American Slang┃Learn American English Pronunciation On the Go

Rachel: Welcome to the Rachel's  

English podcast. I'm glad to have you here. This  is Rachel, and I'm here with my husband David.

David: Hey, everybody.

Rachel: And today,  

we're going to go over slang. If you need a  transcript of this podcast, it's absolutely free  

to download. Visit Rachelsenglish.com/podcast,  and look for this episode. Let's get right  

into it. Now, the reason why David is here  today is because he works in a high school.

David: Yep.  

Rachel: And high schools,  

there's a lot of slang happening in high school.

David: Mm-hmm.

Rachel: Younger people  

are the really the ones who I think are playing  with language and with slang the most. And so,  

David’s always bringing home terms  and phrases that I don't know.

David: That's right.

Rachel: So, today,  

we're going to go over some current,  popular slang terms, what they mean,  

how to use them. Before we get into it, though,  let's talk about when it's appropriate and not  

appropriate to use slang. The general rule of  thumb I give people is, use slang if the people  

around you are also using it. You know,  wait. You don’t have to be the first one.

David: Yeah. That's a good, that's a good general rule.

Rachel: Wait and see. If,  

if you're hanging out with  people and you notice that  

they're using a of slang and you're  starting to pick up on those terms,  

and you want to use those terms, those people  are a great bunch of people to use it around.

David: Mm-hmm.

Rachel: In general, we would not use it in the workplace.  

It's more of a casual way of using language,  but again, depending on where you work and who  

you're working with, if you're seeing people using  slang and it seems appropriate, it seems accepted  

and acceptable, then go ahead and try it out.  Okay, so, David, have you heard the term slay?

David: Yeah. I've heard that.

Rachel: And that means doing something really well?

David: Yeah.

Rachel: Okay.

David: I guess it be related to killing it.

Rachel: Okay. So, that's another slang  

term. Killing it, crushing it, slaying it. What  else can we think of that means the same thing?

David: You might say, uh, you destroyed that.

Rachel: Destroyed that. They're all violent.

David: Very American.

Rachel: And when you,  

when you're doing something really well,  someone might say that. Let's think of  

some examples. Could I say, she's  really slaying her YouTube channel?

David: That seems to me more like crushing it.

Rachel: You're saying I should use crushing it instead?

David: Mm-hmm.

Rachel: Well, I  

thought we just said they mean the  same thing. Why can't I use slay?

David: I'm just saying,  

that's for whatever reason, that comes to mind  as being more fitting for that particular phrase.

Rachel: Crushing it and killing it.

David: Mm-hmm.

Rachel: Also, I said, she's really slaying her YouTube channel.

Maybe I should have used a preposition. Like, she's really slaying it on her 

YouTube channel. Would that—

David: Exactly.

Rachel: That would be better?

David: Yeah. That’d be better.

Rachel: Okay. Can you think of a sentence with slay?

David: You know what? I don’t think that that one  

is maybe—maybe it, it's just as popular. I just, I don’t use that, so nothing’s coming to mind.

Rachel: Okay. You use more crushing it, killing it?

David: Mm-hmm

Rachel: Destroying it?  

I feel like sometimes, like, David’s a  big cook. He's the cook in our family.

David: Mm-hmm.

Rachel: I feel like sometimes,  

if you cook something delicious and you  eat it, you'll say, I destroyed that.

David: Yeah. I do say that.

Rachel: When you're saying that,  

are you referring to how well you cooked it? Or are you referring to how well you ate it?

David: How well I cooked it.

Rachel: But also, maybe  

sometimes how well you ate it, right? Like, if you go to Joe’s and you get a cheesesteak with whiz—

David: That's true. You could word it that way, too.

You could use it that way, too.

Rachel: And you eat  

that entire cheesesteak, you might  say, I destroyed that cheesesteak.

David: Yeah,  

and if you're going to get a cheesesteak,  you should order it with whiz.

Rachel: Okay.

David: Don’t get provolone.  

No cheddar. No American. It should be whiz.

Rachel: Okay. So, this is just a side note for anyone

visiting Philadelphia, getting a Philly cheesesteak.  

