1. "Clout..."
I’m not sure where exactly this came from, but apparently, “clout” has become like an evolved version of “swag”. Got cool glasses? Those are clout goggles. Got some sweet new Calvin Klein flip-flops you found at Ross on sale for eight dollars? Those give you some mega clout, and yes, the flip-flops are based on a true story.
2. "Extra!"
People may say I am being “extra”, and I just sit there… and wait… and then I get frustrated. This person seriously thought what they said is a complete sentence? Extra what? Extra is an adverb for another adjective, not an adjective itself. I’m not usually that guy that corrects people’s grammar, but this term just rubs me the wrong way.
3. "Turnt."
“Turnt” is a classic example of making it slang just because you can. Instead of saying “turned up” when you’re talking about your weekend, you feel the need to say “turnt”. If changing the word by a couple letters makes it cooler to say, then I don’t want to be cool anymore. Not that I was ever cool in the first place, but still, it’s the principle of the whole thing.
4. "Woke."
Similar to the “turned” versus “turnt” argument, “woke” is pretty much the same (but not the same at all) as awake, awoken, or anything related to being, well, not asleep. Technically you use the term to say you have awareness or know what’s going on, but it’s just another example of this generation making things more complicated than they have to be.
5. "Cray."
“Z” may be the last letter of the alphabet, but it certainly is not the least. With this being said, you can probably guess that I have a problem with “cray” replacing “crazy”. It’s the definition of millennial laziness, in my opinion, to remove a single letter and syllable from a word, which is apparently an upgrade to the word itself. I don’t get the point of all this. Is that extra syllable really that much of a strain to say? The definition of cray is exactly the same as crazy anyway, so let’s not make things more confusing for those out of the loop and keep the English language the way it is already.
6. "Finesse."
I don’t have any problem with the word “finesse” itself, I actually enjoy saying it. The thing I have trouble with is that there are multiple ways to use it, and I can’t keep them all straight in my head. Sometimes it means to possess something stealthily, sometimes it’s smooth, athletic movements, and sometimes it’s being able to talk someone out of something easily. When in doubt, I just go ahead and use the word, no matter if it fits in with the situation or not. You know what they say: sometimes you just have to risk it for the finesse.
7. "Snatched!"
If you use normal logic like me, you would think “snatched” would be pretty similar to finesse when used correctly. Of course, slang is never that easy. Snatched is apparently a compliment to use when your outfit is good, or your look is “on fleek”. When I learned this, it left me dumbfounded. How on earth does this become a thing? Sometimes I think I was born in the wrong generation after this one.
8. "Hundo P."
Genuine, authentic, organic, etc. It’s all the same, right? So, let’s change one-hundred percent to “Hundo P” and use that instead. Apparently, this is the logic used in the creation of this term, and it’s one of the few terms that actually leaves me speechless. Why on earth are you trying so hard if the point of slang is to make things easier? I can’t quite wrap my brain around it, but I don’t lose any sleep over it either.
9. "Aesthetic."
I’ve seen this one countless times on Instagram, and I can kind of see a point when it comes to art and photography, but outside of that, it is pretty pointless. I prefer using “vibe” over “aesthetic” because it is significantly shorter and easier to say. This is the slang that has an easier replacement, but people prefer the longer, harder-to-spell word. I thought it was all about making things easier, right? If it is, then I guess I am one of the few who is doing this thing the right way.
10. "...Salty."
Last on this list is “salty”. This term has evolved over the past generation to go from meaning tough and gritty to being bitter or agitated. Bitter is when there’s a lack of substance or taste, yet salt is used as a seasoning in order to give food flavor. Whether it’s a coincidence or not, I don’t know what it is that made this word’s meaning change. I just like to laugh at the fact that salty means bitter. It’s pretty funny if you think about it. At least our generation has a sense of humor I guess.
