Word up, parents. If your teen is suddenly speaking what seems like an entirely new language, don’t worry.
Slang is just a part of growing up, says Connie Eble, an English professor at University of North Carolina and the author of “Slang & Sociability.”
“It’s part of this whole range of behaviors that they are trying on,” she said, comparing the use of slang to clothing. “You try it on, and you take it off, and most of it you don’t keep very long.”
Teenagers of every generation have used slang to stand out, yet still be like other people their age, says Kathleen Waldron,a professor in the College of Human Services at Arizona State University’s West Campus and an expert on adolescence.
It’s wise for parents to be familiar with their lingo, Eble and Waldron say.
“You should try to know it, so when you hear them talking . . . you think it’s innocent, but it’s really about a drug deal,” Waldron said.
It may also keep you from panicking. For example, when your child says something is a “dime,” that’s a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10, not a “dime bag” of pot like when you werea kid.
Oh, and don’t use your teen’sslang yourself, she cautions parents.
“Their children’s slang belongsto their children, not to them. Donot try to use this slang becauseit just makes you look silly,” Eble said. Besides, it’s hard to keep up.
“Awesome” is out, but “cool” is still “money.” A teacher who was “da bomb” isnow “tight.”
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