Although, we've seen Philly cheesesteaks all over.

It's not just a Philadelphia thing now.

David: But be wary.

Rachel: Be wary if you're outside of Philly getting a Philly cheesesteak.

Now, can you just quickly tell people what whiz is?

David: Uh, whiz is a highly processed,

melty, runny cheese.

Rachel: Mm-hmm. It's fake cheese.

David: Ah, probably.

Rachel: It's edible fake cheese.

David: It's delicious and salty and savory and wonderful.

Rachel: And it's  

traditionally what you would get  on your cheesesteak sandwich.

David: Mm-hmm.

Rachel: Okay. So,  

slay. All right. Salty. I've just  done a little research on this one,  

and I've found that it means maybe  annoyed.

Maybe angry. Have you heard this?

David: Yeah. I've heard that.

People would say to another person,  ooh, you're salty. Uh, it's like, ooh, you're,  

um, wow. That's hard to describe.

It means you're salty. You're, um, a little bit fresh.

Rachel: So, now, you're using more slang to define slang, which is okay.

But we still need to define it with actual non-slang words.

David: Yeah.

Rachel: Well, here's an example I came up with as I was working on a video.

You tell me what you think. She's salty because she just got dumped. 

Like, easily bothered. Like, you need to be, steer clear of  

that person for a month or two because they're in a bad mood.

Does it kind of mean bad mood?

David: Yeah. Yeah, kind of bad mood or, um, feisty.

Rachel: Mm-hmm. Feisty. Like,  

if you say the wrong thing, that person’s  going to be eager to argue with you.

David: Yeah. Mm-hmm.

Rachel: Yeah.

David: Mm-hmm.

Rachel: Um, salty,  

not as a slang term, means,  has a lot of salt on it.

David: Yeah.

Rachel: Which if you like salt, means delicious.

David: Yeah, it does.

Rachel: And you can say,  

do you like salty snacks or savory  snacks? No, wait. Salty is savory.

David: Savory or sweet.

Rachel: Savory  

or sweet. Salty or sweet. So,  savory and salty are similar.

David: Mm-hmm.

Rachel: They're like what  

you would eat for your meal. And then, sweet is like what you would eat for your dessert.

David: Or if you're at brunch and you have to 

decide between breakfast and lunch.

Rachel: Yeah.

David: You might go savory and go towards lunch-type stuff.

Or breakfast-y, like pancakes.

Rachel: Right. French toast.

David: French toast. Something more breakfast, but sweet.

Rachel: Go towards the sweet. Mm-hmm. So, literal  

meaning and slang meaning of salty.

David: Yes.

Rachel: Okay. I had put a post on  

Facebook asking my friends and family for current  slang they're hearing right now, and your sister,  

Lisa, said, coming in clutch. Lisa teaches middle  school, so people who are in middle schools and  

high schools or work with millennials, I really  trust these people. They know what's happening.

David: Yeah.

Rachel: Have you heard coming in clutch?

David: No. Is that  

different than the old one?  Like, oh, that was clutch.

Rachel: Well, I'm not sure.

David: Um, like that was clutch would  

be used in sports a lot. So, if somebody makes a  big shot at the end of the game to win the game,  

or makes a tough shot in an important spot in  the game, you would say, ooh, that was clutch.

Rachel: So,  

it has to do with like a short timeframe,  pressure is on, and you're able to deliver.

David: Exactly.

Rachel: So, we've just looked it up,  

and we've confirmed that coming in clutch is just  a more elaborate phrase meaning the same thing  

that David has just described as clutch, which  means doing something in a short period of time,  

high pressure, high need. For example, you  were saying if someone scores a basket.  

David: Mm-hmm.

Rachel: Just at the end of  

the game, and it causes that team to win. You  could say, coming in clutch with the shot.

David: Yep.

Rachel: Rachel Smith, up for three. And it's good.

David: That was clutch.

Rachel: By the way,  

I've never successfully shot a three-point  shot under pressure. It's been a long time,  

but I did play basketball from the  fourth grade to the ninth grade. Fly.

David: Fly. That's fly.

