Horst P. Horst (born Horst Paul Albert Bohrmann) was one of the towering figures of 20th century fashion photography. Best known for his work with _Vogue_—who called him “photography’s alchemist”—Horst rose to prominence in Paris in the interwar years, publishing his first work with the magazine in 1931. In the decades that followed, Horst’s experimentations with radical composition, nudity, double exposures, and other avant-garde techniques would produce some of the most iconic fashion images ever, like Mainbocher Corset and Lisa with Harp (both 1939). As The New York Times once described, “Horst tamed the avant-garde to serve fashion.” Though associated most closely with fashion photography, Horst captured portraits of many of the 20th century’s brightest luminaries, dabbling with influences as far-ranging as Surrealism and Romanticism. “I like taking photographs, because I like life,” he once said. “And I love photographing people best of all, because most of all I love humanity.”
Established
Represented by industry leading galleries.
Collected by a major museum
Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)|Centre Pompidou
Selected exhibitions
2018
Horst P. Horst, Bernheimer Fine Art
2015
China: Through the Looking Glass, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
2013
Limited Edition Photographs by Horst P. Horst, curated by Vogue Archives, Vogue Archives
Teens in each generation develop a unique language of their own. Over the years, parents have heard terms ranging from "outta sight" and "phat," to things like "sick" and "gag me with a spoon." Every decade has been marked by its special phrases that quickly grow outdated (and might just become "cheugy") to the teens of the future.
But even while being a part of youth culture (and the slang that defines it) when you're young, it can get harder and harder to keep up with the latest teen jargon by the time you're the parent of one.
Verywell / Cindy Chung
Overview
Trying to figure out what teens are saying is increasingly challenging, as the explosion of social media, memes, digital communication, and the ever-present-cellphone means teen-speak is evolving faster than ever. Once you think you've mastered a few phrases, you're probably already out of touch again.
Some of this slang enters the mainstream vernacular—and by that point, is no longer cool—or "sic." But most of these words simply disappear as they lose favor with kids and are almost instantaneously replaced with new ones.
So, as "with it" and up to speed as we adults think we may be, most of us could benefit from a primer on the latest teen slang. We cover it all below, from social media acronyms and text message shorthand to code words for drugs, friends, and parties.
It's important to educate yourself about common teen slang so that you understand what your teen is talking about—both online and in person.
General
Teen slang words may be confusing to those not in the know, but most are harmless and a part of a teen's identity. Kids use these words to exert independence, sound cool, and/or to fit in with their peers. They seek to differentiate themselves from their parents and want to feel unique, free, and even revolutionary. Using slang helps teens do that while also bonding with friends.
Below are some common teen slang words you might hear:
AF - Stands for "as f**k," used to emphasize a statement (i.e. "she's cool AF")
Cheugy - Something that is out of date or a person who is trying too hard
Dead - Something is so funny that the speaker has "died" of laughter
Dope - Cool or awesome
Extra - Over-the-top, extreme
Fit - Short for outfit
Fire - Hot, trendy, amazing, or on point (formerly "straight fire")
GOAT - "Greatest of All Time"
Go Off - A phrase said to encourage someone to continue, usually when they're ranting about something (can also be sarcastic, as in, "but go off, I guess")
Gucci - Good, cool, or going well
Hits Different - Something that "hits different" is a lot better than normal
IYKYK - Stands for "if you know, you know"
Lit - Amazing, cool, or exciting
Low-Key - Added to a feeling or desire to downplay it (i.e. "I'm low-key freaking out")
Mood - A word to signify agreement
OMG - An abbreviation for "Oh my gosh" or "Oh my God"
ONG - Basically the equivalent of "I swear to God"
Salty - Bitter, angry, agitated
Sic/Sick - Cool or sweet
Slay - To be extremely stylish or successful
Sleep On - To be ignorant to something or someone's value (i.e. "Don't sleep on the new Ariana single")
Snatched - Looks good, perfect, or fashionable; the new "on fleek"
TBH - To be honest
Tea - Gossip, situation, story, or news
Thirsty - Trying to get attention
Yassify - To apply several beauty filters to a picture until the person is totally unrecognizable
Yeet - To throw something
YOLO - "You Only Live Once" (often used ironically)
People or Relationships
Relationships are an important aspect of adolescence. In the teen years, kids develop their own identities and explore who they are outside of their families.1 Interactions with their peers are a key component of this process—and they often create unique words to describe their friendships and romantic relationships.
