Brain rot: An ultimate guide to Gen Alpha’s favourite slang
If you’ve ever been left scratching your head trying to decipher the slang of Gen Alpha, you’re not alone and we’re here to help.
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If you’ve ever been left confused trying to understand what it means to be “skibidi” or “sigma” by Gen Alpha - you’re not alone.
Keeping up with their ever-growing vocab is something Raukkan mum-of-four Kalah Lovegrove, 40, struggles with all the time.
“I don’t know what these kids are talking about half the time,” she said.
“I walked out one day with my thongs on and my kids were like nukkan (look) she’s got her dogs out, talking about my toes.
“Another funny thing is ‘crash out’ like to me and my generation it means we’re gonna go to sleep but to this generation it means I’m gonna go nuts.
“The latest one is ‘yapping’ which drives me absolutely crazy cause I’m like you’re pretty much calling me a dog if you ask me what I’m yapping about because dogs are the ones that yap.”
Born between 2010-2024, Gen Alpha are the first generation to grow up in a world completely intertwined with social media.
And as technology continues to evolve, so too does language with Gen Alpha creating their own lingo to reflect their lives online.
As a millennial, their language barrier is a source of inspiration for Ms Lovegrove’s comedy which centres around being a blak, Christian mum raising Gen Alpha kids.
“Most times it’s like they wanna tell me (about new slang) but don’t because they know the minute I know what it means, I’ll try to start using it,” she laughed.
And while it may sound like gibberish to older generations, McCrindle Research director of advisory Ashely Fell says it helps them “to identify with people of their own generation.”
“It creates a sense of belonging and shared language,” she said.
“It’s for the people of that generation who are on those particular platforms who know the trend, will know the context and know how to use it.
“Every generation has had their own slang but I don’t think it’s ever been as prolific as it has been for Gen Alpha because of technology and social media where trends explode so quickly.”
But for Ms Lovegrove, being able to understand her kids’ slang is a way to understand them better.
“When I was a teenager, my mum used to say things like ‘what’s up’ because I listened to rap and hip-hop back then and I was like no, mum, please stop and now I get it.
“Even if they think I’m the uncool mum, I’m still gonna do it because I’ll get a laugh out of them and they feel understood instead of put-down for what they believe and what they’re interested in and how they want to perceive themselves.
“It’s me jumping into their world, sometimes I’m not welcome, but I’ll try anyway.”
Most of this slang is also used by Gen Z, making this list a two-for-one special - lucky you.
Rizz
Simply put, “rizz” is short for “charisma” and refers to someone’s ability to chat someone up.
Crowned Oxford’s 2023 word of the year, it was popularised by Twitch streamer and influencer Kai Cenat. For bonus points, a “rizzler” is someone who has a lot of rizz.
Skibidi
“Skibidi” (pronounced like skippity) describes something bad or nonsensical. It’s origins are as weird as it sounds, originating from a viral 11-second video titled “skibidi toilet” of a singing head inside a toilet.
Sigma
A “sigma” is used as another word for cool. In the context of a manosphere social hierarchy inspired by wolves, sigmas are lone wolves on par with alphas.
What the sigma?
Simply put, “what the sigma?” is the Gen Alpha equivalent of “what the heck?” and like most words on this list, comes from a meme of Squidward from SpongeBob SquarePants seeing a wafflecone with too many toppings and saying, “erm, what the sigma?”
Beta
Going back to social hierarchies where alpha and sigmas are leaders, “betas” are followers. Mostly used an insult towards males, a beta is someone who isn’t cool.
Ohio
It’s not just the name of a state anymore with Gen Alpha using “Ohio” to describe anything weird or crazy, as a nod to all the strange things that seem to only happen in the Buckeye State.
Gyatt
A “gyatt” is a big butt...but is sometimes used as a shorter version of “goddamn” - user discretion is advised.
Looksmaxxing
“Looksmaxxing” is the process of improving your physical appearance in various ways like following a skin care routine or getting cosmetic surgery to maximise your attractiveness.
Mewing
“Mewing” is the practice of pressing your tongue to the roof of your mouth to snatch your jaw. However Gen Alpha have put their own spin on the practice, which has been around for ages, by placing a finger over their lips in a “shhh” motion, then tracing along their jaw to show they’re busy.
Mogging
“Mogging” is when you look better and/or outshine someone, whether that be intentional or not.
Yapping
“Yapping” is when someone is talking a lot, perhaps too much. Bit like a Yorkshire terrier or Chihuahua.
Glazing
To suck up to someone with over-the-top praise and compliments.
Sweat
A “sweat” is someone who tries too hard, usually in a sporting and/or gaming context.
Let him cook/someone cooked here
To let someone cook is to let them do their thing. Likewise, saying that “someone cooked here” means that somebody has left their mark - in a good way.
Fanum Tax
“Fanum tax” is another word for stealing. The term was coined by popular American streamer and content creator Fanum who is known to “tax” his friends by stealing their food.
Cap
Something that’s a lie or isn’t true.
Take the L
Standing for “take the loss” it means to accept failure and move on.
Aura points
“Aura” refers to someone’s coolness based on a point system which determines whether something is cringe or cool. Negative aura = bad, positive aura = good.
Crash out
Not to be confused with going to sleep, to “crash out” in Gen Alpha terms is to lose control and breakdown.
Dogs out
Not to be confused with Baha Men’s 2000 club classic ‘Who Let the Dogs Out’ or actual dogs, having the “dogs out” means being barefoot.
Sussy baka
A combination of sus and the Japanese word for fool, a “sussy baka” is someone who is acting silly or suspicious. Mostly used ironically, the term was popularised by TikToker Akeam Francis in 2021.
Opp
Short for opposition or opponent, an “opp” is someone you don’t like.
Mid
If something is mediocre, it’s “mid.”
Big back
A “big back” is someone who eats a lot with “big back behaviour” referring to eating a lot of food.
Brain rot
The Oxford 2024 word of the year, “brain rot” refers to someone rotting their brains by spending too much time online. This whole list is a product of “brain rot.”
What do you think of the new generation of slang? Let us know in the comments.
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Originally published as Brain rot: An ultimate guide to Gen Alpha’s favourite slang
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