The difficulty of learning English can vary depending on factors such as your native language, exposure to the language, and personal learning style.
If you’ve grown up speaking English at native level, you may never realize the struggle that learning English can be for someone who’s never spoken it before. Starting to learn a language from scratch for an adult person is pretty much like going back to childhood.
Why is English the hardest language to keep up with for non-native speakers in the current times?
Social media has revolutionized how we communicate, introducing a lot of abbreviations, acronyms, and internet slangs that characterize online discourse. These informal expressions, often used for humour and immediacy, can puzzle even fluent speakers.
Internet is not just about LOL and OMG now. In the early 2010s, memes could be seen as harmless, childish jokes but now memes have evolved into agents of change. In fact, the user base of memes is no longer limited to just the Gen-Z.
Imagine you are a non-native English speaker and your friend goes “My boyfriend is ghosting me”. You will be absolutely confused. You can’t decode the meaning even if you break it down literally.
Let us take another example where your colleague says “I don't have the bandwidth to take on additional projects right now”. There you are, again, wondering what on earth does that even mean?
If you have faced similar situations, this article is exactly what you need!
Let us explore some common social media slangs and corporate lingo to make your English language learning journey easier!
Slangs and Lingos
Photo by Mariia Shalabaieva on Unsplash
1. Ghosting
What does Ghosting mean?
If someone stops responding to texts, calls, or messages without offering any explanation, they are said to have "ghosted" the other person.
In job recruitment or business interactions, "ghosting" refers to a situation where a candidate or business contact suddenly stops responding to communication or fails to follow through on commitments, such as not showing up for interviews or meetings without prior notice.
On social media or digital platforms, "ghosting" can happen when someone unfriends, unfollows, or blocks another person without any explanation or prior indication.
2. Bandwidth
In corporate discussions, "bandwidth" typically refers to a person's or organization's capacity to handle tasks, projects, or information. It implies the amount of mental, emotional, or physical resources available to dedicate to various activities.
It also relates to the availability of time and attention that someone can devote to specific matters. It acknowledges that individuals or teams have limits on how much they can effectively manage at any given time.
3. Cap
What does cap/capping mean?
In online conversations and social media, "capping" or "cappin'" is slang that typically means lying, exaggerating, or boasting, especially in a way that is seen as insincere or deceptive. It can imply someone is not being truthful about their actions, possessions, or abilities.
Example: "He's always capping about how much money he makes, but I don't believe half of what he says."
In another context, "capping" can refer to imposing a limit or restriction on something, often in terms of quantity or extent. This usage is common in various industries and contexts where there is a need to control or manage certain aspects.
Example: "The company is capping the number of attendees at the event due to space limitations."
4. Bot
A bot is an account that spams unwanted content or a person who shares unwanted content or is very robotic and acts pre-programmed.
5. Doomscrolling
Doomscrolling means spending endless time scrolling through your social media feeds, usually through Instagram reels, YouTube shorts, TikTok, Pinterest, Reddit, Discord etc.
It can also mean getting stuck scrolling through content for a unimaginable amount of time.
6. Lurker
A lurker means someone who is very pro-active on social media or specific channels but never comments or participates in the conversation.
Example: Cassie always lurks in the group chat.
7. Tea
On the internet ,Tea means gossip. When people share it, it’s called “Spilling the tea,” or people may say, “What’s the tea?”
8. Vibe
Vibe has various meanings. It can mean relaxing, or how a situation might feel or a person’s intuition.
Someone might say, “What’s the vibe?” or “This gives me a good vibe,” or “I’m vibing right now.”
9.Salty
Salty means someone who is bothered and jealous.
Example: Patrick is acting salty ever since I got accepted to Stanford.
10. Photobomb
Photobomb means entering someone's picture or video uninvited, usually on purpose.
Example: " Your baby is photobombing in your selfie! It's so cute!"
11.Caught in 4k
Caught in 4K means to catch someone red-handed.4k is the highest possible resolution of video clarity. It means 4000 pixels.
Example: Ross caught Monica and Chandler in 4k.
12. Noob
N00b is slang for newbie, and it’s someone who is a beginner or new to something. People call themselves a n00b, and saying it to someone else means they’re bad at something.
Example: I am a noob at Minecraft.
13. Stan
Stanning means to fiercely or aggressively supporting someone or something.
Example: I stan One Direction.
It is believed that Eminem was the first person to use this term.
14. Throwing shade
Throwing shade or shading is the act of publicly disrespecting someone. Often used in reference to sarcastic remarks against someone or something.
Example: Emily was shading Rachel so bad.
15. Sick
Sick can mean something is crazy or awesome.
It can also mean when you are annoyed by someone or something.
Example: Kendrick Lamar's new song is sick!
I am so sick of studying.
16. Flex
Flex means to show-off. It can mean aggressively showing off your achievements, luxury, life etc.
Example: Aaron always flexes his Rolex watch.
17. Circle back
"Circle back" is a phrase commonly used in business and professional environments. It refers to the action of returning to a topic, discussion, or issue that was previously mentioned or addressed, often for further consideration, follow-up, or resolution.