Here are some slang words your teen might use when talking about other people:
Bae - "Before anyone else," babe, or baby; is used to describe a romantic partner or good friend
Basic - Boring, average, or unoriginal
BF/GF - Boyfriend or girlfriend (used when texting, not in conversation)
BFF - "Best friends forever"
Bruh - Bro or dude (all three terms are gender-neutral)
Cap - Fake or a lie
CEO - To be the "CEO of" something is to excel at it
Curve - To reject someone romantically (related to "ghosting")
Emo - Someone who is emotional or a drama queen
Fam - Group of friends
Flex - To show off
Ghosted - To end a relationship by cutting off communication
A Karen - A disparaging way to describe a petty middle-aged woman, who is rude, especially to people who work in the service industry. (For example, saying, "What a Karen," about someone who returns their drink at a restaurant for not having enough ice.)
No cap - Totally true or no lie
Noob/n00b - A person who doesn't know what they're doing or who is bad at something; in other words, a newbie
OK, Boomer - Usually said in response to a person or idea that seems outdated
Periodt - End of statement emphasizer. For example: “That’s the best ice cream, periodt.”
Ship - You might "ship" two people together, as in you think they should be a couple; derived from the word relationship
Shook - To be incredibly shocked or shaken up
Simp - Someone who does way too much for the person they like; to have a huge crush on someone
Spill the Tea - Asking someone to spill gossip
Squad -Group of friends that hang out together regularly, used ironically
Stan - An overzealous fan of a particular group or celebrity
Sus - Suspicious, shady, not to be trusted
Throw shade - To give someone a dirty look
Tight - In a close relationship or friendship
Tool - Someone who is stupid, obnoxious, rude, and/or embarrasses themselves, often a jock type
Compound Slang
Teens often create shortcuts by combining two words together. To understand what they mean, you need to know the definition of each word.
Here are some examples of compound teen slang:
Crashy - Crazy and trashy, like a trainwreck
Crunk - Getting high and drunk at the same time, or crazy and drunk
Hangry - Hungry and angry
Requestion - Request and a question, or to question again
Tope - Tight and dope
Parties, Drugs, and Sex
Teens are prone to experiment and push boundaries—and also to talk a big game. So, sometimes the below words will simply be used in fun or boasting. However, sometimes they indicate risky (or potentially risky) behavior.
For the most part, teen get-togethers are a fun rite of passage and aren't automatically anything to be concerned about. However, parties (and related teen slang) can raise concerns over supervision, appropriate behavior, the use of illegal substances, alcohol, peer pressure, bullying, and unprotected sex.
Whether or not your child is involved in any inappropriate or dangerous activities, you'll want to know what they're talking about and be attuned to any words that might indicate possible trouble.
Below is a list of some social slang to be aware of:
53X - Sex
Body count - The number of people someone has slept with
CU46 - See you for sex
Dayger - Party during the day
Function/Func - Party
Kick back - Small party
Molly - Ecstasy (MDMA), a dangerous party drug
Netflix and chill - Used as a front for inviting someone over to make out (or maybe more)
Plug - Someone who can hook you up with drugs
Rager - Big party
Smash - To have casual sex
Sloshed - To be drunk
The plug - Someone that supplies alcohol/drugs
Throw down - To throw a party
Turnt - To be high or drunk (formerly "turnt up")
X - Ecstasy
WTTP - Want to trade photos?
LMIRL - Let's meet in real life
Resources
Teen slang changes continuously. If you aren't sure what a slang term means, the website Urban Dictionary can help. It's dedicated to keeping up with today's slang and is a resource that parents can use. Be warned, however, as it features user-submitted content that may be crude.
Slang Apps
There are also phone apps that can help you translate teen slang. SlangIt - The Slang Dictionary and the Chat Slang Dictionary are just a few examples of mobile apps that can decode your teen's secret language.
Additionally, you can simply try asking your teen—or other teens you know—to translate slang you don't understand. Bringing up these words with your teen may be awkward but might also provide a doorway to important conversations with your child.
A Word From Verywell
Aim to balance safety with privacy and independence for your teen. Talk with your teen about the concerns you have, your family rules and expectations, as well as safe and healthy social media usage.2
Teenagers need to be able to have private conversations with their friends. And clearly, you can't monitor what your teen is doing or talking about all the time. Still, you may want to monitor your teen's social media feeds at times, and pay attention when they're chatting with their pals. If you see or hear conversations that worry you—or that you can't decode—be ready to take action as needed.
By Amy Morin, LCSW Amy Morin, LCSW, is the Editor-in-Chief of Verywell Mind. She's also a psychotherapist, an international bestselling author of books on mental strength and host of The Verywell Mind Podcast. She delivered one of the most popular TEDx talks of all time.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/a-teen-slang-dictionary-2610994-b9dc92acc97d47dabda04bde6f2d3014.png)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/Amy-Morin-1000-6f8c3eeefada4c7bbdc6c13d44ee3bd8.jpg)