Gen Z is constantly mixing things up. From fashion to music, they have taken the trends of past generations and made them new again.
They have even reinvented language.
Words and phrases like “rizz,” “skibidi rizz,” “bussin,” “do it for the plot,” and “gyat” are frequently used in the day-to-day vernacular. To the outside listener, a conversation among Gen Zers could sound like a bunch of made-up words.
Now, Sam Salem, a millennial high school teacher and comedian is getting in on the fun. Salem is inventing Gen Z-sounding slang words meant as a gentle ribbing toward his Gen Z students. But some of those words have gone viral on TikTok, entering the wider vernacular.
“I think every teacher and everybody who’s been around teenagers has had that moment where you hear the new slang words that the youth are using, and you’re like, what is going on here?” Salem told Business Insider.
Salem started a series on his Instagram page called “Gaslighting my students with made up slang words.” So far he has posted seven videos introducing invented words like “pebbles,” “parked,” and “Getty.”
His first video got over 765,000 likes, 9,000 comments, and 383,000 shares. He comes up with the words on his own or through suggestions from followers, and then he gets creative with definitions to introduce them to his students.
“One of the most fun parts about being a teacher is the students think, ‘Wow, they’re so lame for trying to be relevant.’ It’s like, no, we’re purposely being lame to kind of get that reaction out of you,” Salem said.
The new slang is actually catching on
What began as a personal joke shared between Salem and his followers is now catching on outside the schools where he teaches.
On ESPN’s SportsCenter, anchors have used Salem’s words in their broadcasts. Even NBA star Bradley Beal used “pebbles” — which means “easy” — during a press conference.
“I never thought it was gonna be something that actually caught on with students,” Salem said.
Teaching a variety of middle school and high school kids throughout Los Angeles, Salem interacts with a diverse group of students. While he might not always look like his students or have the same socioeconomic background, his goal is to make them laugh and build community.
“The reason I got into teaching was my biggest passion in life is building community,” Salem said. “And I think it’s cool to be able to build a community via social media and then live experiences as well with standup.”
Here’s the full list of Salem’s fake Gen Z slang
Comma: Tell me more
Euro: I’m not going to let whatever’s in my way stop me
Dairy: Basic
Clip/Clipped: Positive thing/connotation
Mute: Substitute for lowkey or in the low
Feta: Negative connotation, falls apart easily
Parked: Boring, done, over
Pebbles: Easy
Terk: Bestie/best friends
Sparse: Opposite of ate/not cool
Getty: Work of art/ beautiful
Oozing: Doing too much
Swirled: Mixed up/hot and cold
Nabs: Not AnyBody’s Somebody
Remy: It shouldn’t go together, but it does
Rug: Similar to cap, you don’t believe it. but derives from the word struggling
Costco: Built differently or has everything
Jar: If someone is saying something embarrassing or a secret
Scroll: If someone is talking about something you are uninterested in or don’t want to talk about
Fluttered: When someone is so excited about something in a constant manner and it makes you annoyed and hate said thing
iPad: used to call someone socially awkward
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