uber-cool. German for over.
uberise
verb. Prefix an English word with uber to make it sexy or cool. Monica uberises all her words. Its so annoying!
wacked, wack
adjective. No good. A bad situation. Its wack you cant get fireworks in Canberra anymore.
ubertosser
noun. A person who overuses the term uber. Man, youre such an ubertosser!
waggin wally
verb. Ditching or skipping school. noun. Unattractive or awkward male. I reckon Toms kind of cute. Cute? I reckon hes a wally.
uggers
wasted
adjective. Intoxicated yet another word for it. You were so wasted last night.
205
verb. 1. Time for us to go, lets roll. Hey, were up! 2. Its our turn, Whos gunna play pool next? Were up.
were up
westie
noun. Someone who is uncouth. Did you hear the way she spoke to her toddler? Yeah, I know, what a westie! Originally reserved for residents of Sydneys western suburbs, now used more generally, though mainly in Sydney.
whoop
verb. 1. To beat up. You mad doggin me? Ill whoop you so bad your cousin will cry! 2. To beat someone in a sport. We whooped their team 16 to 6!
interrogative. Whats up? How are you going? Good to see you.
whatever
Rejoinder intended to show that the speaker is unimpressed, not interested, or regards what has been said as unimportant. Yeah, like whatever!
Exclamation of victory or retort. Not a question of paternity, but a cry bellowed straight after a triumph. After scoring a goal, you might yell Whos your daddy!
whatevs
wigger
whats doin?
Whats up?
noun. White person who imitates American ghetto ways. Eminem has acquired wealth and fame as one of a handful of white boys who have made it big in the world of rap. They are the few successful wiggers. For others it is an insult.
interjection. Whats going on? Whats that all about? It can be asked about anything which is seemingly absurd, or very puzzling. Shortened from what the (expletive), this phrase now suffices on its own thanks to Roves usage of the phrase on Rove Live. See wtf.
wig out
verb. Become fearful, lose control of ones emotions. He lost the plot, did you see him at Kates? He totally wigged out!
wit
preposition. With.
206
wobble roo
noun. Road kill. Man, did you see that wobble roo? Thats wacked!
yo, yo
word, word up
Phrase used to grab somebodys attention, like hey. Sometimes shortened to yo. Yo, yo, whatcha up to mate? Good for you, more power to you. Usually used with girl. You go, girl!
W Y Z
Amen. Thats the truth. Used to endorse a statement or opinion, as in church they say Amen.
you go
work it
verb. Show the world whatcha got. Yeah, you work it, girlfriend!
WTF
Said when someone says something that isnt funny and, consequently, kills the joke.
Z
wump
noun. White male. From the 90s movie White Man Cant Jump. Wump is a compound of white and jump (from the movie title) and is more of a cheeky term used to generate laughter than a derogatory word. What up, wump?
Y
zorz, orz
Suffix used by computer nerds to intensify the meaning of the preceding word. This place is totes lamezorz.
yall
All of you, yous. From you all, originating in Americas Deep South. Yall coming with me to the beach?
ymum
Comeback used in general conversation. Often used in a comical, rather than an offensive way. Youre the one who got us lost! Ymum!
207
STRATEGIC
Our specialty is in turning research into summary reports, A5 handout cards, slide shows, sales tools, white-label reports & video briefs.
Research is most useful when all stakeholders hear the insights. We help by addressing research launches, media events, company meetings and industry think-tanks.
Were experts in making research finding compelling in keynotes, worksops & executive briefings. Mark McCrindle & his team have a reputation as standout presenters.
Media activity requires new, robust, independent research with a great angle and a trusted commentator. As the gold standard in research, this is what we deliver.
BOOKS
Mark McCrindle deserves a medal. Mapless, hes entered the alien terrains of text-speak, web slang, Gen-Z dialect, among other domains, and returned with a guidebook should we ever lose our way.
David Astle, Co-host of Letters and Numbers (SBS TV), columnist and crossword compiler
ORDER FORM
$30.00 each $22.50 for 4+
QTY:
Word Up: A Lexicon and Guide to Communication in the 21st Century by Mark McCrindle. 208 pages. Published by Halstead Press, 2011. RRP $30.00 A fascinating insight into how English changes, a quirky look at youth slang today, and a window into the minds of the different generations.
TOTAL PRICE:
The ABC of XYZ is a rollicking journey across time, generations and values that has been forensically dissected by one of the best social analysts in Australia.
Bernard Salt, Demographer & columnist; Partner, KPMG
YOUR DETAILS
FULL NAME: EMAIL: POSTAL ADDRESS: CITY: TELEPHONE: STATE: FAX: POSTCODE: MOBILE: ORGANISATION:
The ABC of XYZ: Understanding the Global Generations by Mark McCrindle, with Emily Wolnger. 238 pages. Published by UNSW Press, 2011. RRP $30.00 From explaining the labels and quantifying the numbers to outlining the denitive events of each generation, the best-selling The ABC of XYZ is a comprehensive and fascinating look at the generations.
This book provides many examples of the power of doing good works, the betterment conferred in so many different ways and, on occasions, leading to the saving of lives.
Tim Fischer A.C. Former Deputy Prime Minister
PAYMENT OPTIONS
CHEQUE enclosed for $ CREDIT CARD:
CARD NUMBER
VISA
The Power of Good: True stories of great kindness from total strangers by Mark McCrindle. 232 pages. Published by Hybrid Publishers, 2011. RRP $24.95 Seventy short, heart-warming stories of acts of kindness by strangers with contributions by prominent Australians, including Jean Kittson, Peter FitzSimons, Tracey Spicer, Father Chris Riley, and many others.
CARDHOLDER NAME
SIGNATURE
Post to: PO Box 7702 Baulkham Hills 2153, NSW | Fax to: +61 2 8824 3566 | Email: orders@mccrindle.com.au
All prices are GST inclusive. For more information please contact McCrindle Research P: 1800 TRENDS (1800 873 637) E: info@mccrindle.com.au W: mccrindle.com.au
BSB: 032-078
Enter name in EFT description box, or fax remittance to 02 8824 3566 PLEASE INVOICE ME: We will send an invoice to your address above.