Rachel: That's fly.  

That's like, I want to say cool, but  I know it's more subtle than that.

David: It's  

like really well-chosen, like really  fashionable. It's, it's really on point.

Rachel: Okay. So,  

it's not a basic thing done well.  It's something a little bit more  

interesting. Maybe a little bit edgy, a  little bit more unique that's done well.

David: Uh, yeah. Unique  

is a good word, I think to be used in there.

Rachel: So, would you  

say it's usually used with clothing and fashion?  Or can you think of other applications for fly?

David: I think it comes from that,  

and then maybe you could use it other ways. Rachel: 

So, for now, we'll just say, stick with fashion.

David: Mm-hmm.

Rachel: David, those are some fly glasses.

David: Yeah.

Rachel: He's not wearing glasses,  

by the way, but I'm picturing him in some  really cool glasses. Low-key. I've heard  

that that is something that people are using  a lot right now, and I feel like they're using  

it slightly differently than it's been used  before, but it's definitely a phrase that's  

been around for a long time. If something’s  low-key, it's—how would you describe it?

David: Laid-back,  

relaxed, not a lot of pressure to do anything.

Rachel: Yeah. If  

you're going to something that's low-key,  it doesn't matter when you show up. You  

don’t have to be dressy. Like David  said, it's relaxed. It's laid-back.

David: Informal.

Rachel: Informal, yeah. That's a  

good way to describe it. So, Lisa, again, is the  one who came up with low-key, and she said that  

people are saying things like, I'm low-key. Maybe  that's the new use of the term, is previously  

it would have described a situation, right? And  now, people are using it to describe themselves.

David: As a personality trait.

Rachel: Or even just like  

on a specific topic. Rachel, are you upset that  Megan stole your boyfriend? No, I'm low- key.

David: Okay. It makes sense. I can see that.  

Rachel: Okay. What about sick?

David: That is sick.

Rachel: This has been around for a long time. I'm actually  

not even sure, are people still using this? Have  you heard any of your students use this word?

David: Yeah, I think you could still use it.

Rachel: Yeah.

David: I don’t think it would date you.

Rachel: Okay.

David: Yeah.

Rachel: So,  

because I feel like when I think  of the phrase, that's sick,  

it reminds me of like Back to the Future days, which was what, like, ’84 or something?

David: Yeah. Maybe it's come back around.

Rachel: Maybe. Slang does do that.

David: But we didn't say what it is.

Rachel: We didn't say what it is. Well,  

okay, literal meaning, you've got a cough, maybe  some nausea. You feel horrible. You're sick.

David: You're ill. You're not well.  

Rachel: You're ill.  

You don’t go to work. You don’t  go to school. Slang meaning—

David: Slang meaning is, it's, um, really cool.

Rachel: So, again, this is like one of the things where  

I want to describe it with the word awesome, but  I'm guessing it's more subtle than that. As I've  

been doing research on slang, I've noticed that  there are lots of words that you could generally  

say, okay, this means awesome and good.  But I think each of them has their own,  

more subtle nuanced meaning. Like fly  is like maybe edgy, unique, fashion.

David: Mm-hmm.

Rachel: Sick. Sick  

is maybe like something done  well, do you think? Like,  

if someone does a sweet skateboarding  move, you might say, ah, that was sick.

David: Yeah. Yep. That's  

exactly how you would use it. Um, I'm trying  to think what its specific meaning would be.

Rachel: Could like,  

uh, could a car be sick? That is a sick Maserati.

David: Mm-hmm. It would  

be it was like tricked out, extra special.

Rachel: Yeah. Souped up.

David: So, extra special, maybe, is a part of sick.

Rachel: Okay. Yeah. Like,  

not, not very many people could achieve it.

David: Yeah. Extra effort.

Rachel: Extra effort. Speaking of extra, I've learned  

that now that slang that's actually negative,  it kind of means trying too hard, over the top.

David: Yep.

Rachel: For example,  

this morning, Stoney really likes to play  on the stairs. He's our son. And if you  

ever decide you're tired of playing with  him on the stairs and you take him away,  

he throws a huge fit. And he was crying and  kicking, and I thought, this kid is extra.

