Every generation invents its own secret code, a lexicon that makes parents sigh and teenagers feel like linguistic masterminds. Most of the time, you can guess the meaning from context, tone, or common sense—like “bummer.” Spoiler: it’s never good news.

Boomers baffled their elders with words like Groovy, Peace Out, Mellow, Dig It, Right On, Wig Out, Split, Bummer, Wet Rag, Rattled, and Heavy. (“Why is everything so heavy in the future? Is something wrong with the Earth's gravitational pull?” Doc Brown, anyone?)

Gen X’ers like me came stocked with Bogus, Gnarly, Psych, Word, Bodacious, Chill, Dweeb, Fly, Whatever, Diss, Rad, Dude, As If, and Wicked. Parents didn’t get it. We didn’t care. And yes, it was totally rad.

Fast-forward to now, and slang is a rapidly mutating mashup of acronyms

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