To ‘flex’ does not only mean showing off your biceps — and when people say that something is on fire, they might not be talking about an actual bush fire. Is this new to you? Then it might have been a minute (
yes, you guessed it, not an actual 60 seconds) since you last updated your social media dictionary.
Keeping up with new terms, phrases and slang on social media is a
must for all brands, influencers, content creators and social media users. It is the best way to ensure that you are
always on top of the social game.
So, let’s take a look at the latest top 10 phrases:
1. Cap / No cap
These terms are used as verbs to either say ‘this is the truth’ (no cap) or ‘this is a lie’ (cap). This has been widely used
all over social media to call out people who are not telling the truth online.
“I’m obsessed with coffee, no cap,” says Robyn.
“Stop capping already,” Jonathan replied.
2. FOMO
FOMO is an abbreviation for the ‘
fear of missing out’. It is often used when a person can not attend an event. This phrase can also be used when a colleague is working from home while their team is at the office, because they might experience FOMO as they can’t actually be present in group conversations on that day.
“I have such bad FOMO!,” exclaims Mia.
“FOMO is my go-to emotion lately,” says Mary.
3. Fire
A social media user will use the word ‘fire’ as a noun to describe how amazing or cool something is. Saying something is fire is always accompanied by a positive connotation. So the next time you see someone saying “that’s fire”, you know it means it is super cool.
“Your new shoes are fire, my girl,” says Taylor.
“That poem you wrote about cupcakes was fire,” Maryna adds.
4. Dead
This one is rather hard to link back to what it actually means. Believe it or not, ‘dead’ on social media refers to “laughing out loud” or explaining that you found something online hilarious. Sometimes users use the word individually or they will say, “this meme has me dead”.
*Watches funny TikTok video* “This is so me, I’m dead,” explains Brendan.
*Sees funny meme* “Dead,” types Kyle.
5. Hits different
When you read a sentence saying “this cartoon hits different,” you might be wondering, how on earth can a show
hit you? And to be fair, that is a good question to ask! When a user says something ‘hits different’, it means that it makes them feel extraordinary or exceptional.
This can even be linked back to feeling nostalgic about something, such as watching your favorite cartoon show that you used to watch when you were younger.
“Adventure time just hits different compared to today’s kids’ show,” says Heather.
“Coca-cola just hits different after it’s been in the fridge,” Jackson says, taking a big slurp of cold drink.
6. Main character
So, you know how every story always has the main character? Well, the youth is using this phrase to encourage one another to have that same vibe in real life. They tell each other that they need to be the main character in their own lives.
“Mia always wears whatever she wants; she really gives off such main character vibes,” says Lindy.
“Just got my hair done — who is the main character now,” Mindi asks herself while staring at the mirror.
7. G.O.A.T
This acronym stands for ‘
greatest of all time’. This term comes from “
the sport of boxing, where supposedly, one of the boxers used this term as self-praise.
So when a person is referred to as being the G.O.A.T, it means that they are
really good or the best at something.
“Jerry is the G.O.A.T at basketball,” exclaims Jone.
“Did you see those cool dance moves Jess has? She is the G.O.A.T,” says Jone.
8. CEO of ...
When a social media user says someone is the CEO of something, it refers to that person being really good at it. For example, Jane is the CEO of ghosting people (and no, that doesn’t mean she dresses up as a ghost and scares people). Rather, it means that she is really good at making plans with a person on Tinder and then not showing up for the date.
#Ghosted.
“Did you hear? Jack was ghosted by Jane — again! She is truly the CEO of ghosting people,” says Josh.
“Being the CEO of ghosting people is not the move,” adds Zoe.
9. Flex
When you hear another person saying that someone is flexing, it simply means that they are showing off what they have. This can be their new iPhone, shoes or car. By posting it all over social media for everyone to see, they are flexing.
“Jack got bands for his birthday and now he is flexing all over Instagram,” sighs Jason.
“Chané got the new colour changing Nike shoes and is flexing it everywhere on social media,” Kyla adds.
10. Spill the tea sis
When you hear someone saying this phrase, you know it is time for some hot gossip. This can be anything from personal news, all the way to what the Kardashians have been up to. When a person says, “You wouldn’t believe what this cashier told me at Walmart”, it is going to be responded with, “OMW, spill the tea sis.”
“I heard Adam was at the party; spill the tea right now,” demands Eric.
“Please let me just spill the tea already,” Rose begs.
Are there other G.O.A.T. phrases you think should have been flexed on the list? Spill the tea in the comments section below.
*Image courtesy of Canva