Scrolling In The Deep: Your favorite slang of 2024
The results are in! Over the past couple of weeks, you, our loyal readers, have shared your valuable insights on Scrolling in the Deep’s robust roster of Gen Zalpha slang words.
When I began this column last summer, I wasn’t aware of how genuinely helpful it would be to folks who aren’t as chronically online as the rest of us (consider yourselves lucky.) But now, after some 20-odd explainers, it’s apparent SITD can be something readers look forward to so they can maintain their finger on the pulse of internet culture.
Speaking of internet culture, one particular slang dominated above all others––however, I’d consider it an umbrella term encapsulating all the slang we covered last year. If you’ve guessed “brainrot” by now, you’d be correct.
SITD Slang Of the Year: Brainrot
It seems you all agreed with the Oxford Dictionary by naming “brain rot” your favorite slang of 2024. And I think it’s a fabulous winner! According to Oxford University Press, “‘Brain rot’ is defined as “the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging.”
It’s easy to see why most of you voted “brainrot” as your favorite SITD word. In our explainer, we listed several scenarios indicating a brainrot diagnosis. Whether that’s being aware of all the TikTok trends, knowing all the ways to call somebody hot, or translating what it means when a kid says “Skibidi Ohio Rizz.” “Brainrot” would include many if not all of the terms you’ve come to learn–and maybe even use–over the past several months.
However, while “Brainrot” was No. 1, two other slangs tied for second place.
Fans of phrases
What was surprising was how many of you chose longer phrases as your favorite slang terms. Coming in at No. 2, “I’m gonna hold your hand when I say this” and “Just put my fries in the bag, bro” were a tie. Perhaps in 2025, we’ll see more longer slang phrases decoded!
Slang you were most surprised by
Last but not least, you shared with us the terms that completely baffled you. These were the words that maybe you had no idea what it meant upon first glance, or perhaps thought had a completely different definition. Interestingly, two out of these three words were completely derived from the internet, while the third had roots way before Gen Z was even born. Body tea, Skibidi, and Opps.
These three terms received the same number of votes, tying them as the slangs that caught our readers by surprise the most. Here’s to more absurd and hilarious terms in 2025!
And don’t forget––if you hear a brainrot word and have no idea what it means, send it to us here and we will break it down for you.
To answer polls and pop quizzes, and get this column a week before we publish it, subscribe to web_crawlr, where you’ll get the daily scoop of internet culture delivered straight to your inbox.
Want more Scrolling in the Deep?
Check out our previous explainers:
1) Scrolling In The Deep: It's giving slang explainer
2) Scrolling In The Deep: What does ‘BFFR’ mean on TikTok?
3) Scrolling In The Deep: Chat, is this real?
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