Earlier this week I asked a question of our Middle and Upper School students: “What words, phrases, or expressions do you use with your friends that you have to explain to your parents or teachers?” Hundreds of responses poured in, btdubs—and on bro they were so fye! Major W. 🙄
Except for a conspiracy of Middle School jokesters who tried to convince me that “gyat” stands for “go you athletic teens” (which it absolutely does not), most students replied to my question in earnest, anticipating my quinquagenarian confusion and explaining their language to me with the patience of a dictionary with a non-native speaker. “I say ‘fell off’ sometimes,” wrote one of our juniors, “which essentially means something or someone got worse or is not as good as before. An example: if a soccer player played a very good game, but then the next game they were playing poorly, I might say the player fell off.” How kind of her to put it in words I can understand!
The following terms all received multiple mentions from responders:
ate • bet • bfr • bruh • bussin • cap •
cook • cuh • dead • drip • fire •
giving • mid • npc • rizz • sigma •
slay • slime • sus • wdym
Think you know what they mean? Take this quiz to find out. No phones, computers, or persons under the age of 30 permitted! Hope you slay.
Today’s letter is a brief one, and next Friday we will be out of school, of course. I will look forward to being back in touch with you in December. Always reason, always compassion, always courage. I wish you and your families a joyful and peaceful Thanksgiving holiday.
Jay Rainey
Head of School
This week’s addition to the “Refrains for Rams” playlist: New Slang by The Shins from 2001 (Apple Music / Spotify).