Month: September 2025

• Gen Z slang, powered by the internet, changes quickly.
• Some popular slang terms in 2025 originated in Black, LGBTQ+, and gamer communities.
• “Crashing out” and “locking in” are some of the most popular slang terms this year.

Keeping up with the terms your Gen Z coworker is using can feel like a full-time job of its own.

While they might poke fun at you for your outdated slang — not very “groovy” of them — younger generations are just doing what every generation before them has done: evolving language.

Sometimes, this just looks like repeating words and phrases without being overly discerning about where they came from.

“The internet is just one big gigantic seventh grade where you are looking for the coolest kid and you’re going to follow what they do without thinking real hard,” Jessi Grieser, an associate professor of linguistics at the University of Michigan, told Business Insider.

“The issue that we’re coming into now,” Grieser said, “is that it’s a little easier for those insider terms to escape and eventually become separated from the group in such a way that we sometimes don’t notice that that word originally came from there.”

This sometimes results in words and phrases that originated in Black and LGBTQ+ communities being adapted by broader audiences, and often developing new meanings altogether.

While the process of word adoption is the same as it has always been with previous generations, Grieser said, the speed at which it’s happening is what sets the internet generations apart from their older counterparts.

And although you might not know exactly what some of Gen Z’s words mean, chances are they aren’t using them to make fun of you, Kelly Wright, an assistant professor of linguistics at the University of Wisconsin—Madison, told Business Insider.

“Just look up ‘cringe’ and try not to be that,” Wright said.

Here are 14 slang terms from Gen Z — defined by the Pew Research Center as people born between 1997 and 2012 — that will help you not feel so out of the loop in 2025.

For many, it’s the year of “locking in.”

Finding a job in 2025 might feel harder than ever. Whether you’re on the job hunt or you recently secured one, it might be time to “lock in.”

The term is used to describe a state of deep focus, where one completely employs all their energy toward the task at hand without outside distractions.

If something aggravates you, you might “crash out.”

In 2025, if you’re not locking in, you might be crashing out.

The phrase, which originated in African-American Vernacular English (AAVE), per The New York Times, is used to describe strong, overly emotional outbursts, or someone who is prone to having them.

On this summer’s season of “Love Island USA,” the phrase was heavily used, from describing one participant’s reaction to her partner’s disloyalty to the “crashing out challenge,” in which islanders ran into a wall or a foam pit.

If you do things for the sake of looking cool (aka, being performative), you might be “aura farming.”

“Aura farming” is a term for engaging in behaviors that make one gain “aura points” or look cool. This could mean performing an impressive dance move, striking a cool pose, or acting mysteriously in public.

Gen Z is also using additional words to call out people who “aura farm.”

In August, Google search interest in the word “performative” reached a new high, with the term “performative matcha” leading the trend, per Google Trends.

“Performative Male” contests, in which participants dress up as the internet archetype of a man who’s trying too hard to look cool, have even taken place in Seattle and New York.

Staples of the archetype include tote bags, books by female authors, Labubus, and, of course, matcha.

Unless you were in school during the pandemic, you are probably “unc,” sorry.

Short for “uncle,” “unc” is used by younger Gen Z and Gen Alphas to describe people older than them.

The term, which also originated in AAVE, is often used to describe someone who is out of touch with the trends and uncool, similar to the “OK Boomer” of years past.

When someone reaches “unc status,” they are no longer part of the young and cool group, as most of us aren’t.

“Rizz” is on its way out. If you’re cool, you have “swag,” like it’s 2011.

While last year, someone who had charisma was said to have “rizz,” this year that person might just have swag — like it’s 2011 again.

According to Google Trends, the term has seen a resurgence in 2025, possibly also prompted by Justin Bieber’s newest album, “SWAG.”

The term arguably had its heyday around in the early 2010s, after the release of Soulja Boy’s “Turn My Swag On” in 2009.

This isn’t the Food Network, but you might be “chopped” and “cooked.”

Recent Gen Z slang is borrowing some knives from the chef’s kitchen.

“Chopped” is used to describe someone who’s not looking their sharpest, while someone who has messed up is “cooked.”

Showing up to the office in a wrinkly, ill-fitting outfit might make you look “chopped,” but getting in trouble with higher-ups may mean you’re “cooked.”

Gen Zers are fighting back against AI. Beware, “clankers.”

Taken from Star Wars’ depiction of robots and the sounds they make, “clanker” has recently been adopted by Gen Z and Gen Alpha as a derogatory term used against AI and robots.

This so-called robophobic slur, as some are describing it, per NPR, is a direct response to AI’s growing prevalence in the workplace and through consumer-facing platforms.

A life-changing experience can leave you “oneshotted.”

The term, which originated in gamer communities for combat games where players can be eliminated in a single blow, is used to describe extreme experiences that can “destroy and subsequently remake” someone, per The Atlantic.

