Do you remember when you thought your parents were so out of date, it was almost embarrassing? They didn’t know anything about the music you listened to. And all sorts of words that seemed really sophisticated to you were unknown to them.
Well,
the world turns, as we know, and suddenly you may find that you aren’t in much
a different situation.
There
are numerous ways in which I feel no longer up to date. Here, I want to talk
about words. Before you read further and panic, there is a glossary below.
A Whole New Vocabulary
I
knew that young people like to use words differently. What I did not know was how much
they like to do so. I asked my 13-year-old grandson for a few examples and was
overwhelmed by his response.
These
may be international or limited to England or, indeed, South London teenagers.
I have subsequently been told that some are quite old, yet still unknown to me.
Are
there any peng foods out there? Or are
they all butters?
Do
you have friends who are extra? Are
they sick? Are you ever salty? Or gassed?
There
are many more, but this gives you an idea.
Yes,
it is hard to keep up. Certainly for me. Sometimes I feel I come from another
planet. Perhaps you are doing better.
Acronyms
I
always knew there were acronyms, very popular on social media and to some
extent texts. I have used some in my time, like FYI, which goes
back to working in an office in the 1960s, or ETA, which is very old.
I have
even learned a few new ones in recent years, such as LOL and FOMO.
Again,
I asked a younger friend who uses Facebook a lot for a few examples and was
taken aback by the variety. She told me about ILR and IKR and BAE.
I
asked a different friend for advice last week, nothing to do with this article,
and he signed off HTH. I had to write
to ask what that meant.
Do
any of these mean anything at all to you? If so, you are doing well!
Emojis
I
don’t know whether to call emojis ‘words’ or something else. As a writer, I
don’t like them, as it is with words that we can best specify precisely what we
want to say. I have certainly never used an emoji in my life.
But
I do receive them. Sometimes, I get one attached to a text message, and I have
no idea what emotion it is supposed to convey. How are we supposed to know?
Do You Try to Keep Up?
We
older people have a choice. We can accept our position as oldies and get on
with our lives.
Or
we can try to fit in. Which can lead to problems. David Cameron, when he was
Prime Minister not that long ago, famously used LOL in a text, thinking it
meant Lots of Love. But no, it meant Laugh Out Loud. The world tittered, but he
had my sympathy.
I
know where I belong. I have not heard of the singers who are well known to my
children, not to mention grandchildren. Nor do I have the vocabulary to
distinguish the multiple forms of what we used to call simply ‘pop’ music.
Newspapers
are awash with stories of the antics of celebrities whose names are unknown to
me. Very odd.
Once
you get used to your place in this particular hierarchy, it is fine.
And Remember
Our
grandchildren cannot easily imagine being old themselves. But we know it will
happen, even if we are not around to see it. And we know that they will suddenly find themselves out
of date. Good luck to them.
As I
wrote above, the world keeps turning.
A Basic Glossary
Peng good looking or good
tasting food
Butters the opposite to peng
Extra being over-dramatic about everything
Sick something that is ‘awesome’
Salty being angry or sore loser
Gassed very proud of yourself, really happy
FYI for your information
ETA expected time of arrival
LOL laugh out loud
FOMO fear of missing out
ILR in real life
IKR I know, right?
TFW that feeling when
BAE significant other (may come from Before All Else, but derivation disputed)
HTH hope that helps
I
would like to thank my grandson, James, for his help with this article.
How
often do you feel out of date in modern society? Do you know and like any of
these words and acronyms? Are there others you particularly like and use? How do you feel about emojis? Please share with
our community!
