Why do some slang terms vanish in six weeks while others last for decades? This interactive timeline maps 110 documented entries across four sociolinguistic eras and tracks their Lexical Survival Rate.
Regional Classics & Early Social Web
Long-standing British/Irish regionalisms and early internet/gaming shorthand that became permanent fixtures of everyday English.
craic
Enjoyable company, conversation, fun, or news. “What’s the craic?” can mean “what’s happening?” or “how are things?”
grand
In Irish English, often “fine,” “okay,” or “no problem.” It does not necessarily mean magnificent or unusually impressive.
sound
Decent, reliable, friendly, or good. As a short reply, “sound” can mean “okay,” “agreed,” or an appreciative acknowledgment.
gutted
Very disappointed, upset, or crushed by an unwelcome result. Often used for a loss, cancellation, or missed opportunity.
gobsmacked
gobsmacked: utterly astonished and speechless.
AFK
In plain English, “AFK”: away from keyboard.
GG
In plain English, “GG”: good game.
lowkey
“Kind of,” “quietly,” or “I am admitting this without making a big deal of it.” A low-key event is also relaxed or understated.
Main Character Energy & Online Hyper-Visibility
As daily life moved into group chats and short-form video feeds, expressions describing online burnout, fandoms, and self-awareness went mainstream.
no cap
“Honestly,” “for real,” or “I am not exaggerating.” Cap means a lie or an exaggeration in this slang context.
bet
“Okay,” “agreed,” “sounds good,” or “challenge accepted.” The tone depends on what the speaker is responding to.
touch grass
Step away from the internet and regain some real-world perspective. Often a dismissive response to an overly online argument.
rent-free
Occupying someone’s thoughts without effort or invitation, usually in “living rent-free in my head.” It can describe delight, annoyance, or fixation.
main character energy
A confident, cinematic sense of being the protagonist of the moment; sometimes a criticism of acting as if everyone else is a supporting character.
Rizz, Delulu, Ate & Beige Flags
Rapid crossover from Twitch streams, TikTok audio trends, and dating-app commentary into mainstream dictionaries and workplace banter.
rizz
Charm or the ability to attract someone, especially through flirting. To “rizz someone up” is to try to win them over.
delulu
An exaggerated, informal version of “delusional”: unrealistically hopeful, imagining a connection, or choosing confidence over the available evidence.
ate
Performed brilliantly, looked excellent, or completely delivered. “Ate and left no crumbs” intensifies the compliment.
mid
Mediocre, underwhelming, or not worth the hype. Usually a criticism, even though it literally suggests the middle.
ick
A feeling or expression of disgust or aversion. “The ick” can describe a reaction that makes someone suddenly feel put off.
situationship
A romantic connection whose status, expectations, or commitment have not been clearly defined.
locked in
Fully focused and committed to a task. “Time to lock in” means it is time to stop distractions and concentrate.
side quest
An optional detour from the main objective in a game, or a spontaneous little adventure away from your original plan in everyday life.
Cooked, Algospeak, Brain Rot & AI Slop
Today’s dominant lane centers on ironic exhaustion (cooked, crash out), algorithmic evasion (algospeak), and skepticism toward synthetic media (AI slop, vibe coding).
cooked
In serious trouble, exhausted, defeated, or beyond an easy fix. “Am I cooked?” asks whether the situation is hopeless.
crash out
To lose control in anger or act recklessly with serious consequences; separately, to fall asleep from exhaustion, fail or be eliminated.
brain rot
Low-value, repetitive online content, or the feeling of being mentally saturated by it. Also a joking name for an intense fandom obsession.
AI slop
Low-quality AI-generated material, especially output produced in volume with little concern for accuracy, coherence, or usefulness.
algospeak
Altered words, spellings, euphemisms, or symbols people use because they believe platform algorithms may restrict the original wording.
vibe coding
Building software by repeatedly prompting an AI and reacting to the result, especially when the person pays little attention to the underlying code.
glazing
Giving someone or something excessive praise; the label suggests the admiration is over the top, unwarranted or annoying.
aura
An impression of coolness, confidence, or striking presence. “Aura points” turn that impression into a joking, imaginary score.
six seven
A meme expression usually said “six seven,” often with a balancing hand gesture. It has no single fixed literal meaning.