You're so skibidi

A guide to decoding some common Gen-Alpha language

My dear mum is a teachers aide at a local intermediate school and she mentioned a couple of words to me last month that her students were using which she hadn’t heard before.

I’d vaguely heard the words, but I didn’t know exactly what they meant, so I started a little note on my phone of new Gen-Alpha words and slang that are starting to become commonly used, and my list has grown precipitously!

Language is constantly evolving, but for most of my adult life it seemed to be fairly static. However, recently I’ve noticed an explosion of new words, slang and language

There’s a Gen-Alpha meme song that goes like this:

Sticking out your gyat for the rizzler
You're so skibidi
You're so Fanum Tax
I just wanna be your sigma
Freaking come here
Give me your Ohio

(click to watch YouTube clip)

If you understood all those lyrics perfectly, you must either be 12 years old, or exceptionally hip! ¹

If you’re my age, the meme itself, as well as the lyrics are pretty confusing, so I'll translate and explain the lyrics for you.

Lyrics:

"Sticking out your gyat for the rizzler"

• Translation: Showing off your attractiveness or showing your butt to someone who has great flirting skills.

• Explanation: "Gyat" is slang for an attractive physical appearance, particularly referring to body parts, often posterior. "Rizzler" comes from "rizz," which means charisma or the ability to flirt successfully.

"You're so skibidi"

• Translation: You have a playful or energetic vibe.

• Explanation: "Skibidi" is a playful term that originated from a viral dance and song, associated with fun and energetic movements. Skibidi toilet was a wildly popular meme for 4 year olds, which is basically just a head in a toilet (watch YouTube clip here)²

"You're so Fanum Tax"

• Translation: You have a chaotic or unpredictable energy.

• Explanation: "Fanum Tax" is a reference to a popular YouTuber, Fanum, known for his energetic and sometimes chaotic style. "Tax" could imply an added level of intensity.

"I just wanna be your sigma"

• Translation: I want to be your independent and self-reliant partner.

• Explanation: "Sigma" refers to a sigma male, a term from internet culture describing someone who is confident, independent, and doesn’t conform to traditional social hierarchies.

"Freaking come here"

• Translation: Come here right now.

• Explanation: "Freaking" is an emphatic way to intensify the request, showing urgency or strong desire.

"Give me your Ohio"

• Translation: Share with me your unique and unconventional qualities.

• Explanation: "Ohio" in this context is likely a quirky or humorous reference, possibly tied to memes about the state being unusual or having distinct characteristics. It suggests wanting to connect with someone's unique traits.

Some other commonly used Gen-Alpha terms are as follows:

1. Aesthetic: A particular style or vibe, especially one that is visually pleasing.

   • "Her room has such a cool aesthetic with all the fairy lights and posters."

2. Bet: An affirmative response or agreement.

   • "Want to go to the movies tonight?" "Bet."

3. Big yikes: A stronger version of "yikes," indicating something is really embarrassing or cringeworthy.

   • "Did you see his awkward dance at the party? Big yikes."

4. Bussin': Describing something as really good, often used for food.

   • "This pizza is bussin'!"

5. Cap/No Cap: "Cap" means a lie, while "no cap" means no lie or truth.

   • "He said he could dunk, but that's cap." / "I'm telling you, no cap, I saw it happen."

6. Cheugy: Out of date or trying too hard to be trendy, typically used ironically.

   • "That outfit is so cheugy, nobody wears that anymore."

7. Clout: Influence or power, often in a social media context.

   • "He's just doing it for clout."

8. Drip: Stylish or fashionable appearance.

   • "Check out his drip, those shoes are fire."

9. Extra: Over the top or dramatic.

   • "She's always so extra with her stories, making everything sound like a big deal."

10. Fam: Short for family, used to describe close friends.

    • "What's up, fam?"

11. Finsta: A private Instagram account where someone posts content for close friends.

    • "I only share my real thoughts on my finsta."

12. Flex: To show off or boast.

    • "He's always flexing his new shoes on Instagram."

13. Ghosting: Suddenly cutting off all communication with someone without explanation.

    • "I can't believe he just ghosted me after our date."

14. Glow up: A significant transformation, typically for the better, in someone's appearance or life.

    • "She had a major glow up over the summer!"

