Welcome to Gen Z, where tea is spilled in DMs and IRL, and rizz speaks louder than love letters and grand gestures. Slang is the ever-strange and dynamic dialect– it is how we vibe, flex, and call the cap. However, although teens are slaying with slang 24/7, it is def not a new phenomenon. From the groovy smooth talk of the ‘70s to the rizzy mindset of the 2020s, every generation has its own ways of eating and leaving no crumbs.
Below, we break down some of Gen Z’s unfiltered fave phrases and trace how they went from the DL to absolute banger sayings. All thanks to TikTok, Insta, and Snap, Gen-Z FR just cooked and served a whole new language, and it’s giving. Periodt.
SLAY
“They slayed in JV badminton.”
When you think of “slay,” you will probably associate it with complimenting someone’s style, not murder. In ballroom culture, “slay” became a way to describe a flawless performance that metaphorically “kills” all competition. However, while this contemporary meaning is commonly understood, many dismiss its original English definition: “to kill in a violent way.”
In ballroom culture– a subculture created by Black and Latinx communities– “slay” gained popularity for its implied sense of dominance and authority. “To kill” implies to defeat and overpower, and “to slay” means to do something with such skill that all competition is defeated and overpowered.
“Slay” reached mainstream status in 2016 when Beyoncé sang it in her song “Formation,” singing “‘Cause I slay (slay), I slay (hey),” during the American Football Super Bowl Halftime Show. So, next time someone shouts “slay,” do not call the cops– just hand them a mirror.
RIZZ
“That basketball player got rizz!”
Shakespeare had eloquence, Brad Pitt has suave, but now, we just have rizz. The term “rizz” is a derivative of the word “charisma,” which means “compelling attractiveness or charm,” in the Oxford Dictionary. “Rizz” refers to one’s ability to romantically appeal to others, typically the opposite gender.
While “rizz” may feel like a long-standing staple phrase, the origins only date back to 2021. Popularized on Twitch, an online live streaming platform, streamer Kai Cenat coined the word “rizz.” Cenat and his friends repeated the phrase “unspoken rizz” during a live stream to describe someone’s ability to charm others without saying anything.
As clips of these streams spread across social media on platforms like TikTok and YouTube, “rizz” became an integral part of the Gen Z vocabulary. In 2023, it reached peak popularity when Oxford University Press named it “Word of the Year.” So, although charm has taken on new and trendy forms, its essence of confidence and wit stays forever timeless.
CAP
“No cap, I failed my physics test!”
Upon hearing the phrase “no cap,” one may think—What does honesty have to do with hats? “Cap” refers to a lie or false statement, and “no cap” means the truth.
Like many others, this phrase has roots in 1940s African American culture. During these times, “cap” originally meant to “surpass or outdo.” In the 1960s to 80s, “cap” became associated with exaggeration, and over time, exaggeration with dishonesty, leading to the modern definition of “to lie.”
In more recent times, “cap” gained traction in 2017, when rappers Young Thug and Future released their song titled “No Cap,” where they repeatedly sing “that’s cap.” So, do not get it twisted; “cap” is not about headwear or fashion, it is simply just honesty.
TEA
“Are ya gonna spill the tea?”
In this generation, “tea” does not refer to your usual hot beverage. This “tea” is usually whispered in school halls or texted in group chats. In modern slang, tea refers to gossip, and “spill” means to reveal information.
The origin of “tea” goes back to the 1990s ballroom culture within Black communities, where the letter “T” was used as an abbreviation for “truth.” Drag queen Lady Chablis is believed to have popularized this phrase, introducing it in the 1994 film “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.”
Over time, “T” evolved to “tea,” and the expression became widespread in 2010s pop culture, boosted by viral internet memes and shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race, a reality competition that celebrates drag performance. Nowadays, when scrolling on TikTok or Instagram Reels, tea is impossible to avoid on your FYP!
