Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Not Hip / Not Happenin'

Each season I find the gap widening in my understanding of teenage milquetoast slang, and with Jill being off the college this year, I am without an live-in tutor/translator. This is what I have been able to piece together on my own over the last 4 months of being with the kids that make up our little team. Most terms are pretty self-explanatory. These are the most popular among the lot and the girls use at least one (if not more) in nearly every conversation (if not sentence) we share. I have arranged them in order of frequency of use.


Awkward: Any exchange in which the listener wishes to make the speaker feel self conscious about attempting said exchange or their very presence on the planet. Example:


Speaker: "Hi"
Listener: pause "That was awkward".



Random: Any comment or exchange that could deviate in the slightest from the conversation (or lack of) at hand. In other words, the inability to accept a change of topic. Example:


Speaker: "Do you have Mrs. Jones for biology?"
Listener: "Wow, that was random". or sometimes "RAAANNNDOOMM!!"


Beast and "Beasting It": A complimentary term suggesting animal strength or power but could be applied to academic achievement somehow, too (I haven't asked for clarification, that would be awkward and random and I don't want to appear to be a creeper). Example:


Coach: "Let's give it up for LeeAnn, she ran 8 miles last Sunday".
Team: "Oh my God, what a beast".

Or... "I really beasted that workout (or test or paper) today".


Creeper: Anyone outside the field of accepted friends. This could include anyone who is trying to get to know you and on rare occasions, an actual creep. Example:

"Oh my God, why is she looking at me, what a creeper".


Stink eye: Anytime anyone outside the accepted field glances even remotely in the subjects direction. This could happen in the classroom, hallway, mall, or anyplace where another human makes eye contact. Example:


"I'm not sure what her problem is..did you see her give me the stink eye?"


Stalker: Not unlike a creeper but this is someone you actually know, probably a facebook friend who also has your phone number but has the nerve to comment on your fb status, call you, or text you without your permission or before you can comment, call, text them. Example:


Stalker: "I like that picture you posted of you and your family on vacation".
You: "Way to look at my pictures..what are you, a stalker?".


Good story: Any comment, etc.. that does not elicit some type of crap your pants laughter or uncontrollable tears. Everything has to be funny or sad, I guess. Example:

"Oh, look at that kitty. It reminds me of a kitty I got for my birthday when I was 5 and we named her Beffy and she used to sleep on my face and purr.."

Listener: pause ,,"Good story".



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