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I found this article in my paper and Thought I would share..... sometimes the more things change the more they stay the same.... ENJOY!!!!!!
Parents should become familiar with teens' slang
Karina Bland
The Arizona Republic
Jul. 23, 2006 12:00 AM
Word up, parents. If your teen is suddenly speaking what seems like an entirely new language, don't worry.
Slang is just a part of growing up, says Connie Eble, an English professor at University of North Carolina and author of Slang & Sociability.
"It's part of this whole range of behaviors that they are trying on," she said, comparing the use of slang to clothing. "You try it on, and you take it off, and most of it you don't keep very long."
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Teenagers of every generation have used slang to stand out, yet still be like other people their age, says Kathleen Waldron, a professor in the College of Human Services at Arizona State University at the West campus and expert on adolescence.
It's wise for parents to be familiar with their lingo, Eble and Waldron say.
"You should try to know it, so when you hear them talking, and you think it's innocent, but it's really about a drug deal, you'll be clued in," Waldron said.
It may also keep you from panicking. For example, when your child says something is a "dime," that's a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10, not a "dime bag" of pot like when you were a kid.
That said, don't use your teen's slang yourself.
"Their children's slang belongs to their children, not to them. Do not try to use this slang because it just makes you look silly," Eble said. "Just as you are not going to try their kind of clothing; don't try their kind of language."
Besides, it's hard to keep up.
"Awesome" is out, but "cool" is still "money." A teacher who used to be "da bomb" is now "tight."
"I try to stay hip, but I don't keep up very well," said Steve Dumas of Phoenix, a father of three, ages 12, 13 and 16.
Admittedly, Dumas' children don't use much slang around him. He tells them, "Speak to me in English!"
Allison's mother, a substitute teacher, sometimes uses the slang she picks up from her kids or in the classroom. Allison said, "It kind of scares me." Her friends think it's funny.
Some advice about handling your kids' use of slang:
• Listen and ask questions, Waldron says. She pays attention when her daughters, ages 15 and 17, talk in the backseat with friends and asks later - not in front of their friends - what certain words mean.
In junior high, for example, Waldron said, "They 'go with' someone, but they don't actually go anywhere."
You can ask, she said, "What does that mean? Does it mean you hold hands and eat lunch together, or does it mean you have sex 10 times a day?"
• Listen to their music. Much of teens' slang comes from song lyrics.
• Watch the television shows that your kids watch, Waldron says. Not only will you pick up lingo, it also provides plenty of opportunities to talk about touchy subjects like sex and alcohol by using dilemmas faced by the characters on TV as conversation starting points.
• Talk about the slang they use, Eble says. If your teens says something like, "I'm just going to go out and rape this Visa card this afternoon," use that as a teachable moment to talk about where that expression comes from, why it's offensive, and that you'd rather they not use it.
• Set limits on the use of slang, Eble says: "Within your family, you have a right to have standards, just as you do in about other things in your children's lives. You can say to your child, 'We do not use that word in this house,' and you can make the same demands of your children's friends when they are in your home."
• Chill. This, too, is a phase. Their slang will change over the years, and they'll eventually grow out of it altogether.
Teens' tight terms
Having trouble understanding your teenager? This glossary of some of today's slang may help.
A
Aiight: Contraction of "all right."
All that: The greatest, better than others.
B
Bang: To have sex or be in a sexual relationship with someone.
Bling: Extravagantly showy jewelry, accessories that glitter.
Boo: Significant other, pet name.
Bounce: To leave.
C
Chill: Pass time in a relaxed manner, relax.
Chicks: Girls or women.
Clowning: Teasing.
Crunk: Providing entertainment and excitement, or crazy drunk.
D
Dawg: Term of endearment, friend.
Dawging: To insult or treat badly.
Down low (D.L.): Secret, covert.
G
Gank: To steal.
Game: Charm, ability to influence or attract, sexual appeal.
Glomp: To hug someone affectionately but not in a sexual manner.
H
Hot: Sexually attractive, arousing.
Hook up: To be with a person romantically, to start dating, or have sex.
K
Kicks: Shoes.
Kickin': Hanging out with friends, or something great, like a movie.
O
Own: To dominate something or someone.
P
Peace or peace out: A concluding remark, or goodbye.
Phat: Pronounced "fat," means fine, or cool.
Player: Someone who is romantically involved with many people.
R
Reeks: Smells really bad.
Rents: Parents.
Roll: To go out with, to laugh uncontrollably, or to fight.
S
Sick: Great, of high quality.
Stoked: Excited.
T
Tight: Excellent, or close, on good terms.
Tool: Fool, or one easily manipulated by others.
Trashed: Drunk.
W
Wack: Weird or inappropriate.
Wangster: Wannabe gangsters.
Word or word up: An exclamation of affirmation, agreement or greeting.
Y
Yo: An informal greeting, as in "Yo! What's up?"
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