July,
2015
Presidio
Ssentinel, San Diego
By
Laura Walcher
It’s
hard enough to communicate with Millennials, even when we speak the same
language. Wait: even when we think we speak the same language.
But,
you’re in luck: one of us has been
paying attention. In my determined
effort to maintain communication in life, this column is here to help.
Try
these:
- “Shade.” This is the new art of the insult. “Shade” has become the non-fatal
“weapon” of choice. It could be a
direct insult: i.e. giving someone some “shade” – or at its
mildest, a left-handed compliment.
There’s also “throwing shade,
“ which one uses to publicly denounce and/or disrespect a person. In any case, you don’t want to be in
the receiving end of shade.
- If
some kid with a really bad sense of humor makes an emergency phone call that
results in the law’s visit to some innocent “victim’s” home, the game is called
“Swatting.”
- “The
Derp.” In the N. Y. Times, Paul Krugman says, “ .. we live in an age of derp
and cheap cynicism…”
“Derp, ” from South Park, he said, “…is useful shorthand for people who keep saying the same thing no matter how much
evidence accumulates that it’s completely wrong.”
Mr. Krugman’s need to explain the
word not only made me feel better,
but provided me a weapon for political
debates
with Derps, in which I am always right.
- “Lit.”
This word is an adjective used to describe a certain situation, person, place
or thing as awesome/crazy. Like what “rad” might (still) mean to those of a
certain age.
- If
you show up unexpectedly, you’d be
a “rando” guest.
- “On
cleek.” This simply means, “on point.” Why, I can’t begin to guess, since “on point” is … well: to
the point.
- Luc
Sante wrote a multi-page essay about the word “random”… now used, he says, as “…a
way of saying who – or what - is in or out.” Simple enough? So how does “random” merit those
thousands of words? Because no
matter how you understand it, it has changed its meaning many, many times since
it is believed to have shown up, sometime in the 1600’s. (That date is not a typo.) Suffice to
say that “random” does kind’ve,
sort’ve still might mean, “haphazard.” Or not.
- “Gotta
Give You Some Snaps, Man. ” This one is how Millennials offer a
compliment.
Millenniels - those strangers in their 20’s – may
pretend that they’re in deep relationship with us, but in fact, they’ve been
described as having “quirks and traits that separate them
From
past generations.”
Like
every generation? Do we still call
some pathetic “shlep” a “dweeb?”
Is he/she also just “square?”
Does anyone understand us?
This
is serious stuff. Even Taco Bell offers a “Millennial Word of the Week,” just
to make sure they understand their customers. And their staff.
(If
I were not so pathetically un-hip, I would’ve used “blog” instead of “column.”)
xxx
God forbid you confuse "on cleek" with "on fleek."
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