I’ve spent years watching words evolve, explode, and then vanish at internet speed. I remember joking “OK, boomer” back in 2019, thinking I’d nailed the ultimate clap-back.
Little did I know that phrase started as a niche TikTok meme, went viral on Twitter, and landed in The New York Times by early 2020.
In just a few months, it was everywhere, on mugs, on memes, even uttered by folks who had no clue what “boomer” originally meant.
Slang doesn’t just appear out of thin air. It’s born in tight groups, gets supercharged by algorithms, then dies a slow, embarrassing death when it hits grandma’s Facebook.
In this article, I’ll walk you through the three stages of a slang word’s life, share plenty of real-world examples, and give you a roadmap for riding the next wave without wiping out.
In a Nutshell
- Origins Matter: Slang starts in closed communities—where it feels like a secret handshake.
- Algorithms Amplify: Platforms like TikTok and Twitter can turn a private joke into a global trend overnight.
- Mainstream Risks: Once brands and bigger media adopt a term, it often loses its edge and dies fast.
- Survival Strategy: Lurk in niche corners, use new words sparingly, and retire them before they become cringe.
Stage 1: Underground Birth: Where Slang Finds Its Swagger
Every slang term has a backstory that sounds like a comic-book origin. Take “rizz”, short for “charisma.” I first saw it in mid-2021 on a Kai Cenat livestream.
Kai was hyping his crew: “He’s got rizz!” meant you had game so smooth you could talk your way out of a zombie apocalypse.
In days, “rizz” spread through Twitch chats and Discord servers. Gamers loved it because it was playful and exclusive, only people who knew the reference got the joke. That feeling of “insider status” is the magic spark for any new slang.
Another great example is “girl dinner.” In 2023, women on TikTok started sharing videos of their “meals”, a plate of pickles, popcorn, cheese cubes, and maybe a chocolate bar.
It began as a tongue-in-cheek look at lazy snacking, but it quickly became a feminist rallying cry about owning your choices and rejecting food shaming.
Why this stage matters:
- Community Bonding: Slang cements identity within groups, gamers, queer communities, or meme-making squads.
- Mythic Appeal: If you share the term, you’re part of the “in” circle. Say it wrong, and you’re the outsider.
- Organic Growth: No marketing budget required, just genuine use and peer reinforcement.
Stage 2: Algorithmic Amplification:When Slang Gets a Megaphone
Once a term gains traction, the next stop is the algorithm. TikTok’s For You Page and Twitter’s trending topics are slang’s rocket fuel. They take a handful of uses and spray them across millions of feeds.
Remember “gyatt”? In 2022, a streamer shouted “god damn!” but his thick accent made it sound like “gyatt.”
TikTok users grabbed the misheard word, slapped #GYATT on videos celebrating curvy bodies, and turned it into a compliment: “She’s gyatt!” Within months, the algorithm shoved it onto every teenager’s screen. Even my dog seemed to bark along.
Why algorithms love slang:
- Uniqueness: Quirky terms keep viewers engaged and guessing.
- Shareability: Short, catchy words travel easily in quick-fire video clips.
- Virality Loop: Each share boosts visibility, which drives more shares, a self-reinforcing cycle.
According to the Linguistic Society of America, roughly 78% of viral slang emerges from spaces that prize humor and absurdity, such as Twitch, Discord, and meme-focused Twitter threads. In these corners, weirdness is a feature, not a bug.
Stage 3: Mainstream Adoption: When Slang Goes to the Big Leagues
The final phase is bittersweet. Once a slang word breaks into mainstream media, two things happen:
- Corporate Hijacking: Brands and celebrities co-opt the phrase for marketing.
- Community Abandonment: The original users ditch it faster than a bad Tinder date.
Take “slay.” It started in the 1980s ballroom scene as a fierce shout-out for flawless performances. Decades later, Beyoncé screamed “Slay!” on Break My Soul and sent the word stratospheric. Soon your aunt was texting “slay” with a crown emoji.
By 2023, Walmart was tweeting “Slay your workout in our new leggings!” Cue the collective eye roll, and the term’s rapid decline.
Or consider “cheugy.” Gen Z coined it in 2021 to mock dated millennial trends, think “Live Laugh Love” signs and pumpkin-spice obsession.
Vogue ran features on it in 2022, but by 2023, talk of “cheugy” was as dated as disco dancing. The term died under the weight of its own popularity.
Slang’s half-life in mainstream culture can be measured in months, not years. Use a word too late, and you risk sounding like you’re trying to flirt with a dictionary.
Why You Should Pay Attention
You might shrug and say, “It’s just slang, why care?” Here’s my take: slang is a snapshot of culture in motion.
When a term like “girl dinner” morphs into a feminist talking point, it reveals deeper social currents. When “gyatt” celebrates body positivity, it shows shifting beauty standards.
As Dr. Geoffrey Nunberg of UC Berkeley said in Words on Fire (2022),
“Slang isn’t just a set of words, it’s a laugh, a protest, or a middle finger to the status quo.”
Tracking these shifts helps us understand what matters to people right now, what they find funny, empowering, or subversive.
How to Ride the Slang Wave (Without Wiping Out)
- Lurk in Niche Corners
Follow up-and-coming creators on Twitch, TikTok, and specialized Reddit forums. You’ll spot new terms before they hit the FYP. - Use Sparingly and Authentically
If you’re over 30, don’t scream “gyatt!” at a staff meeting. Drop new words casually, and only when they feel natural. - Monitor the Half-Life
Once a term appears on mass-market T-shirts, hats, or chain-store ads, it’s probably past its prime. Time to move on. - Celebrate the Origins
Give a nod to the communities that birthed the term. A quick footnote (“Shout-out to Kai Cenat, where I first heard ‘rizz’!”) shows respect and deepens your authority.
Final Thought
Slang isn’t just about sounding cool, it’s about belonging, rebelling, and expressing ideas that regular language can’t capture.
From secret gamer codes to cringe corporate catchphrases, each word tells a story of where it began and how it traveled.
The next time you drop a “rizz” or cheer someone for getting mad “gyatt,” remember: you’re part of a living, breathing narrative that started in someone’s basement livestream and ended up on the front page of the paper.
Use that power wisely, and help words thrive in the communities that cherish them most.
About the Author
I’m Agboola John, founder of SlangWise.com and veteran word-watcher. I’ve tracked internet language since the dawn of meme culture, and I’m passionate about uncovering how our everyday vocabulary reflects who we are, and who we hope to become.
When I’m not nerding out over fresh catchphrases, you’ll find me gaming with friends, hunting for the next viral trend, or sipping coffee while scribbling in my slang notebook. Let’s keep the conversation rolling, one word at a time.
