Rizz, sigma...Can you understand any of the newest slang words?

If you thought Gen Z was hard to understand, here comes Gen Alpha to make you scratch your head once again. This hyper-connected TikTok generation is made up of the children of millennials, with the oldest, born in 2010, now becoming teenagers, though the terms blur into Gen Z. How hip are you to the lingo?!

This word rhymes with yacht and has a hard g. Any gyass? Well, according to the New York Times, it is an exclamatory remark that people say when they see someone with a big behind. It is typically used as a compliment for attractive women. It traces back to Twitter in 2009 but exploded in popularity due to Twitch streamers. Got it?

Here’s a hint: It is a pun on the Batman villain The Riddler. Ok, maybe that wasn’t helpful because, according to the online encyclopedia Know Your Meme, a Rizzer is someone with is very magnetic who can attract anyone. It is a derivative of “rizz,” which is a short form to say charisma.

No idea about what this means? Well, you’re not alone. It doesn’t really have a meaning, but it is now popular because it is said on the ‘Skibidi Toilet’ video series. What’s that? Well, it’s all about an army of toilets with men’s heads coming out trying to take over the world.

Image:DaFuq?!Boom!/Youtube

For some context, Fanun is a popular streamer on Twitch that has friends join his live streams. He is the source of this term, which means that when friends are eating in his presence they have to pay “tax” to him by sharing their food.

Also known as sigma males, this term is subtly different than an Alpha male and used in the ‘manosphere.’ It describes men who “play by their own rules,” and are also silent and rebellious — a personification of a lone wolf. The sigma male has also become something of a punching bag online and is often mocked. See also: Sigma stare and sigma male grindset.

Oh- a word you know! Well not like this. In Gen Alpha slang, Ohio stands for an American middle place that is also a capitalist wasteland of chaos and mayhem, according to Know Your Meme. Many online creators portray Ohio as a dangerous force that must be stopped before taking over the earth!

Image: aardig.dal38/TikTok

After this lesson in strange new slang, let’s see if you can figure out what the lyrics of this viral song on Tiktok means: “Sticking out your gyat for the rizzler/ You’re so skibidi/ You’re so Fanum tax/ I just wanna be your sigma/ Come here /Give me your Ohio.” Sing this, and watch the jaw drop of the Gen Alpha in your life.

Image: Pavel Danilyuk/Pexels

This term was originally invented by rapper Lil B, aka Based God, who turned what was once an insult into a positive term for being yourself and not being swayed by outside influence. Now, depending on who uses it, it can be “good” or “cool.” But it can also mean something that is anti-woke.

Although this is just a simple name, its meaning as slang has transformed over the years. Back in the 1990s, it described a young, successful young white male. It then evolved to mean one that was successful with ladies. Now, Chad is the default name for stereotypical alpha bros. See also: Chad face.

Image: Know Your Meme/Youtube

“IDK man, you seem kinda sus…” Any clue what that means? Well, if someone says that to you, it means you are “suspicious.” It used to be sketchy, but “sus” is now the hip lingo.

Here’s an example of how to use it from Urban Dictionary: “I didn’t know yo mama could cook this good! .. Yea her food be bussin” Maybe you guessed but bussin is used to describe delicious food. It was originally used in the African-American community but has recently spread to a broader segment of youngsters.

Another one related to masculinity, mogging is a slang term for the act of dominating another person, mostly in terms of being more physically fit than they are. It was made popular in the ‘manosphere’ but has recently become popular in humorous online memes. There is now jawmogging, hairmogging, agemogging, etc. He or she who is mogged is a moggee.

One word you finally understand? I wouldn't bet on it. Bet is now used as a shortened way of saying “you bet.” So in reality, it means something like “OK.” This term was also popularized by the Black community long ago, but only picked up more broadly recently.

Here’s a slang that most people know, even when applied to something other than the beloved farm animal. GOAT is an acronym for Greatest of All Time. Although it has been around for a while, Gen Alpha is obsessed. In 2023, there was a rap song “GOATed” and the popular videogame Fortnight also released the ‘GOATed’ emote.

While all of these terms can have a certain cache in the right places and times, when overused or used incorrectly they can be major “cringe” as Gen Z would say. So, remember: don’t be cringe, be rizz!