In every generation, a new shared vernacular emerges. Especially in the teenage and young adult years, members of a generation develop and popularize a highly specific set of slang words that asserts their differences from previous generations, most notably their parents’. As baby boomers, Generation Xers, and millennials each reached their prime, there were massive language shifts. Now, we have Gen Z and Gen Alpha slang coming to the forefront.
People in Gen Z were born between 1997 and 2012, so the oldest are almost 30, while the youngest are just starting their high school years. Since many Gen Zers spent their youth communicating on the internet, using more acronyms became the norm. It’s also common to see the acronyms in lowercase, as capitalizing things adds keystrokes or taps. If you see a sentence written by someone 29 or younger, and you feel like you’re looking at the Enigma code, these abbreviations will help you start to decipher their shorthand.
Short for “on my way,” this is such a common phrase that Apple has integrated it into its autocorrect features. When you type the letters “omw” into an iPhone, it automatically updates to “On my way!”
“Not gonna lie” already has a shortened word in it (with “gonna” standing in for “going to”), but it’s made even shorter with this three-letter abbreviation. Either used to preface a sentence or tacked on to the end, “ngl” indicates that you know what you’re saying is a little strange or different from your conversation partner’s opinion — for example, “ngl, I don’t hate the word moist.”
When you’re requesting that someone get in contact with you at another time or send you information, you may tell them, “Hit me up.” If a Gen Zer sends you a quick “hmu” when discussing weekend plans, they probably mean they’ll try to be available, but to get in contact when you have firmer plans in place.
An acronym of an abbreviation, “wym” stands for “what you mean,” which is an ellison of “What do you mean?” With or without the question mark, it’s a quick way to ask someone to elaborate on what they’re telling you.
Important for emphasis, “swear to God” denotes that you’re serious about a statement. If a Gen Zer texts, “i stg i would never,” they mean business. However, like many phrases that often denote seriousness, you can also use it in a winking way.
Exasperation is common in online conversations between friends venting to each other. This abbreviation for “shaking my head” communicates both irritation and resignation with the information. You can also use “smdh” for “shaking my damn head” to push it a little further.
Finally, when you want to shift topics, just tell someone to “never mind” with a short “nvm.” It’s a classic way to tell someone, “Let’s move on.” It’s not a conversation-ender, but a conversation-redirect.
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