English is a fluid language. It borrows from languages such as German, Dutch, French, and Latin, yet no one has more power to alter it than young populations. They pick and choose the words that best express their intentions opting to tweet Occupy Starbucks, for example, rather than spelling out all the reasons they are frustrated with the line.
The American Dialect Society publishes an annual word of the year, but it’s often politically charged and not representative of how young adult generations (those in their mid-teens to late 20s) actually speak. So what follows is a basic but not basic young adult dictionary to consult should the need arise. It’s not exhaustive; it’s not perfect; but it is representative. Use it. Add to it. And remember, just because this is what the kids are saying today doesn’t mean it’s what they’ll be saying tomorrow.
THE YOUNG ADULT DICTIONARY
Adorb (Adorbs)
adjective: Delightful or cute. Shortened form of adorable.
Usage: Did you see GEMC Credit Union’s hashtag (see below) Meme Friday’ tweet? That bear is so adorbs.
-Ageddon
suffix:Added to the end of a word, usually a noun, to signify an end of the world scenario. Sometimes used ironically. See also -pocalypse.
Usage: My bank’s service fees are out of control. Talk about a charge-ageddon.
Basic
adjective: Transparent motives. Also, bland or corny.
Usage: Of course I want to be smart with my money. How basic do you think I am?
Because
preposition:Because-noun. Indicates why one acted in the manner in which they did.
Usage: I’m going to my local credit union right now to refinance my car loan, because rates.
Can’t Even (I Can’t Even)
phrase: Denotes such an overwhelming number of emotions to something that the user is unable to form a response.
Usage: My bank really thinks I’ll pay this credit card rate? I can’t even.
Dead
noun: A situation that is so funny or hard to believe that there are no words to express the user’s thoughts.
Usage: When I found out I was approved for my first home loan, I was so happy I died.
Derp
noun: Signifies stupidity. Primarily used online. Similar to past forms duh and dur.
Usage: Forgot to pay my credit card bill on time. Derp.
Epic
adjective:The ultimate or largest of something. Often used with fail (see below).
Usage: The XYZ Credit Union sponsored 5K I just ran was such an epic event.
Fail
interjection: Signifies disapproval.
verb:Bad or unsuccessful.
Usage: J.P Morgan cancelled its twitter Q&A. Fail!
Flex
verb:To show off. To encroach.
Usage: Did you see Bank of America’s new ad campaign? It’s flexing on the credit union tax exemption.
Glocal
adjective: Signifies both local and global characterizations. Primarily used by technology companies and employees in Silicon Valley.
Usage: It’s important that my financial institution has a glocal approach to business.
Hashtag
noun: The # key that appears on phone dial pads and keyboards. Often used in the context of Twitter, the hashtag groups related tweets i.e., #creditunion. Used in face-to-face conversations, it underscores a point or indicates sarcasm.
Usage: I love the rates I get from my local credit union. Hashtag Such A Good Deal.
Hate-Watch
noun: The inability to stop watching something even though one dislikes or is frustrated by it.
Usage: I hate-watched Bank of America’s new commercial literally one hundred times last night on YouTube.
Humblebrag
noun/verb:Letting others know how exciting one’s life is while simultaneously undercutting it. Often used as a Twitter hashtag.
Usage: Refinanced my auto rate at XYZ Credit Union and saved 10%. If only I knew what to do with all this money I’m saving #humblebrag.
Jelly
adjective:Shortened form of jealous.
Usage: Kelly was jelly of the APR on her friend’s credit card, so she visited ABC credit union to get an even better rate.
Literally
adverb:Used for emphasis or to express strong feeling while not being literally true.
Usage: I’m afraid to look at my checking account balance. I literally spent a million dollars this weekend.
-Pocalypse
suffix: Added to the end of a word, usually a noun, to signify an end of the world scenario. Elevates minor events beyond their importance. Sometimes used ironically. See also -ageddon)
Usage: After taking my credit union’s financial education class, I realized how little knowledge I had of my finances. I’m a walking credit-pocalypse.
Salty
adjective:Mean, angry, or bitter.
Usage: I’m salty whenever I think about the unnecessary fees my bank charges.
Selfie
noun:A photograph one has taken of oneself, typically shared on social media.
Usage: In one of our high school scavenger hunts, we all had to take selfies in front of the student-run XYZ Credit Union branch.
Soft
adjective: Describes people, actions, or situations that do not match expectations. Also, someone or something that is weak or feeble.
Usage: Bank customers don’t get annual member dividends like credit union members … that’s soft.
Subtweet
noun:A tweet, ususally negative, that mentions a Twitter member without using their username. The person mentioned won’t see the subtweet in their Twitter timeline.
Usage: Man, I’m so tired of Bank of America’s automated voice messaging system. I wish I could speak to a real person.
Swag
noun: The way in which individuals represent themselves both physically and personally. Derives from swagger.
Usage: I love the T-shirts XYZ Credit Union employees wear to their annual community fundraiser. They have so much swag.
Throwing Shade
verb:To publically denounce or disrespect.
Usage: Did you see Bank of America’s newest commercial? Talk about throwing shade.
Time-Poor
noun: An individual with little leisure time. Derives from the British expression Money-rich, time-poor.
Usage: I would go to the branch to attend that financial education class on FICO Scores but I’ve been just so time-poor since I was promoted.
TL;DR
phrase:Too long; didn’t read. Often used online by someone who failed to complete an expected amount of reading.
Usage: I know I should have read through my mortgage agreement, but it was so long! #TL;DR.