Editor's Corner

Slang. When it’s from your generation, you probably know what different terms mean and maybe use them yourself. But what about when your kids or grandkids use their generation’s slang? Well, I’ve just been looking into some slang from more recent generations, and honestly, I’m a little bit clueless. Merriam-Webster has a list of slang that’s too long and inappropriate for work, but I collected a few of the words that I thought were interesting.

I also included some additional information and examples if I thought it would help. I do read English, but some of the words just didn’t make sense to me. For example:

41

interjection

a nonsense expression used by teens

What does 41 mean?

41 is a nonsensical expression, adopted late in 2025 by younger teenagers, perhaps to serve as a way of signifying a form of shared knowledge or interest.

No judgement, I just don’t get it. For more slang from the past few years, here are some other words from M-W:

chopped

adjective

unattractive or undesirable

“That guy’s chopped,” she said. “Basically, just unattractive, ugly, not good looking.”

cheugy

adjective | CHOO-ghee

Makes fun of being uncool

What does cheugy mean?

Cheugy is a slang way of calling someone or something uncool or unfashionable, especially when seen as slightly cringeworthy or trying too hard. It’s mainly used as a jokey put-down of trends stereotypically associated with millennials.

Examples and use of cheugy tend to center on the lifestyle associated with millennials, particularly women and what clothing they wear, what things they buy, and how they act and present their lives online. Use of the word remains both self-aware and self-deprecating, with cheugy not being a wholly bad quality and one that people like to claim for themselves.

ate (and left no crumbs)

phrase

performed or did perfectly or impressively

What does ate (and left no crumbs) mean?

If it is said that someone ate or ate and left no crumbs, they have performed or done something perfectly or impressively, whether that be singing, dancing, or dressing fashionably and looking good, etc. In other words, they’ve done something flawlessly, as well as it could possibly be done.

bed rotting

noun

the act or practice of staying in bed all day

What does bed rotting mean?

Bed rotting refers to the act or practice of staying in bed all day (or for a prolonged amount of time), especially when feeling stressed, overwhelmed, etc., but also for the occasional pleasure of doing so.

elevens

plural noun

vertical wrinkles between one’s eyebrows

What does elevens mean?

Elevens refers to a pair of wrinkles that sometimes form on one’s glabella—that is, on the otherwise smooth space between the eyebrows—when one frowns, furrows their brow, etc., and is sometimes viewed as a sign of aging.

[KC – That looks more like 111111 than 11.]

glaze

noun & verb

to praise excessively

What does glaze mean?

To glaze someone or something is to shower them with excessive praise. Additionally, both glaze and glazing are used as nouns to refer to an act of glazing (giving someone excessive praise).

“I’ll stop glazing when he stops deserving it, which he won’t, because he’s the best.”

vibe coding

noun

Writing computer code in a somewhat careless fashion, with AI assistance

What does vibe coding mean?

Vibe coding (also written as vibecoding) is a recently-coined term for the practice of writing code, making web pages, or creating apps, by just telling an AI program what you want, and letting it create the product for you. In vibe coding the coder does not need to understand how or why the code works, and often will have to accept that a certain number of bugs and glitches will be present. The verb form of the word is vibe code.

I think I just felt a general cringe from you programmers out there.

The list contains a lot of terms from late night shows, online articles, books, and more—many of them resulting from the internet. If you’re curious, check it out!

Kara Church | Technical Editor, Advisory | Knowledge Enablement

Pronouns: she/her | Call via Teams | jackhenry.com

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