The Top 10…’lit’ words and phrases of 2015
Mrs. Rebetsky and Olivia DuBro have been A1’s since day 1.
January 3, 2016
On November 16, 2015, Oxford Dictionary released its Word of the Year: the crying laughing face emoji. These are Lancer Media’s picks for the Top 10 words and phrases of 2015.
10) A1
To start off the countdown, we have the simple and tasteful A1 and, no, I don’t mean the steak sauce. The phrase was coined by a British ship insurance company. If the ship was rated A1, it meant that both the hull and the equipment were in excellent condition. Today, A1 means the best of the best. Typically, you can find this phrase on any Instagram post in which two close friends pose together with the caption: “My A1 since Day 1.” It was probably clever at one time, but let’s hope more original rhymes emerge in 2016.
Ex. “Jess and I are super close. She’s my A1.”
9) On fleek
Who could forget the American youth’s obsession with eyebrows and their ‘fleekiness?’ Not too thick, but certainly not too thin. They need a nice arch, but if they look like the Nike swoosh you’re doing it wrong. The phrase originated from a viral selfie video of a young lady in her car describing her stellar brows. The phrase can be heard by many a young lady after hours spent plucking, waxing, threading, and filling in the two little lines of hair above her eyes.
Ex. “Girl, my eyebrows are ON FLEEK.”
8) Fire
This expression is used in a variety of ways. Simply put, fire is a cooler way to say the slang word ‘hot’. It is used to describe hot new mixtapes, funny and relatable tweets, new songs you can easily bump to, or anything you think was just off-the-charts incredible.
Ex. “Dude, check out my new mixtape. It’s straight fire!”
7) Whip
NaeNaeing its way to number 7, whipping is a popular dance fad that hit the high mark in September across all ages (yes really, all ages. It’s something you can do whether you’re three or 93.) Directions: To execute this move, the dancer must lift his left leg and increase the potential energy stored in the right arm. Then, with force and confidence, the dancer stomps down on the left foot and straightens the right arm simultaneously to mimic steering a car. The whip actually gained popularity in 2014 when Odell Beckham, Jr., of the New York Giants began doing it after scoring touchdowns, but the skyrocketing of the move occurred after the release of the song “Watch Me” by hip-hop artist Silento. The song guides dancers through popular dance moves such as the “Whip,” the “NaeNae,” the “Stanky Leg,” the “Duff,” and “Leg Breaking.” It’s one big conglomeration of awkward leg and arm movements.
Ex. “Watch me whip. Now, watch me NaeNae.”
6) Vape
Ah, another year of the e-cig craze. E-cigarettes gained popularity in 2014 as the pen-looking alternative to actual cigarettes. Teenagers quickly jumped on the vape train and don’t appear to be hopping off anytime soon. It used to be called “chiefing,” but this year, teens upgraded their vapecabulary. The norm has upgraded to large, thick mods that increase the amount of smoke, or vapor, one emits. One who emits vapor is a vaper, and the act of emitting vapor is called vaping. It would be great if everyone would stop using the non-FDA-tested mods in general, but for now let’s just stop using the ridiculous lingo.
Ex. “I can’t stop vaping; all I do is blow clouds!”
5) Savage/Savagery
Originating from the Old French word “sauvage” meaning wild, savage by definition means cruel, vicious, uncontrollable, and aggressive. In the teen slang world, savagery is the disrespect you show another person. One who is constantly throwing digs at peers is a savage. Basically, the word has glorified bullying and negativity for sake of likes, laughs, and retweets.
Ex. “Did you see Justin call David out in front of the whole class?”
“Yeah, Justin is a savage.”
4) Squad
The squad is rolling up at number 4. The word is self-explanatory. Groups of close friends refer to themselves as ‘the squad’ in order to let others know just how close they are. Tight-knit groups only get closer by putting a label on their friend group. The act of assembling the squad is called ‘squadding up.’
Ex. “How about we get the squad together and go to the movies.”
“Sure, let’s all squad up.”
3) Netflix and Chill
Originally Netflix and Chill was just a harmless phrase: maybe a few friends hang out to watch a documentary or dramatic television series. Today, Netflix and Chill is the roundabout way of telling your romantic interest you’re looking to get cuddly. Guys, if you really want to attract the interest of a lady, the good old-fashioned ‘dinner and a movie’ is always a safer bet. Ladies, if someone tells you they want to Netflix and Chill, and you aren’t really into them like that, you should suggest something a little less snuggly.
Ex. “Hey Emily, wanna come over to Netflix and Chill?”
“No thanks, I’d much prefer to go out on a real date.”
2) Jaunt
Easily one of the most flexible words of all time, jaunt can mean just about anything your heart desires. It can be a noun, adjective, or adverb. How can this be? Jaunt can be any unspecified thing you desire. Just change your pitch, vocal inflection, and context to let others around you (somewhat) know what you mean.
Ex. (Noun) Put that jaunt on the Christmas tree.
(Adjective) You’re acting so jaunty lately.
(Adverb) Ryan was running so jauntily.
1) Lit
Wrapping up the list, the quintessential word of 2015 is lit. Evolving from the previously mentioned word fire, lit seemed to emerge to describe an especially hot, crazy, wild, and fun party, but don’t be discouraged from using this word just because you aren’t talking about the latest rager. Virtually any activity can be lit. Practice can be lit. Sports games can be lit. Class can be lit. Video game sessions can be lit. Family dinners can be lit. Even people can be lit— anyone getting wild, hype, or excited is just too lit.
Ex. “Hey, Michael. Are you planning on going to the party on Friday?”
“Definitely, it’s going to be so lit!”