David: Mm-hmm.

Rachel: He was being so dramatic.

David: Right.

Rachel: Stoney is  

really extra when you don’t  let him play on the steps.

David: Yeah. So, it's being maybe extra emotional.

Rachel: Yeah. Right.

David: More emotional than the situation calls for.

Rachel: Right. You can be sad.  

You can be upset that you can  play on the steps anymore,  

but when you're having a total meltdown  about it, then that's just extra.

David: Mm-hmm. A  

similar one to being extra is, you could say,  instead of saying, oh, she's being extra,  

if you really want to amp it up a notch,  you could say, she is the most right now.

Rachel: Oh, really?  

David: Mm-hmm.

Rachel: The, she is the most.

David: Mm-hmm

Rachel: So, again, this means dramatic, over the top.

David: It's maybe  

somebody who’s extra on a regular basis.

Rachel: Okay.

David: Oh, my God. I know. She is the most.

Rachel: So, someone who’s extra all  

the time when they're like doing it even more,  then you might say, she's the most right now.

David: Mm-hmm. Or just, she's the most.

Rachel: She's the most.  

I like it. We're going to start using that  with Stoney. Okay. The phrase, the word done.  

I'm done. That means that you're no longer able  to handle whatever the current situation is.

David: Yeah. That  

gets used a lot. I'm so done  with that teacher. Or, um—

Rachel: I'm so done  

with school. I just failed my third  class. I am so done with school.

David: Or,  

my boss is such a jerk. I'm so done with that job.

Rachel: Yeah. So,  

it's like when things that have gone  wrong and you're tired of dealing with it,  

like you've dealt with it, you cannot  do it anymore. You can say, I'm done.  

David: Mm-hmm.

Rachel: You never  

want to hear your partner say, I'm done with  you. That partner is ready to walk. Actually,  

yeah. You don’t want a friend, you don’t  want anyone to say they're done with you.

David: Mm-mm.

Rachel: That is,  

that is not respectful. Fam. You're hearing  this in your high school, aren't you? No?

David: Mm-hmm.

Rachel: Yeah.

David: Yeah. Fam or family.

Rachel: Yeah.

David: Um,  

yeah. It's a term of endearment. Like,  hey, what's up, family? You might say it to  

somebody that you, that you bump into  who you have a great relationship with.

Rachel: Mm-hmm.

David: Mm-hmm.

Rachel: Your community. Could you say you could use  

it with your community? You guys are my fam. Like,  if I said that to my Rachel's English community.

David: Mm-hmm. Right.  

Rachel: Then, that would work?

David: Yep.

Rachel: Well, it's  

true guys out there. You guys are my fam.

David: Mm-hmm.

Rachel: Lit. L-I-T. Pronounced with a stop T. Lit.

David: Uh,  

yeah. That means something is just, it's  really amazing. It's full of energy.

That Mmm. Full of energy. So,  

again, this is a word that you  could say it means awesome. But  

it's more subtle than that. It means  full of energy, energized, poppin’.

David: Poppin’.

Rachel: Poppin’. Turned up?

David: Mmm, no. Well,  

I don't know. Turned up. To  turn up means to get inebriated.

Rachel: Okay, but I think it also means—

David: It can also mean—

Rachel: I think it can also mean poppin’.

David: Which is  

same with lit, actually. You can  say, I was totally lit last night.  

Rachel: Right.

David: That does not mean  

that you had good energy. It means that you were—

Rachel: Drunk.

David: Either really drunk or really high or something.

Rachel: Okay. So, if something is lit, like a party,  

a situation, then that means full of energy,  really fun. You definitely want to be there.

David: Yeah.

Rachel: But if you're lit,  

then that means you're drunk. If a person  is lit, that means that person is drunk.

David: Although,  

you could say, well yeah. No, I think you're  right. That's a good, that's a good general rule.

Rachel: So, but,  

do you think also people could say, she's lit,  meaning she's super excited? She's full of—

David: Yeah. Well, what I was going to  

say is that, if you could, because, yeah. I  went to the show last night, and she was lit.

