|  | If a teen says something's 'phat' or describes a school classmate as 'rare', parents might think they mean big or unusual. But in teenspeak, phat translates as 'great' and rare is 'unpleasant or ugly'. So how has teen slang evolved? Tony Thorne, head of the language centre at King's College, London says: "Their language is very important to teenagers, because it's another kind of badge of identity. 
It's all about saying as little as you can and meaning as much as you can. | | A Gloucester teenager |
"It's a way they can feel empowered. If they can use words that older people and outsiders can't understand it's a very important part of creating a kind of powerful, attractive, sophisticated identity. "There's always been playground slang but it's really exploded only in the last 10 years or so. "There is this sense that they are really in control of their own culture. "They talk about bling bling (jewellery) and hench (strong, tough, a strong male) and these are all coming from black speech because it's the coolest speech in terms of music culture." Communication John, a 16-year-old from Gloucester, explains: "How you speak depends a bit on what kind of music you like - if you're into hiphop you'll be more influenced by American and say things like 'check it'." Teenspeak
translated |  Biters - People who copy from others
Butt out - don't be nosy, go away
Buff-good looking
Bling bling - ostentatious jewellery
Da bomb - great, excellent
Dork - stupid person
Fit - good looking
Flash - as in'news flash' means you just said something really stupid.
Hello - sarcastic opening to a comment, as in, if something stupid is said or done, another teen will say 'HELLO, is anyone at home?'
Hench - strong, tough, a strong male
Keep it real - be serious
Lush - good looking
Mackin' out, chillin' - relaxing
Moshin' - shaking your head to loud rock music
Phat - really cool, great
Phat-phree - Not cool
Piggin' - eating
Talk to the hand 'cos the face is in Spain - Say what you like, I'm not listening
Rank - (of food or a smell) unpleasant. Something rank 'reeks'
Rare - (of a person) unpleasant, ugly
Tight - very close relationships (best friends are tight) BUT 'That's tight' is a critical term translating as mean or miserly - used especially of parents with regard to pocket money or household curfews
Yeah, right - I don't believe you but can't be bother to argue
Way - if something is cool, another teen will say this, meaning they agree
Whatever - one word answer to anything teens just don't want to talk about
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His mate Del sums teenspeak up: "It's all about saying as little as you can and meaning as much as you can …" So . . . one up from the range of grunts that teens usually employ to communicate with parents, an adult might think. Even more confusing for parents is that the lingo isn't even the same from teen to teen. 'Rare' (see above) and 'rank' (a nasty taste or smell) are two of the commonly used words in 15-year-old Matt's vocabulary but he says: "If I said 'phat' my mates would just laugh at me, and I've never heard of 'hench'." Joelle, 14 says "I know it's not PC but if something's really naff or crap me and my mates say 'oh that's so gay." As Adolonics - a teenspeak web guide for parents - sums up: "Communication is hard enough without trying to figure out what type of English your teen is using." Of course, even if an adult learns teenspeak they may very well get told: "Talk to the hand ..." or "Butt out". And maybe it'll serve 'em right ... Then there's the language of texting - CU L8R or Y R U L8 is all Greek to most parents. »More about the joys of txt - the ultimate teen communication tool. YOUR TEEN SLANG | Slang term: fit
Meaning: sexy Slang term: oh go sleep in a tree
Meaning: shut up, what ever
Rebecca, 14 - Hull | Slang term: Loser
Meaning: someone who is uncool and stupid
Holly - London | Slang term: Beast
Meaning: To do something quickly. "Beast it over to the tuck shop at the start of break to get to the front of the queue" Name -
James, 17 - Cheltenham | Slang term: Head nu good
Meaning: You are cool
netia simpson, 20 - jamaica | Comment: i feel that teen slang is short, sweet, easy to use, very expressive and helpful
Hufsa, 13 - karachi | Slang term: aye-yea naw-no pure-summit
Meaning: good
Jessica, 13 | Slang term: flash
Meaning: great not bad
Niamh,13 | Slang term: prity sick
Meaning: very good
Lauren, 15 | Slang term: heavy, cool
Meaning: great
Nicola ,16 | Slang term: buff
Meaning: good-looking
Lucy, 11 |
What teen talk or text phrases do you use or know? Tell us your views on this article or teen life in general and we'll publish them on BBC Gloucestershire. |
Teenagers talk - and text - using a lingo that sometimes baffles adults. 
