Anyone with children or who spends any time at all on social media will know there is a whole different language out there. For many of us the terms used by our teenagers - and plenty of adults and kids as well - leave us wondering if they are speaking English.
And rather than admit to not knowing what on earth people are talking about people are regularly using the power of the internet to discover what others are actually meaning when they speak or post online.
By using search volume data, a research done by DiggityMarketing.com found the slang words and expressions the Brits find most confusing. Top of the list was woke - with a massive 40,000 searches every month but there are plenty of others which appear to be leaving people in the dark when it comes to conversation with their kids.
Pov, pushing p and smh can all see many scratching their heads. Here's a handy explanation of what they mean.
Woke
Woke’ is the most searched for term in the UK, with 40,000 monthly searches. Apart from being the past tense of the verb ‘wake’, ‘woke’ is an adjective which is used to describe someone who is aware of the current societal issues and injustices. Most commonly, it is used in the context of racial prejudice and injustice.
SMH
With 27,000 monthly searches, the acronym ‘SMH’ is in second place. It stands for ‘shaking my head’, usually used to express disapproval of someone else’s words or disappointment with someone’s actions.
POV
Next is ‘POV,’ which has 19,000 monthly searches from Britain. In video or on-video captions on different social media, ‘POV’ or ‘point of view’ is used to set the scene or the background, to describe from which point of view the viewer should observe the video.
Pushing P
The slang ‘pushing p’ has 15,000 searches. The term was coined by an American rapper Gunna, and the TikTok community adopted the expression, some of the users assigning their own meaning to it. However, in its original sense, ‘pushing p’ means that someone is acting with style, while also displaying their success.
PU
‘PU’ has been searched 13,000 times. The term actually has two meanings. The first meaning is often used on Snapchat or Instagram and it means ‘pop up’, or, in other words, ‘send me a message’. The second meaning of ‘PU’ is thought to be derived from a Latin word which means ‘to stink or smell bad’.
KMT
Next is ‘KMT,’ with 12,000 searches. Its origins are traced back to Jamaican slang, and the abbreviation means ‘kiss my teeth’. It is used to express annoyance or anger, either genuine or feigned. It is also used in real life by those who cannot produce the sound which the abbreviation stands for.
ICL
‘ICL’ is next, with the same number of searches, 12,000. It means ‘I can’t lie’ and it is used to express that whatever is said before or after it is the truth.
UWU
‘UWU’ has 11,000 monthly searches. It is used to depict a cute face emoticon, which expresses various warm and fuzzy feelings.
LMFAO
With 10,000 monthly searches, ‘LMFAO’ is in ninth place on the list. It is a more emphatic form of LMAO and it means ‘laughing my f****** ass off’. It is used to express that something is particularly funny.
IG
‘IG’ has the same number of searches as LMFAO. It can mean two things: ‘Instagram’, and ‘I guess’.
ISTG
Next is ‘ISTG’, with 9,600 monthly searches. It stands for ‘I swear to God’ and it is most commonly used to express frustration or to assure others that they are being truthful.
WAGWAN
‘WAGWAN’ has 8,900 monthly searches. It is a Jamaican slang, a way of greeting others, used in Jamaica as well as the Jamaican diaspora. It roughly means ‘What’s going on?’.
SB
With 8,900 searches, ‘SB’ is next. Used on Snapchat, it stands for ‘snapback’ meaning ‘respond to my message/my snap.
Simp
‘Simp’ has 8,700 searches. It is used to describe a person, usually a boy or a man, who is considered to be doing too much for the person they like. It is also used as an insult for men who are seen as too submissive or attentive to a woman.
SB
The last item on this list is ‘SB’, which has 8,400 searches. Apart from the aforementioned meaning specific to Snapchat, ‘SB’ means ‘somebody’ or ‘someone’.
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