Top 20 U.S. slang words/expressions with American teens
1. all-nighter: intense time or bout of study or work; Thanks to the all-nighter, I passed the exam. (cartoon)
2. beemer: BMW; How much did that beemer cost you?
3. blow someone away: overwhelm or excite someone; She didn’t expect to get into MIT. Getting accepted blew her away.
4. bombed: intoxicated by alcohol or drugs; That guy gets bombed almost every evening.
5. cram: study hastily for an impending exam; I had to stay up all night and cram for that exam. Luckily, I passed and even got an “A.”.
6. dork: stupid, inept, or foolish person; That guy is such a dork! He wears a plaid jacket, striped pants, and one black shoe and one brown one.
7. hoodie: a hooded sweatshirt; That hoodie is fine to wear to school, but you shouldn’t wear a sweatshirt to your job interview.
8. hook up: meet or associate; can also refer to a sexual encounter; That young guy and young woman met in biology class. After chatting awhile, they decided to hook up after class and see a movie.
9. jock: one who’s concerned with being macho or very masculine in appearance or manner; He lifts weights every day and often doesn’t wear a shirt. That way, the girls stand around him, admiring his chest muscles. He’s the most popular jock on campus.
10. mickey mouse: unimportant, trivial, or irritatingly petty; That English course is really mickey mouse. The teacher has class members stand up and tell jokes. I’m so bored that I just sit there and doze.
11. nerd: an intelligent person who’s accomplished in technical pursuits but socially inept; Elmer really knows computers. But, if he has to speak with a colleague, he becomes extremely nervous. Too bad he’s such a nerd.
12. party animal: someone who loves parties; That guy is a real party animal. He loves to drink and hang out with his friends.
13. puke: vomit; You shouldn’t have eaten that spicy food. You’re not used to such cuisine. That’s why you puked.
14. smashed: drunk; Let’s toast to our business’ success. Here, have a glass of champagne. But, don’t get smashed.
15. space cadet: someone who appears to be out of touch with reality; Instead of paying attention, that teen is just staring out the window. Perhaps something is bothering him. Or maybe he’s just a space cadet.
16. veg out: stop working and take it easy; He’d been working hard. So today, he decided to veg out at home.
17. weed: tobacco, a cigarette; often marijuana; I’ve been smoking three packs a day. If I don’t quit soon, this weed is going to kill me.
18. whiz: talented or skilled person; John is a whiz at math. That’s why the investment bank hired him.
19. wired: very stimulated or excited, as from a stimulant; I drank too many cups of coffee this morning. As a result, I’m really wired.
20. zit: pimple or skin blemish; If you eat too much chocolate, you’ll get zits.
Slang are words or expressions that are very informal and are not considered appropriate for more formal situations. Some slang is used only by a particular group of people.
e.g. Chow is a slang word for food.