It has also emerged as a way to describe people’s life-changing experiences on psychedelics like ayahuasca, including many Silicon Valley figures who have spoken of using the drug, like OpenAI’s Sam Altman.

Some people might be “clocking your tea.”

Originating in the LGBTQ+ community and in ballroom culture, “clock that tea” can describe a person catching on to someone’s secrets or recognizing the truth of a situation, per 21Ninety.

The phrase, in its current usage, is usually accompanied by finger claps or a hand motion where someone mimics pinching by putting the index finger and thumb together in a repeated motion.

While originally not used in relation to “clocking tea,” finger claps also originated in the ballroom scene, where they’re used in voguing performances.

On social media, the finger claps are also used to signify agreement with a statement, or to congratulate someone on “clocking” something or seeing right through someone.

If a person “ate,” they executed something flawlessly.

Often associated with fashion and beauty, saying someone “ate” is a way of expressing that they look amazing and did a great job.

Look at almost any picture of Zendaya on the red carpet, and it’d be correct to say, “She ate.”

The term also comes from LGBTQ+ communities and the ballroom scene.

“Left no crumbs” is a continuation of “ate” used as additional emphasis.

If you hear “she ate,” you may often hear “and left no crumbs” immediately after.

The additional phrase helps emphasize how perfect the person’s execution was, though it can be used on its own, too.

For example, “Cardi B ate and left no crumbs at Paris Couture Week” means she executed the look perfectly — everything from her extravagant gown to her glam to the drama of using a live crow as an accessory was flawless.

Some people around you might be looksmaxxing.

“Looksmaxxing” refers to a range of cosmetic procedures or stylistic choices people can partake in to increase their perceived attractiveness.

From injecting Botox to changing a haircut or styling clothes differently, this phenomenon has inspired people to look for areas of their appearance in which they could be increasing or maximizing their attractiveness.

Many have done this with the help of AI tools, like a custom bot on ChatGPT, to which users upload pictures of themselves and ask for styling tips.

You might see a whole lot of Dubai Chocolate Matcha Labubu.

If none of those words make sense to you, you have approximately 15 minutes to find out what they are before they’re never said again.

Labubus (a toy turned fashion accessory), Dubai chocolate (a viral chocolate dessert filled with pistachio paste and shredded phyllo pastry), and matcha (a type of green tea) quickly rose in popularity with younger generations in 2025, and they might go out of style just as quickly.

These fast-moving fads, when grouped together, create a nearly satirical display of the way viral trends are quickly spreading across sectors. Some companies even sell actual Labubu-shaped Dubai chocolates.

As Gen Z-ers would say, this is the consumerism final boss.

Beware of “rage bait” and don’t fall for it.

From social media content creators to, reportedly, companies, the internet is now plagued with content that is designed to enrage people, such as a Labubu Dubai chocolate matcha Crumbl Cookie that a TikTok user reviewed on the platform, despite Crumbl Cookie not selling such a product — they do, however, sell a Dubai chocolate brownie.

You might also be getting rage-baited in your offline life. Playful partners, friends, or siblings might do things to bother you on purpose in an effort to get a rise out of you.

Don’t fall for it. Stay cool. Don’t crash out.

Mykenna Maniece and Jenny McGrath contributed to an earlier version of this article.

The Department of Justice is suing the ride-sharing company Uber over allegations of discrimination against disabled passengers.

A lawsuit filed Thursday in a San Francisco federal court argued that “despite the importance of its services to people with disabilities, Uber denies people with disabilities full and equal enjoyment of its services in several critical ways.” Per the DOJ, drivers “routinely refuse” disabled passengers, including those with service animals.

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“Uber and its drivers also impose impermissible surcharges by charging cleaning fees related to service animals and cancellation fees to riders they have unlawfully denied service,” the lawsuit claims, alleging that Uber drivers “insult and demean people with disabilities or ask them inappropriate questions.”

The lawsuit details how Uber is “increasingly relied upon” by disabled Americans for work, medical appointments, and other life events.

Uber “fundamentally disagrees” with the DOJ’s allegations.

In a statement emailed to TIME, the ride-sharing company, which was founded in San Francisco in 2009, said: “Riders who use guide dogs or other assistive devices deserve a safe, respectful, and welcoming experience on Uber—full stop. We have a clear zero-tolerance policy for confirmed service denials, and we fundamentally disagree with the DOJ’s allegations.”

The DOJ has alleged that Uber “refuses to reasonably modify its policies, practices, or procedures where necessary to avoid discriminating against riders with disabilities,” and therefore violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) which “prohibits private transportation companies from discriminating against people with disabilities.”

In light of the alleged violations of the ADA, the DOJ is seeking a jury trial, as well as “injunctive relief, monetary damages, and a civil penalty” against the transportation company.

Read More: The Harsh Truth About Disability Inclusion

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of April 2025, over 28% of American adults, more than one in four, have some type of disability. Of the more than 70 million disabled American adults, over 12% have mobility issues that include “serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.” Thus access to transportation services can be life-changing for some.

