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Teens Tell All: Your guide to teen slang, from bae to woke

If it feels like you need a translator to understand your teenager, help is on the way. Here is your teen speak glossary.
/ Source: TODAY

If it feels like you need a translator to understand your teenager, help is on the way.

As part of TODAY's "Teens Tell All" series, we asked adolescents to enlighten the older crowd about all those mysterious terms they throw out when they talk or text.

You may have heard about “Netflix and Chill” — when you go over to your significant other's house to watch Netflix (wink wink), but it’s actually just a make out session (or more, eek!).

Or "bae," a short word for "babe" or "baby" (or, one theory has it, an acronym for Before Anyone Else) that you use to call your boyfriend or girlfriend.

But there's more. Much, much more.

Of course, teen speak is nothing new: Every generation has had its own language. Just consider how the word “great” has morphed through the years: boss, groovy, rad, bad, the bomb. Now today, it’s “lit.”

Teens use coded language as an expression of independence, a way to create an identity separate from their parents and, sometimes, to keep their parents in the dark. Knowing the right words also creates an instant bond for a social group, or "fam," the latest lingo for the inner circle.

“Fam are the people you ride or die with,” Kennedi said.

“So if you’re going down the hall, you’ll say ‘What up, fam?’” Adela added.

RELATED: Teens tell all: What they reveal about sex, drugs and social media

Because of social media, slang these days gets hot fast and burns out faster. Once a word goes mainstream, it’s dead.

Ready for a crash course in teen speak? Here we go:

Teen speak glossary:

BAE - Term of endearment, “Before Anyone Else,” also short for babe or baby

Basic – Mainstream in a negative way

Bruh - Another way of saying bro

Curve – Reject someone romantically

Dead – When you are so overwhelmed you feel like you are dead

Down in the DM – When someone direct messages you on social media instead of messaging you by phone or talking in person, often with the intent to hook up

Fam – The friends you are closest to

Finna – Going to/about to, short for “fixing to”

Goals – What you’re trying to do or be like, the ultimate goal

GOAT – Greatest of all time

Gucci – Good, cool

High-key – People say high key when they are about to say something they want everyone to know about

Hundo P – 100 percent, confirming something

I can’t even – When you are so overwhelmed you can’t comprehend something

I’m weak – That was funny

It’s lit – It’s cool, it’s awesome

Kek – To laugh out loud

Low-key – People say low key when they are about to say something they don't want everyone to know about

On fleek, on point – Nailed it

Peep – To take a look at something

RT – Retweet, when you agree with something someone says

Salty – Bitter about something

Savage – Badass

Ship – Short for relationship, if you “ship” two people, you want them to make it as a couple

Sips tea To mind one’s own business

Skurt – Go away or leave

Smash – To have casual sex

Straight fire – Hot/trendy

Squad – Your group of friends

Sus – Suspect, when something is shady

Swipe left – On Tinder, when you don’t like someone

Swipe right – On Tinder, when you like someone

TBH - To be honest

Thirsty – Desperate

Throw shade – Give someone a dirty look or say something nasty

Vibes – The atmosphere or feeling someone has; Sunday vibes would mean laying on the couch relaxing

v. – Very

Woke – Aware of and sensitive to current events and social justice issues

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