Write to Win (Round 2): Explain a modern slang phrase to your grandparents
Our writing contest starts with 10 students, who are eliminated one at a time based on your votes and YP editors’ picks.
What slang phrase would you explain to your grandparents? Photo: ShutterstockRead the responses to this week’s Write to Win prompt, and choose the answer you like most on this form.
January: My friends and I say, “That’s cap.” I would tell my grandparents it means “That’s a lie” or “That’s not true.” For example, imagine someone had said, “I ate a whole pizza by myself.” You might know they only had two slices, so you would say, “That’s cap!” It is like calling someone out for fibbing, but in a playful way. Think of it as saying, “Nice try, but no way!”
February: I would explain “YOLO” and how it stands for the statement “You Only Live Once”. The phrase encourages us to seize each opportunity we have without regret. I believe my grandparents will understand as they have gone through many ebbs and flows in their lives. I will encourage them to keep trying new things because we all “only live once”.
March: When I am with my friends, we often use “tea” to mean gripping drama or gossip. If I were to say it to my grandparents, they would probably think I am asking them to drink tea with me! I would explain it in simpler terms: “tea” means a piece of juicy news. If a friend says, “Spill the tea,” they are not talking about your favourite drink; they want to know the latest information. So, the next time you hear someone mention “tea” in a phrase, do not get it mixed up with actual tea!
May: Hey, Grandma, do you know what your generation would call someone excellent in their field? The current generation has a term: GOAT. It means Greatest Of All Time. Like how you are the GOAT for making apple pies, Roman Tam is the GOAT for singing “Below the Lion Rock”. Hope this helps!
Write to Win (Round 1): If you could live in any decade, which time period would you choose?
June: “Fire” is definitely my go-to slang phrase. I use it with my friends. It is used to express that something is amazing and deserves more attention. I would tell my grandparents to think of it as huddling around a warm fireplace in the winter. Imagine the great feeling and comfort; wouldn’t you want to praise the fire and share it with more people in the cold? That is exactly what “fire” means.
August: A slang phrase I use with friends is “spill the tea,” which means to spill juicy details. If I explained it to my grandparents, I would say, “When we ‘spill the tea,’ we are telling someone insider information about something, especially if it is exciting. It is an informal way of requesting details, similar to saying, ‘Tell me everything!’”
September: “No cap” is a phrase teens use to assert honesty or sincerity, akin to a sworn testimony – “I swear it’s true.” It emphasises the authenticity of a statement. I learned this phrase from a friend. Explaining it to my grandparents, I would equate “cap” to lies. For instance, I would say, “The meal you cooked was delicious, no cap,” to stress my sincerity. These relatable examples would help bridge the generation gap, conveying the importance of truthfulness in our conversations.
October: I would explain the slang term “slay”. I would tell my grandparents it means something was impressive or someone did well. My peers and I often use it as praise. While the original word itself may mean to kill, I prefer this new meaning as I find it to be far more humorous.