15. GOAT: Acronym for "Greatest of All Time."

    • "LeBron James is the GOAT."

16. Gyat: Attractive physical appearance.

    • "She's got that gyat that turns heads."

17. High-key: Obviously or openly, the opposite of low-key.

    • "I'm high-key excited for the concert this weekend."

18. Hits different: Something that feels special or unique.

    • "This song just hits different when you're driving at night."

19. IYKYK: Acronym for "If You Know, You Know," implying an inside joke or shared knowledge.

    • "That reference to the old TV show was perfect, IYKYK."

20. Low-key: Slightly or secretly.

    • "I'm low-key obsessed with this new book series."

21. Main character: Someone who acts like the protagonist in a movie, often living life confidently and making bold choices.

    • "She walked into the room with main character energy."

22. Mood: Something relatable or something you identify with.

    • "I'm so tired. Same, that's a mood."

23. OK, boomer: A dismissive response to someone perceived as out of touch, typically from an older generation.

    • "You shouldn't waste your time on those video games." "OK, boomer."

24. Periodt: Emphasizing the end of a statement, meaning there is no more discussion needed.

    • "That’s the best movie ever, periodt."

25. Pog/Poggers: Excited or hyped, often used in gaming communities.

    • "I just won the match! Poggers!"

26. Receipts: Proof or evidence, usually of something scandalous or noteworthy.

    • "I've got the receipts to prove he was there."

27. Rizz: Charisma or flirting skills.

    • "He's got that rizz that makes everyone like him."

28. Salty: Being upset or bitter about something.

    • "He's salty because he lost the game."

29. Shook: Shocked or surprised.

    • "I was shook when I heard the news."

30. Sigma: Independent and self-reliant individual.

    • "He's such a sigma, always doing his own thing."

31. Simp: Someone who does too much for someone they like, often to the point of losing self-respect.

    • "He's always buying her gifts and doing her homework; he's a total simp."

32. Skibidi: Playful or energetic vibe.

    • "You're so skibidi with all your dance moves."

33. Slay: To succeed or excel at something.

    • "She absolutely slayed her performance."

34. Snack: Someone who looks good or is attractive.

    • "He's looking like a snack today."

35. Spill the tea: Share gossip or personal information.

    • "Spill the tea, what happened at the party?"

36. Stan: To be a devoted fan of someone or something.

    • "I stan Beyoncé so hard."

37. Sus: Short for suspicious or suspect.

    • "That guy over there looks a bit sus."

38. Swole: Extremely muscular or fit.

    • "He's been hitting the gym and now he's swole."

39. Tea: Gossip or personal information.

    • "I've got some tea about what happened at school today."

40. TFW: Acronym for "That Feeling When," used to share relatable moments.

    • "TFW you finally finish your homework."

41. Thirst trap: A social media post intended to attract attention or admiration, often for its provocative nature.

    • "She posted a thirst trap on Instagram and got so many likes."

42. Touch grass: A phrase used to tell someone to go outside and get some fresh air, usually implying they've been online too much.

    • "You've been gaming for hours, go touch grass."

43. Vibe: The atmosphere or feeling of a place, situation, or person.

    • "This café has such a chill vibe."

44. Vibing: Relaxing or enjoying oneself.

    • "We're just vibing to some good music."

45. Whip: A car, usually a nice or flashy one.

    • "Check out his new whip, it's so cool."

46. Woke: Being aware of social issues and injustices.

    • "She's very woke when it comes to environmental issues."

47. WYA: Acronym for "Where You At," asking for someone's location or status.

    • "WYA? We're waiting for you."

48. Yeet: An exclamation of excitement or to throw something with force.

    • "Yeet! I finally got an A on my test." / "He just yeeted the ball across the field."

49. Zoomer: Another term for a member of Gen Z, sometimes used humorously.

    • "As a zoomer, she's always up-to-date with the latest trends."

These terms are often used in informal conversations, especially on social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter.

1. It turns out that the “sticking out your gyat for the rizzler” lyrics come from a parody of the song "ecstacy" by SUICIDAL-IDOL, which has the lyric "Sticking out your tongue for the picture."

2. Skibidi Toilet itself was a meme that was created from another meme, which was the “skibidi dob dob yes yes yes” kebab guy who became very famous from singing these words and bouncing his giant belly up and down (see YouTube video here).