Uber was previously sued by the DOJ in November 2021, accused of unfairly charging disabled passengers who needed more time to enter the vehicle. In 2016, Uber began compensating drivers who waited more than two minutes for a passenger to show up.

But the 2021 lawsuit claimed that this discriminated against disabled passengers that were unable to arrive and enter the vehicle within the allocated time frame. The argument was that Uber did not adjust the wait time for these riders, in violation of the ADA.

“Uber and other companies that provide transportation services must ensure equal access for all people, including those with disabilities,” said Kristen Clarke, the Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s civil rights division.

In July 2022, under a two-year agreement, Uber committed to “waive wait time fees for all Uber riders who certify that they (or someone they frequently travel with) need more time to get in an Uber car because of a disability.”

It was mandated that Uber would “credit the accounts of more than 65,000 eligible riders who signed up for the waiver program for double the amount of wait time fees they were ever charged.”

Uber was also told to pay $1,738,500 to more than one thousand riders who complained to Uber about being charged wait time fees because of disability, and $500,000 to “other harmed individuals identified by the Department of Justice.”

• Jim Greberis has been serving classics like steak and eggs at Summit Diner for over four decades.
• He said he won’t put avocados on the menu partly because they go bad fast.
• While the diner’s interior has stayed nearly the same since 1939, a lot has changed over the years.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jim Greberis, who runs and co-owns Summit Diner with his wife, Michele. Summit began serving customers in the late 1920s and moved to its current location in 1939. It’s one of New Jersey’s oldest diners. This essay has been edited for length and clarity.

My uncle and father-in-law bought Summit Diner in 1964, and I began working here in 1980, so I’ve been here for 45 years. I’ve had customers who have been coming here since they were five and are now grown adults. It’s a tight-knit community. We get everyone from bankers and construction workers to tourists and professional athletes coming in here.

What’s kept me in the diner business for so long is that this is what I know. I’ve been in it since I was 12. My dad owned a diner in Irvington and would drag me to it every weekend.

As a young adult, I started working with my uncle at Summit and have been here ever since. A lot has changed over the years — my business partner left in 2013, so it’s just me and my wife now, and the price of nearly everything has gone up.

While we’ve tried different menu options over the years, we still serve the classics like steak and eggs, homemade corned beef hash, and Taylor Ham, egg, and cheese sandwiches. I like to joke that we don’t serve anything healthy here.

We tried fresh fruit, and people didn’t ask for it that much. Fish — we’re not known for something like that, so we’d just be throwing it out. Avocados are one of my pet peeves. I could get them and serve them if I wanted to, but we don’t know how to work with them here, and they go bad fast.

I have nothing against avocados, but I won’t serve them on Summit’s menu.

I don’t know who will take up my legacy

Summit has been in my family for over 60 years, but I’m saddened because it might be nearing the end of the line. I don’t have anyone to hand my legacy down to.

I have kids, but I overeducated them, and they’re not interested in this kind of work. Hopefully, my knees can hold up another five to six years, but my wife also wants to start traveling.

I see a lot of diners in New Jersey closing down or renting out. I worry that if I rent Summit, it won’t be the same. A lot of what’s in this diner is original to when it opened in 1939: the Mahogany wood trim and paneling, the Italian marble countertop, the tile on the floor and walls, and the stools, booths, and booth tables — all of it’s original.

That’s what makes diners important — they’re nostalgic. I don’t intend on rehauling Summit like some other diners have, like Tops. Everything here holds up, and people come here because it’s nostalgic, but this business is getting tougher.

It hasn’t been the same since COVID

Before COVID, we were paying $1 to $1.20 for a dozen eggs. The price shot up to $8.60 and then went back down. Now, we’re paying about $3.75 a dozen.

Even the price of Taylor Ham went up, and pork is one of the cheapest things we can buy. Before COVID, it was under $3 a pound; now we’re paying $5.75 a pound.

As a result, I had to raise my prices after COVID, but they’re still reasonable, I think.

Another thing that’s changed since COVID is our hours. COVID helped me realize that we could still make a decent living without having two shifts.

We used to run our kitchen from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., but now we stop cooking at 3:30 p.m. We also ramped up our number of takeout orders and added outdoor seating, which pretty much doubled our seating capacity.

I now only work four days a week, Thursday through Sunday. Other longtime employees run the diner while I’m out. Being in this business is definitely taxing at times, but like I said, I grew up with it, so it never felt unattainable.

I hope American diners can keep going in the future. I mean, that’s what New Jersey is known for; we have more diners than any other state. But I recognize that it’s getting tougher. Hopefully, I can find someone to turn Summit over to.

This story was adapted from Jim Greberis’ interview with Business Insider’s Abby Narishkin for the “Big Business” video series. Learn more about Greberis and the rise and fall of American diners in the video below: