What adults call texting, kids call talking. They talk on their phones via chat, social comments, snaps, posts, tweets, and direct messages. And they are talking most of the time — tap, tap, tap — much like background music. In all this talking a language, or code, emerges just as it has for every generation only today that language is in acronyms, hashtags, and emojis. And while the slang is perfectly understood peer-to-peer, it has parents googling like crazy to decipher it. And this language changes all the time. It expands, contracts and specific acronyms and symbols (emojis) can change in meaning entirely over time, which is why we update this list every periodically. This time we’ve added emojis (scroll to bottom) since those powerful little graphic symbols have singlehandedly transformed human communication, as we know it. Don’t forget to protect your devices with McAfee Mobile Security.
Harmless Banter
We publish this list with an important reminder: Teen texting slang isn’t inherently bad or created with an intent to deceive or harm. Most of the terms and symbols have emerged as a kind of clever shorthand for fast-moving fingers and have no dangerous or risky meaning attached. So, if you are monitoring your kids’ phones or come across references you don’t understand, assume the best in them (then, of course, do your homework).
For example, there are dozens of harmless words such as finna (fixing to do something), yeet (a way to express excitement), skeet (let’s go), Gucci (great, awesome, or overpriced), AMIRITE (am I right?) QQ4U (quick question for you), SMH (shaking my head), bread (money), IDRK (I don’t really know), OOTD (outfit of the day), LYAAF (love you as a friend), MCE (my crush everyday), HMU (hit me up, call me), W/E (whatever), AFK (away from keyboard), RTWT (read the whole thread), CWYL (chat with you later), Ship (relationship), CYT (see you tomorrow) or SO (significant other).
The Red Flags
Here are some terms and emojis that may not be so innocent. Any of these terms can also appear as hashtags if you put a # symbol in front of them.
Potential bullying slang
Ghost = to ignore someone on purpose
Boujee = rich or acting rich
Sip tea = mind your own business
The tea is so hot = juicy gossip
AYFKM? = are you f***ing kidding me?
Thirsty = adjective describing a desperate-acting, needy person
Basic = annoying person, interested in shallow things
Extra = over the top, excessive, dramatic person
TBH = to be honest (sometimes followed by negative comments)
Zerg = to gang up on someone (a gaming term that has morphed into a bullying term)
KYS = kill yourself
SWYP = so what’s your problem?
182 = I hate you
Curve = to reject someone
Shade = throwing shade, to put someone down.
POS = piece of sh**
WTF = what the f***
Derp = stupid
Lsr = loser
Butters = ugly
Jelly = jealous
Subtweet = talking about someone but not using their @name
Bizzle = another word for b***h
THOT or thotties = a promiscuous girl/s
YAG = you are gay
Cyber pretty = saying someone only looks good online with filters
Beyouch = another word for b***h
RAB = rude a** b***h
IMHO = in my honest opinion
IMNSHO = in my not so honest opinion
NISM = need I say more?
Potential risky behavior slang
Broken = hung over
Pasted = high or drunk
Belfie = self-portrait (selfie) featuring the buttocks
OC = open crib, party at my house
PIR = parents in the room
9, CD9, Code 9 = parents here
99 = parents gone
Smash = to have casual sex
Slide into my DM = connecting through a direct message on a social network with sexual intentions
A3: Anytime, anywhere, anyplace
WTTP = want to trade pictures?
S2R = send to receive (pictures)
sugarpic = Refers to a suggestive or erotic photograph
TDTM = talk dirty to me
KMS = kill myself
AITR = adults in the room
KPC = keeping parents clueless
1174 = invite to a wild party usually followed by an address
53X = sex
Chirped = got caught
Cu46 = See you for sexTDTM = talk dirty to meLMIRL = let’s meet in real life
GNRN = get naked right now
Pron = porn
Frape = Facebook rape; posting to someone else’s profile when they leave it logged in.
NSFW = not safe for work (post will include nudity, etc)
Livingdangerously = taking selfies while driving or some other unsafe behavior
Kik = let’s talk on kik instant message instead
Sue = suicide
Dep = depression
Svv = self- harming behavior
SN = send nudes
Nend sudes = another way to say SN/send nudes
PNP = party and play (drugs + sex)
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Potential drug-related slang
420, bud, tree = marijuana
Blow, mayo, white lady, rock, snow, yay, yale, yeyo, yank, yahoo = Cocaine
Special K = ketamine, liquid tranquilizer
Pearls = a nicely rolled blunt
Dabbing = concentrated doses of marijuana (began as a dance craze)
DOC = drug of choice
Turnt up / turnt = high or drunk
Geeked up = being high
Bar = Xanax pill
Bar out = to take a Xanax pill
Baseball = crack cocaine
Skrill = Money
Bread = money
CID = acid
E, XTC = ecstasy
Hazel = heroin
Blue Boogers = snorting Adderall or Ritalin
Pharming = getting into medicine cabinets to find drugs to get high
Oxy, perks, vikes = opioids
Robo-tripping = consuming cough syrup to get high
Tweaking = high on amphetamines
Wings = cocaine; heroin
Speed, crank, uppers, Crystal or Tina = meth
Red flag emojis
Frog = an ugly person
Frog + tea (coffee) cup = that’s the tea (gossip)
Any kind of green plant/leaves = marijuana
Maple leaf = marijuana
Broccoli = marijuana
Smoke puff or gasoline = get high
Snowflake = cocaine
Person skiing = cocaine
Pill = ecstasy or MDMA for sale
Face with steam from nose = MDMA drug
Rocket = high potency drug for sale
Syringe = heroin
Diamond = crystal meth, crack cocaine for sale
Skull = die
Knife + screaming face = calling someone a psycho
Bowling ball + person running = I’m gonna hit you, coming for you
Flowers = drugs
Dollar sign = it’s for sale
Syringe = heroine (also tattoo)
Cat with heart eyes = sex
Purple face with horns = sex
Gas pump = sex
Tongue, eggplant, water drops, banana, peach, taco, cherries, drooling face, rocket = sex
Rose, rosette, cherry, pink cherry blossom, growing heart, airplane, crown = emojis that refer to sex trafficking
When it comes to figuring out what your kids are up to online, using your own instincts and paying attention will be your best resources. If something doesn’t sound or look right on your child’s phone trust that feeling and look deeper. You don’t have to know every term or symbol — the more important thing is to stay aware and stay involved.
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