Getting Down with the Kids: I made my own "Gen Z" Dictionary

I might be 85, but I can still hang with the best of them... even if I need a translator. ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ~/AASl5QA~/RgRm3xEgP0T8aHR0cDovL2dldGNob25nY2JkLmNvbT91dG1fc291cmNlPUtsYXZpeW8mdXRtX21lZGl1bT1jYW1wYWlnbi1lbWFpbCZ1dG1fY2FtcGFpZ249OS45LjIzJTIwLSUyMEtpZCUyN3MlMjBzbGFuZyUyMCUyODAxSDlUVlhWUlFKVjdQUEhYWkQ1OFpTTjc1JTI5JnN1YjE9MDFHR1RWMUpLRjY3NjdaMlIxNjJBMVgzNlEmX2t4PW93aG5RWU0waFd4V18waW9mbU5ucUxyWkFYY3pEMWpKQk1HVnpweUNKZU5Sa1dKWDkxaHIydUIyTG5LLS1oNnIuVnRpalZHVwNzcGNCCmT5IIz8ZPi8xM9SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkyQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAHyQQ~~   Hey Marilyn – it's Uncle Tommy... Now, if there's one thing I've learned over all these years, it’s that you always need to keep learning and adapting. I've had to reinvent myself so many times over my life - musician, actor, comedian, activist, dad, grandpa, entrepreneur, you name it... I've seen trends come and go, and I've got stories that stretch from Woodstock to TikTok. But every now and then, I'll admit, even I'm left confused. (Of course, some of my hobbies don't exactly help with that...) Case in point - Slang. I still remember when my dad used to complain that he didn't know what the hell I was talking about half the time when I used words like "far-out" or "heavy"... or "mowie-wowie" (I was kinda grateful he didn't get that one...) I always blamed it on his less-than-stellar English, but now I see he had a point. Every new generation gets it's share of heat from the older folks like us. But if I'm honest, I really like the kids these days... They call 'em Gen Z, but I'm not sure why. We had a Gen X, but never a Gen Y (why'd we skip it?) Anyway, these Gen-Z kids are unique, independent, and in the right environment are some of the best people out there. But even for a seasoned traveler like me, navigating the waters of their new slang feels like trying to roll a joint blindfolded. (On a rollercoaster....) Luckily, I get to rely on two lifesavers: my grandkids, always quick with an eyeroll and a laugh, and the young souls at Casa Chong. They’re my in-house "Tommy, this is what it means" team. So for a bit of fun, I thought I'd put together a handy-dandy Tommy-style guide to some of the most popular slang out there today.. If you've got kiddos or grandkiddos, try dropping one of these terms on them. Then, let me know if they laughed, groaned, or just looked plain baffled. Here we go: Stan: Alright, when I first heard this, I thought of the dude down the road named Stanley. But nope! If you "Stan" someone, it's like you're a super-fan. But here's the fun bit – it's a mashup of "stalker" and "fan." Don’t worry, it's not as creepy as it sounds. Think of it as a fun, loving obsession. [Sidenote: Steve, our friendly neighborhood internet "expert" just hit me with an "um actually"... He thinks the word "Stan" comes from an Eminem song about a super fan named Stan... So I'm glad we cleared that up... Makes much more sense now... Thanks Steve! ] Ghosting: Now, this isn't the spooky kind of ghost. If you're "ghosting" someone, it means you've gone MIA, disappeared without a trace... kinda like that stash I lost in '72. Big Yikes: This is like “yikes” but with some extra sauce on it. It's for those times when regular embarrassment just won't cut it. Like that time I tried to dab... I mean the dance move, not the other thing. Cap: When I first heard this, I was like, "Yeah, I wear one sometimes." But turns out, “cap” is Gen Z for lying. So when you hear someone say "no cap", they're not talking about going hatless, but about being honest. Catch these hands: Don’t be fooled – this ain't some friendly game of catch. This means someone’s looking to start a fight. Takes me back to my wrestling days (just kidding, there were no wrestling days, but wouldn't that be something? Though I DID used to spend a lot of time working out in Venice Beach - even pumped iron with Arnold quite a bit). Sus: Finally, we've got a real staple with the kids (apparently). This is short for “suspicious”. Like when someone says they've never heard of Cheech & Chong or tried [Cruise Chews](~/AASl5QA~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~~). That's major sus. So, there you have it, my guide to sounding like you’re fresh outta high school. And hey, if you ever need a translator, just give me a shout. In the meantime, try one out on the younger generation in your life, and hit reply with their reactions. Keep on keepin' on, Peace and Love, [Tommy Signature] Tommy Chong     [Facebook](~/AASl5QA~/RgRm3xEgP4QUAWh0dHA6Ly93d3cuZmFjZWJvb2suY29tL2dyb3Vwcy90b21teXNhcm15Z3JvdXA_dXRtX3NvdXJjZT1LbGF2aXlvJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09Y2FtcGFpZ24tZW1haWwmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPTkuOS4yMyUyMC0lMjBLaWQlMjdzJTIwc2xhbmclMjAlMjgwMUg5VFZYVlJRSlY3UFBIWFpENThaU043NSUyOSZzdWIxPTAxR0dUVjFKS0Y2NzY3WjJSMTYyQTFYMzZRJl9reD1vd2huUVlNMGhXeFdfMGlvZm1ObnFMclpBWGN6RDFqSkJNR1Z6cHlDSmVOUmtXSlg5MWhyMnVCMkxuSy0taDZyLlZ0aWpWR1cDc3BjQgpk-SCM_GT4vMTPUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MkBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAB8kE~) [Instagram](~/AASl5QA~/RgRm3xEgP4QMAWh0dHA6Ly93d3cuaW5zdGFncmFtLmNvbS9oZXl0b21teWNob25nP3V0bV9zb3VyY2U9S2xhdml5byZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtPWNhbXBhaWduLWVtYWlsJnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj05LjkuMjMlMjAtJTIwS2lkJTI3cyUyMHNsYW5nJTIwJTI4MDFIOVRWWFZSUUpWN1BQSFhaRDU4WlNONzUlMjkmc3ViMT0wMUdHVFYxSktGNjc2N1oyUjE2MkExWDM2USZfa3g9b3doblFZTTBoV3hXXzBpb2ZtTm5xTHJaQVhjekQxakpCTUdWenB5Q0plTlJrV0pYOTFocjJ1QjJMbkstLWg2ci5WdGlqVkdXA3NwY0IKZPkgjPxk-LzEz1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTJAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAfJB) Don't Want These Emails? 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