Top US youthSpeak Words
A’IGHT All Right. As in, “That girl is nice, she’s a’ight.”
BANK: Has lots of flow (see also: flow)
BIZZNIZZLE: Business. As in “None of your bizznizzle!” Part of the Snoop Dogg/Sean John-inspired lexicon.
BLING: Originally bling bling, the sounds of jewelry (preferably diamonds and gold) clinking together, bling now refers to any expensive or ostentatious jewelry.
CHILLIN’: Relaxing, especially with friends
COOL: Still a cool word, even after all these years
CRUNK: A Southern variation of hip-hop music. Also means fun or amped.
DOPE: (1) Excellent, cool, tight, or phat. As in, “That’s totally dope!” (2) Fine, good
FLOW: Money. Originally from ‘cash flow’. (see also: bank)
FO’ SHIZZLE: Variation of ‘for sure’, popularized by rapper Snoop Dogg.
FRESH: Smooth, great-looking
GIVE IT UP! Replaces the square “Please applaud for…”
HELLA: An intensive: hella tight or hella phat.
HOTTIE: Object of affection, either personally or in the cultural milieu.
MAD: A lot. As in, “She has mad money.”
PEACE (or PEACE OUT): “See you later.”
PHAT: Way cool, as in ‘rolling phat’.
PIMPIN: Good with women (Also playa)
POPPINS: Perfect, from ‘Mary Poppins is perfect in every way.’
PROPER: Right, correct; a recycled Briticism.
PROPS: Respect or credit. As in, “He gets mad props!” Can also be used in place of cheers or congratulations.
RICE ROCKETS: Tricked out Japanese compact cars, as opposed to American ‘muscle’ cars.
SHUT UP! ‘Really?’
SICK: Hella cool!
SIDE SHOW: The temporary cordoning off of a freeway, done to perform outrageous car stunts in tricked-out rice rockets.
SNAG: Sensitive New-Age Guy.
STOG: Cigarette, short for ‘stogy’ or “stogie”.
SWEATIN: Irritating, bugging. As in `He’s really sweatin’ me!`
TIGHT: Cool
TRICKED OUT: Souped-up.
WASSUP?, WHAT UP?, and S’UP?: Popular variations of “What’s up?” or “What’s going on?”
WORD: “That’s good,” “That’s OK,” or “That’s right.”
Bonus Youthspeak Phenomenon of Note:
UP TALKING: Ending all sentences with a rising or upward inflection, as if asking a question.
The Top Ten Global YouthSpeak Words for 2006:
1. Yoof Speak – Pan-Asian term for YouthSpeak.
2. Ballin’ – Doing well; fine; as in he’s really ballin’ now.
3. Stick Ice – Chinese YouthSpeak for ‘popsicle’ or ice cream cone.
4. ii – Siigniifiies the text messaging style of doubliing the letter ii wherever iit iis found. (Very gee or preppy).
5. Ya-ya papaya – Snooty person (Singlish from Singapore).
6. 1 – From the U2 song One Love. Sign-off to Instant Messages.
7. =^..^= The emoticon representing a kitty.
8. Get up One’s Nose – Irritates, as in ‘He gets up my nose!’ (UK).
9. LMAO – Texting abbreviation for Laughed My Ass Off.
10. Yobbo – An unrefined or loutish youth (Aussie/UK).
The Top Global YouthSpeak Words for 2005 were: 1. Crunk — A Southern variation of hip hop music; also meaning fun or amped. 2. Mang — Variation of man, as in “S’up, mang?” 3. A’ight — All Right, “That girl is nice, she’s a’ight”.
Read More About the Top Words of 2006
The Top Ten Global YouthSpeak Words For 2005:
1. Crunk: A Southern variation of hip hop music; also meaning fun or amped.
2. Mang: Variation of man, as in “S’up, mang?”
3. A’ight: All Right, “That girl is nice, she’s a’ight”
4. Mad: A lot; “She has mad money”
5. Props: Cheers, as in “He gets mad props!”
6. Bizznizzle: This term for” business” is part of the Snoop Dogg / Sean John-inspired lexicon, as in “None of your bizznizzle!’
7. Fully: In Australia an intensive. as in ‘fully sick’.
8. Fundoo: In India, Hindi for cool
9. Brill! From the UK, the shortened form of brilliant!
10. “s’up”: Another in an apparently endless number of Whazzup? permutations.
Southern California YouthSpeak Bonus: Morphing any single syllable word into 3, 4 or even 5 syllables.
Last year the Top YouthSpeak terms were: Word, Peace (or Peace out), and Proper.
