'Very demure, very mindful': Linguistics prof on the age-old underpinnings of new Gen Z slang

Linguistics professor breaks down Gen Z slang Professor Nicole Rosen shares what’s behind popular Gen Z slang, and the historical roots of this sort of language.

From brat to rizz to bussin', Gen Z has no limit of slang making the social media rounds at a lightning-fast pace.

Sometimes, the lingo du jour even transcends feeds and into the mainstream, with presidential hopeful Kamala Harris leaning into the lime green-tinged Brat movement in the Democratic nominee's campaign for the Oval Office.

Even Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew got in on the "very demure, very mindful" trend, paying it lip service in a speech in Lorette, Man. last month as he announced plans for a new $5 million arena in the community.

"That one's for the young folks," he told the crowd.

Though the vernacular may change, University of Manitoba's head of linguistics Nicole Rosen told CTV Morning Live Winnipeg slang is a common way for groups to distinguish themselves.

Teens in particular are well known for innovative language use. Watch any teen movie of yesteryear, and you'll be treated to a symphony of stale slang of the gag me with a spoon variety.

"There's different types of groups in high schools, and they differentiate themselves with clothes, and they differentiate themselves with their language as well, and the types of slang that they use," she said.

Today, much of this of-the-moment speak comes from TikTok or video games, delivered with a baked-in ability to spread quickly thanks to the ubiquity of these social media platforms, she said.

This can be challenging for the older generation of parents, politicians and brands, alike, to join in on the fun.

"Even once the Premier is using it, it's a little bit cool, but not as cool as it originally was, right?"

Gen Z terms explained

While there is most definitely much newer slang trending across social media as you read this, here are a few that caught the goldfish-level attention span of the Internet in recent months.

"Very demure, very mindful"

Making the rounds last month, the phrase stemmed from a TikTok video by makeup artist Jools Lebron. She used the turn of phrase to encompass everything from the makeup you wear to how you style your wig to how quickly you get up and stand in the aisle once an airplane lands.

"The way I came to the interview is the way I go to the job. A lot of you girls go to the interview looking like Marge Simpson and go to the job looking like Patty and Selma. Not demure," she said in the video that has racked up 50 million views and counting.

Brat

It seemed no matter where you looked this summer, you were met with the lime green, Arial-fonted Brat aesthetic.

Beyond a noun, "Brat" is also the title of Charli XCX's sixth studio album released in June

"You’re just like that girl who is a little messy and likes to party and maybe says some dumb things sometimes,” the singer said in a TikTok video explaining the title.

Soon after Harris announced her bid for the White House, XCX declared on X the Democratic hopeful, "is brat."

It didn't take long for the Harris campaign to embrace it, too, with the background on the VP’s X page changed to the signature green Brat colour and Harris’ name to the same font that appeared on the album.

Rizz

In a public vote, rizz topped Swiftie and situationship to become Oxford University Press' 2023 word of the year.

Rizz is believed to come from the middle of the word charisma, and can be used as a verb, as in to "rizz up," or chat someone up, the publisher said.

"It speaks to how younger generations create spaces -- online or in person -- where they own and define the language they use," the publisher said. "From activism to dating and wider culture, as Gen Z comes to have more impact on society, differences in perspectives and lifestyle play out in language, too."

Bussin'

A catch-all word to define anything that's really good - bussin' is not exactly new.

It was added to Urban Dictionary back in 2017.

A more formal explainer can be found through Merriam-Webster, which defines bussin' as "extremely good" or "excellent."

As for its usage?

"Those McDonald's fries do be bussin', though."

Sus

Short for suspicious because who has time for all those extra syllables?

Urban Dictionary explains the term as "giving the impression that something is questionable or dishonest; suspicious."

Delulu

Another truncated term, delulu is short for delusional. With roots in the K-pop world dating back to 2014 – a century in Internet time - it describes a fan's parasocial relationship with their celebrity of choice.

According to the New York Times, it had a resurgence of sorts late last year, with Gen Zers using the terms as a catch-all for magical thinking or manifesting.

- With files from CTV's Ainsley McPhail and CNN Digital