How to Incorporate GenZ Slang Into Your Everyday Product Work
Wow, as a 30-something, I find that my GenZ colleagues are throwing out a bunch of cool phrases that I just couldn’t understand until I really dove in. In a wide-ranging interview with three members of Generation Z, I learned all I could about popular slang from Generation Z, and have started incorporating it in my everyday. In order to help you, I’ll provide you some examples on how I decided to do it!
Accio
“To summon something, especially a snack” - originating from Harry Potter, where the spell Accio summons objects.
Use this when you ping a colleague into a meeting, by saying, “Hey, Sam: Accio” as you then request them to join the meeting by actively ringing their computer to get them into the invite.
Bard
“A person who is good at writing or creating content.” - literally, Generation Z is just bringing back vintage Old English in common parlance.
Use this when you refer to an excellent UX Designer. “Brenda is the best Bard we have, in fact, we’ve changed all our Comms and Design roles to be labeled as Associate Bard, Bard, Senior Bard, Principle Bard, and Fellow Bard.”
Bussin’
“Very good or delicious.” - Generally a term that’s used in relation to something positive. " - a derivative of the word “bust”
Use this to give praise to a developer who really built a great feature. “Yo, Shakar, that feature launch is really bussin’ in the customer feedback. Great work. No Cap.”
Cap
“To lie or exaggerate.” - originating from the term “cappin’” which means to lie.
Use this when you think your developer is maybe lying about the progress they are making, “Hey, Tina, you told me this feature would be done, but I don’t see any repo requests opened for it. What’s the word on this, or was your previous statement a cap?” Sometimes, if it’s an IM, you might just send emojis of a cap to indicate that you don’t believe someone, or use the cap react in Slack to identify that you think they are lying. Coincidentally, you might say to your leaders, “Yeah, we are done with that work. No Cap.” as an indication you’re telling the truth!
Catch These Hands
“An expression of anger or annoyance, often used as a threat.” - a variation of “catch these paws,” which meant you were gonna get punched.
Use this when you’re really frustrated, and want to sound incredulous because you’re about to escalate on a team blocking your progress. “Ugh, Barbara, this is really frustrating me, and if we cannot get movement on this, then someone’s about to catch these hands!”
Cheugy
“Outdated or unfashionable.” - Originating in the early 2020s and thought to be a combo of “chubby” and “ugly” - which, frankly, is problematic as a term, so we recommend NOT using this one.
However, if you find yourself with a designer who has absolutely outdated wireframe concepts, you might say, “Alice, these designs are looking a little cheugy, and I think you need to redo them.”
Drip
“A cool sense of style.” - Originating in hip hop culture, and thought to be a reference to way water drips off something.
You would use this when a feature or design is absolutely perfectly executed in a compliment to your team, “Team, our launch is DRIPPING. You all really crushed the execution on this!”
Finsta
“A fake or second instagram account that people use to post more personal or embarrassing content.” - Originated as a portmanteu of Instagram and Fake.
In this instance, you might use this when you need to prototype something you think will fail but aren’t quite sure. For example, “Can we finsta this up and prove out that it won’t work well?” An alternative might be when you need to put something into the market, but don’t want it necessarily tied back to your team and company, “Can we make a finsta of this, and just collect some data so we can finally squash this.”
Gaslit
“To manipulate someone into doubting their own sanity.” - Originates from the 1944 film Gaslight, in which a husband manipulates his wife into believing she is going insane.
Typically, this term is used defensively when you think someone is trying to rewrite the narrative and blame you for something that they did. You can use this against a team blaming you for their dependencies, “No, Jakob, this team isn’t gonna be gaslit by you. We had clear expectations, and you’re trying to override them.”
On Fleek
“Very stylish or fashionable.” - originating as a variation of the phrase “on point” - meaning perfect.
Use this to describe a perfect deployment and design that was expertly pushed into the market, to resounding customer reviews! “Team, our last deployment was really On Fleek! You all delivered excellence. I’m proud of you!”
Pog
“An expression of excitement or enthusiasm” - Originated from Twitch emote :PogChamp: which is a picture of a surprised face.
Use this when you need to show that you’re excited and surprised by what your team has delivered. “Wow, Justin, I wasn’t expecting this, but the feature you delivered is so pog, I almost lost my mind!”
Stan
“To be obsessive of someone or something.” - Originating from Eminem’s song “Stan,” which is about a fan who becomes obsessed with the rapper.
Use this when you are absolutely obsessed with something your team did. “Team, I am such a Stan at the moment for the work you’re doing. I’m stannin’ you to everyone I talk to about the accomplishments you’re making!”
Vibing
“Feeling relaxed and in a good mood.” - Originating in the early 2010s as a variation of vibration, which means “energy,” becoming popular in the past five years.
Use this when your team really is gelling and have moved from Storming to Performing: “Team, we’ve been vibing as a group this week, and I’m really excited to see our velocity continue to stabilize!”
W
“A win”- originating in the early 2010s, but grown in popularity in the last five years.
Use this when your team was suffering a setback, and you really just need to encourage them, so you find any small thing that can motivate them: “You know, I know our customers hate the product, and our executives are really unhappy with our progress, but the data we’re getting will really help us improve the product, so let’s consider that a W.”
Yeet
“To throw with great force” - Originating in the early 2010s, having come and gone and come back into resurgence recently.
Use this when you’re so mad at your laptop, you want to literally toss it out the window. “Wow, if I have another OS update that bricks my machine and requires a reimage, I’m going to literally yeet it and myself out the window.”
And there you have it. This language will help you win over younger generations of workers, helping you to align to their sensibilities and know what they are saying when they talk in their strange gibberish. At the end of the day, your management will also be impressed (probably), because you’re researching ways to stay relevant and informed on the culture of the younger generation, who will grow up one day and be your future customers, assuming they can get out of the crippling debt from higher education, not having to worry about healthcare costs, and can afford a home that they don’t need to share with three others also working from home.