Example: "Let us focus on the project deployment now, we can circle back to the branch visit later"
18. Drip
In the context of fashion and style, "drip" refers to someone's sense of style and fashion, especially when they are dressed in a stylish, trendy, or eye-catching manner.
Example: "She's got that drip with her new outfit."
"BTS are dripping in Louis Vuitton"
19. Pain Point
Corporate professionals use pain points to describe a problem or challenge faced by a business which has a significant impact on them.
Example: "I wanted to solve my own pain points and problems that I had to deal with, and my team had to deal with customers."
20. Touchbase
Touching base with someone means you will communicate, talk or discuss something with them.
Example: Claire had to touch base with the investors before agreeing to the new plan.
21. Throw under the bus
Throwing someone under the bus means to put the blame on them for something gone wrong, especially when they are not expecting it.
Example: "During the meeting, he unexpectedly threw his assistant under the bus by publicly criticizing his performance."
22. Move the goal posts
Move the goal posts means changing the rules to gain an advantage for yourself and make it more difficult for others.
Example: "Every time we came close to meeting the original deadline, they moved the goal posts, demanding more changes and adjustments."
23. Ping
Ping refers to the sound heard when a message or text is received on a computer or phone. It can also mean to reach out.
Example: " Dylan pinged me today to reschedule the meeting"
24. Down
Down means “yes,” or a response meaning that you’re up for or interested in something.
For example, “Who wants to go to the movies?” “I'm down for it.”
25. Highkey
Highkey describes something glaringly obvious and true that doesn’t need to be hidden. It’s the opposite of lowkey.
For example, “That was highkey the best concert I’ve been to"
26. Lowkey
Lowkey has various meanings.
When someone is slightly bothered by something, but it isn’t a big deal:
“I’m lowkey sad I missed the concert, but there’s always next time.”
When something should be kept secret, discreet, and not shared outside of the conversation:
“Lowkey, I might present the product.”
To describe a mellow or low-stakes situation:
“It was a lowkey party with my closest friends.”
27. Mid
Mid means average or below average. It’s usually a dig at someone or something, like,
“That movie was mid.”
28. OP
OP stands for original poster, and it’s the person who started a conversation on social media or was the first to share something.
29. L
L means loss or loser, and it’s usually said when someone has failed at something or a situation hasn’t gone their way, like “I took an L last night.”
30. W
W stands for win, and it’s used when someone has won something, or something good has happened, like “How was your game last night?” “It was great we got the W!” It is the opposite of L.
31. GOAT
Goat means greatest of all time. People also say goated to mean the same thing.
For example, “Virat Kohli is the goat,” or “Kohli is goated.”
Popular acronyms on Internet
Photo by Keira Burton on Pexels
32. DM - Direct Message
33. TBH - To Be Honest
34. BRB - Be Right Back
35. ICYMI - In Case You Missed It
36. FOMO - Fear Of Missing Out
37. TBT - Throwback Thursday
38. OOTD - Outfit Of The Day
39. SMH - Shaking My Head
40. IMO/IMHO - In My Opinion / In My Humble Opinion
41. ROFL - Rolling On the Floor Laughing
42. LOL - Laughing Out Loud
43. BTW - By The Way
44. IDK - I Don't Know
45. IDC - I Don't Care
46. AMA - Ask Me Anything
47. TMI - Too Much Information
48. FWIW - For What It's Worth
49. ICYMI - In Case You Missed It
50. HT - Heard Through (often used in retweets)
51. FBF - Flashback Friday
52. NVM - Never Mind
53. SMH - Shaking My Head
54. NBD - No Big Deal
55. NSFW - Not Safe For Work
56. TL;DR - Too Long; Didn't Read
57. AFK - Away From Keyboard
58. BFF - Best Friends Forever
59. BTS - Behind The Scenes
60. IRL - In Real Life
61. LMK - Let Me Know
62. MRW - My Reaction When
63. NBD - No Big Deal
64. OTP - One True Pairing
65. SFW - Safe For Work
66. SMH - Shaking My Head
67. TB - Throwback
68. TGIF - Thank God It's Friday
69. WIP - Work In Progress
70. YOLO - You Only Live Once
71. ICYMI - In Case You Missed It
72. IMY - I Miss You
73. JK - Just Kidding
74. IYKYK- If you know you know, meaning an inside joke
75. IKR- I know right
76. EOD- End of the day
Slang plays a fascinating role in shaping languages worldwide, often serving as a dynamic bridge between formal communication and cultural expression.
It evolves rapidly, reflecting societal changes, generational shifts, and the influence of popular culture. From urban centres to digital platforms, slang enriches languages by introducing new words, altering meanings, and fostering a sense of belonging among speakers.
Despite criticisms of its informality, slang remains a powerful force in language evolution, continuously reshaping how we communicate and connect with one another.
Learning any language is not just learning it’s grammar, scripts or accent. It is also about exploring their cultures, current trends and values.
LearnningTree has been very successful in teaching languages through a very holistic approach. At LearnningTree, we embrace your vision and aspirations, empowering you to explore new horizons through our strategic language learning guidance. With diverse language learning courses, interactive learning and cultural insights, it enriches your linguistic development.
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