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Editor’s note: Ever wondered about teen culture? What do those words mean? Why do they dress the way they do? What’s cool and what’s not? Is using the word cool still cool? If you have specific questions, this is the time and place to ask. Please drop me an email at apropos@cfpsa.com and I’ll forward it to the youth from www.connectingcfyouth.ca who will be happy to tell us what’s what. Here are our first questions and answers. |
Question: Can you please give me a few tips that will help me understand my teenager’s use of language.
Answer from Gregg Clark of Brussels, Belgium
So here’s the deal, the low-down, the 411 on teenage slang. Whether you like it or not, teens will think up words and euphemisms that will never make it to the dictionary. In most cases, it’s just for the fun of confusing adults. The problem is, most of them are too inappropriate to put on paper, which is why we replace them with a new word so we don’t get in trouble. Another basic reason for slang is to shorten words for minimal verbal effort in a conversation. Here’s a few words from the unofficial, unwritten (because then it wouldn’t be cool any more) slang dictionary.
Dope (dop) adj. - Nice, cool, awesome, appealing, great, good (a generic positive). “You got a raise man? That’s dope.”
Hella (h’ela) adv. - Very, extremely, to a great amount, to a large extent. “The movie was hella cool” Kick It (k’ik ît) verb - To relax, take it easy, or hang out. “Let’s kick it at John’s house this weekend, his parents are away”
Whack (wack) adj. - weird, strange, messed up. “That test was whack!”
Trippin’ (tr’ipp’in) verb - Acting crazy or weird. “He’s trippin’ out man!” “My mom’s trippin’ balls cause I didn’t gas up the car.”
Give it a go, it’ll surprise your kids if you go home and use these words with a straight face. It also seems that I’m over my word count, so I’d better bounce dawgs. Catch you on the flipside.
Question: What is an Avatar?
Answer from Tyra Ball of Comox
An avatar is a picture or symbol used to represent a user online in online forums, instant message programs or chat rooms, to help distinguish them from other users. Depending on the settings of the message board, you may or may not be able to use an avatar, or the size of your avatar may be limited.