Rachel: Mm-hmm.

David: You know, I mean  

the person on stage was really  crushing it, really doing a good job.

Rachel: Crushing it. Means doing a good job.

David: That's right.  

Rachel: It's  

interesting when you find slang that  has multiple slang meanings itself.  

Like dope is just like lit. It can mean  like cool, awesome, but it can also mean—

David: Fly.

Rachel: Drugs.

David: Oh. Yes, it can mean drugs.

Rachel: It can be like heroin.  

It can be like doping, right? Doping is what  they do in professional sports when they take—

David: Cycling, especially.

Rachel: Cycling,  

baseball. I mean, swimming. You name  it. Kind of everyone’s doing it.

David: Yeah.

Rachel: Steroids.

David: That's right.

Rachel: So, like,  

that's another term. You know, it's interesting  that high on drugs or intoxicated has sort  

of this taken on, a lot of these words  also mean really fun and full of energy.

David: Yeah.

Rachel: I guess we think people who are intoxicated  

are really fun. Sharing similar qualities. A high  person shares similar qualities to a great party.  

David: Yeah.

Rachel: Or a great  

environment, a great situation, a great energy.

David: Moving on.

Rachel: Moving on, okay. Enough  

about drugs. We don’t do them, but it's okay if  you do. Well, one that I've been hearing is woke.  

Get woke, stay woke, meaning awareness. Be aware  of what's happening. I think it's used often to  

mean like politically and socially and like the  trends in America. What's happening in America.

David: Yeah. It's stay aware, stay vigilant.

Rachel: Yeah. This is something  

that's been I've been seeing a lot more during  and after the latest presidential election. When,  

really, it seems like more Americans were taken by  politics than ever before. Would you say, David?

David: Could be, yeah.

Rachel: It really seems like people are engaging  

a lot more. It was such an unusual election.  And so, I think people’s political awareness  

was heightened and people started talking about,  we've got to stay on top of what's happening. We  

have to know what's happening for other groups of  people. Get woke. Stay woke. Another one, shade  

or to throw shade. This is one that I've been  reading about. Miriam-Webster has an article on  

it. There's actually quite a few articles on this  term, because its use has skyrocketed, actually.

David: I believe it.

Rachel: Yeah. Um,  

and what I've read seem to imply that  a lot of people are getting it wrong,  

the way they're using it and the way they're  talking about it. From what I understand,  

if you say that it means simply to insult somebody  or to act disrespectfully to somebody, then you're  

not getting the whole picture. Like we've been  saying, a lot of these terms have a more subtle  

and nuanced meaning. And from what I understand,  you know, it's fairly easy to insult somebody.  

David: Mm-hmm

Rachel: But to throw shade requires more skill.  

It's more subtle. It's like insulting, but, but  could also maybe be interpreted not as insulting.  

And so, it's, uh, yeah. It's more nuanced than  simply insulting somebody or being disrespectful.

David: And the metaphor, right,  

would be to sort of step into the spotlight  in front of someone and throw shade on them.

Rachel: Maybe.

David: So, it's sort of—that's the way I think  

about, is you, you are, people maybe were sort of  paying attention to that person, but you're going  

to throw shade. You're intentionally putting them  into the shadows and—that's the metaphor, I think.

Rachel: Could be. I  

have not read anything that says that,  but it makes sense. And if it wasn't,  

if it didn't originate that way, then you just  came up with a really great fake backstory for it.

David: Wonderful.

Rachel: Well,  

that's all that I can think  of. You got any more, David?

David: Nope. I don’t, not right now. Huh-uh.

Rachel: I have covered some other  

slang terms in my summer of slang video series,  which is releasing right now on YouTube. So,  

you can go check it out. Rachel's English on  YouTube. Summer of slang. Going over more terms  

there. Again, if you need a transcript for this  podcast, please feel free to download it for  

free at Rachelsenglish.com/podcast. Thanks,  David, for sharing your subtle knowledge  

of all things slang. Working in a high  school has really paid off for you.

David: That's  

right. Rachel: 

Okay, guys. That's it. See you next week,  next Wednesday, for the next episode of  

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