Interpret These Millennial Phrases and We'll Guess Your Age

By: Emily Maggrett
Image: John Lamb / Photodisc / Getty Images

About This Quiz

Are you really adulting if you're commenting "goals AF" on your crush's thirst traps while pregaming in your jorts? The answer depends on what age you are. Gen Xers and baby boomers probably think we're trolling them with this question, which makes Gen Zers roll their eyes and millennials pause thoughtfully, as they wonder whether this struggle is, in fact, real. 

The truth is, each generation has its own problems to confront, which leads them to develop their own lexicon of phrases. The Silent Generation dealt with a very patriarchal culture. Hence the scornful term "daddy-o," which they liked to throw at authority figures. The Silent Generation's children, the baby boomers, prioritized their personal expression above all. Their slang was heavily influenced by California's psychedelic surfer/hippie culture and included drug-related phrases like "lay it on me," "crash," "groovy," "beat feet" and "that was a trip." 

Today, millennials are overworked and exhausted, causing them to invent a language that makes avoidant behavior seem more jaunty and socially acceptable. Hence phrases and concepts like "I ghosted," "sorry not sorry," "doing a slow fade," "no chill" and the like. 

You may think millennial slang is silly, but do you understand it? Test your knowledge by taking this quiz. In return, we'll guess your generation and exact age. Think we can't even? We can!

How would you define "adulting"?

If someone comments "goals AF" on your Instagram or Facebook photo, what are they saying about it?

If your co-worker asks you to "Netflix and chill" with them, are they asking you over for movie night?

What does "because duh" mean?

If someone tells you that "[name of celeb] is canceled," what are they saying?

What does "humble bragging" mean?

If you call someone's eyebrows "on fleek," what are you saying?

If you put your foot in your mouth with an offhand comment and another person says "shots fired," are they commenting on your faux pas or just randomly babbling?

What's the meaning of the phrase "break the internet"?

If your new love interest says you two are "low-key dating," how does that define their wishes for your relationship?

If your sister accuses her ex-girlfriend of "posting thirst traps" on Instagram, is this a reference to water management?

If a friend says she "can't even," how should you interpret it?

When a neighbor comments that the Trump presidency has him "shook," what is he telling you?

If someone says "sorry not sorry" to you, what do they mean?

If you mention you can play the tenor sax like a virtuoso and someone says "pics or it didn't happen," what are they trying to say?

If someone says you and your partner are not "OTP," what are they saying about your relationship?

What does "the struggle is real" mean?

If a new friend asks if you'd like to "put on some jorts and pregame," should you contact the police?

If a co-worker squeals that the office holiday party gave her "all the feels," what on Earth is she saying?

If your new sexual partner asks you to "DTR," what do they want?

How should you feel if someone is "ghosting" you?

If someone claims to be suffering from "FOMO," should you worry it's contagious?

If someone asks you to stop "trolling" them, what is the nature of their request?

How should you feel about a person who claims to be your "frenemy"?

If your sister says your girlfriend is "giving you the slow fade," what is she implying?

If someone calls a movie you like "so basic," are they referring to the primal nature of the film, or are they saying something else?

If someone texts you "let's meet up rn," what do they mean?

When your friend says you "have no chill," should you feel complimented?

If a sentence is prefaced "TFW," what do those letters stand for?

If your uncle claims a restaurant's tacos are "the GOAT," does he mean that they serve goat meat tacos?

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