Chillax! Here鈥檚 your guide to conversing through the winter holidays.
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Nate Iglehart Staff writer
Stephen A. Smith glazed the GOAT LeBron. Timoth茅e Chalamet rizzed Kylie Jenner with his dope smile and curls. Chappell Roan locked in at that concert and absolutely ate!听
鈥橳is the time of year when members of multiple generations gather with their families and catch up on what鈥檚 happening in their lives and the world. But if the sentences above don鈥檛 make much sense, you might need some help ahead of your holiday get-together.
Herewith, a guide to what you might hear from millennials and Generation Zers while you eat dinner, binge holiday movies, and laze around the fireplace. (Note: Some of this slang crosses generational lines or has been borrowed from bygone eras or modern cultures. Just know that 鈥済roovy鈥� won鈥檛 ever come back in style.)听
Why We Wrote This
As the generations gather for the holidays, communication could be a challenge. We鈥檝e got you covered with glossaries for Generation Z and millennial slang.
Gen Z glossary
fire, gas (adjectives): excellent; delicious. This ham is fire. And these peas are gas!
lock in (verb): to focus. Nothing ickier than yanking out turkey giblets, but I gotta lock in and take one for the team!
ate (verb): did something extremely well. I absolutely ate at the office鈥檚 winter yodeling contest!听
in one鈥檚 bag: used to describe someone who pulls off something impressive. Gramps was in his bag with this gift idea. I鈥檝e wanted heated underwear since forever!听
cap (verb): to lie. That鈥檚 cap! (interjection): used to say something is false. Does this Santa suit make me look fat? Don鈥檛 cap!
high-key (adverb): used to emphasize strong feelings. We high-key despised the Grinch for stealing little Cindy Lou Who鈥檚 Christmas.听
rizz (verb): to charm or woo someone (short for 鈥渃harisma鈥�).听Dad rizzed Mom with one of his seasonal jokes:听
Knock, knock!
Who鈥檚 there?
Freeze!
Freeze who?
Freeze, a jolly good fellow!
glaze (verb): to praise excessively. Cousin Chester鈥檚 gravy was goopy, but we glazed it anyway.
tea (noun): juicy gossip. I wanted the tea about Uncle Rupert鈥檚 messy breakup. He spilled it all in his holiday newsletter.
Millennial glossary
slay (verb): to do something very well.听Granny, you really slayed this turducken!
ghost (verb): to abruptly end all communication with someone without warning; to stand up someone.听We were supposed to meet under the mistletoe, but Greta ghosted me.
GOAT (noun): greatest of all time. Mom macram茅d an 8-foot-tall Mrs. Claus to hang on our front door. She鈥檚 the GOAT of Christmas decorators.
salty (adjective): bitter, annoyed, disgruntled. Year after year Milo loses the ugly Christmas sweater contest. No wonder he鈥檚 salty.听
glow-up (noun): a positive physical transformation. Aunt Myrtle made everyone get a glow-up for her holiday photos. No more at-home haircuts!听
chillax (verb): to relax. Turkey with all the fixin鈥檚 put us in a food coma. Now it鈥檚 time to chillax in our stretchy pants and watch QVC.
dope (adjective): cool, awesome. You built a gingerbread Great Wall of China? That鈥檚 dope!听
flex (verb): to show off. Whenever he has a captive audience, Felix loves to flex his collection of exotic snow globes.
extra (adjective): over the top. My family鈥檚 tradition of dressing up in matching pajamas, singing Mariah Carey songs, and watching 鈥淗ome Alone鈥� is sooo extra. But I wouldn鈥檛 have it any other way.
Happy holidays!
