Lost In Translation

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There was a time when I felt pretty cool. I knew all the latest trends. I understood pop culture references. I could carry on a conversation without feeling like I needed a translator. Then my kids became teenagers, and suddenly I needed subtitles.

Teen slang is an ever-evolving language designed to make parents feel old. I try to keep up, but every time I think I have cracked the code, they switch things up just to keep me confused. One day something is “fire,” the next day it is “mid,” and by the time I catch on, it is completely irrelevant.

A few weeks ago, my son told me his friend was “rizzing up” a girl. I assumed this was something terrible. Turns out, it just means flirting. Then my daughter said she was “lowkey” excited about something, which apparently means she is excited but pretending not to be. Why not just say that? Then there is “no cap,” which means “for real.” So if I say, “I am exhausted, no cap,” I am finally speaking their language.

Just when I think I have a handle on things, they throw me a curveball. I overheard my son say, “That’s a W,” and I thought we were talking about a restaurant. Nope. It means a win. “That’s an L” means a loss. Then they started saying, “Sheesh,” and I still do not fully understand what that one means, but they sure say it a lot.

I have decided to stop fighting it. They can have their ever-changing vocabulary, and I will keep using words like “groovy” just to make them cringe. It is a small victory, but I will take what I can get. No cap.