I almost spat out my water the other day.
I was on the phone to my mum and she told me she had booked a skydive. But that wasn’t the source of my shock. No, it was the phrase she had used to describe why she was going to skydive: “Because, YOLO.”
YOLO stands for ‘You Only Live Once’. The ever-quotable Mae West used the phrase best (‘You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough’) – but even she never abbreviated it.
But if you think mum impressed me, she didn't. I was disappointed. Not that she used the word - it was in the right context, so kudos for that, mum - but YOLO hasn't been a 'thing' since about 2013. No one says YOLO anymore. No one.
However, Gen Y speak is everywhere, so I want to help. Below are 12 terms to know that are fresh and on fleek (see no. 2). You can thank me next time you're talking to the young folk.
1. Smack.
A shortened version of 'smack talk'. Urban Dictionary defines it as "the art of telling another person off or belittling them'.
Context: "She's been talking smack about me."
2. On fleek/on point.
'On fleek' is another way of saying 'on point', which means 'the quality of being perfect'.
Context: 'Her outfit is on fleek'. 'His hair is on point'.
Listen to the Mamamia Out Loud snippet below to further understand what 'on fleek' means.
3. Throw shade.
Throwing shade is to demonstrate 'attitude'.
Context: 'Denise totally threw shade at Lisa.'
