Slang has this funny way of not really dying off, it just sort of drifts into the background until one day you’re talking to someone 20 years younger than you, and you realise you sound like a Victorian schoolmaster.
There are loads of phrases that we grew up using every single day without a second thought, but to Gen Z, they sound a bit clunky, way too formal, or just plain weird. Even if they know what you’re on about, you’re not going to catch them actually saying it themselves. You’re not wrong for using those words, and it’s not even that they’re out of date or inapplicable these days. It’s really more about the fact that they just don’t fit into the way people speak anymore.
1. “Naff” used to be the go-to word for something uncool.
If you called something naff, everyone knew exactly what you meant—it was a bit tacky, a bit rubbish, or just something your gran might think was posh but actually looked a bit cheap. It was the perfect way to slag something off without being truly nasty about it. You’d use it for a terrible Christmas jumper or a really cheesy TV show that was trying too hard to be trendy.
These days, if you tell a teenager their new trainers are naff, they’ll probably just stare at you like you’ve started speaking a foreign language. They’ve got a dozen other words that mean the same thing now, and naff has been left firmly in the ’80s and ’90s. It’s one of those words that immediately gives away your age the second it leaves your mouth.
2. “Chuffed” once covered everything from pleased to genuinely proud.
Being chuffed was the ultimate British way of saying you were happy about something. Whether you’d just found a fiver in an old pair of jeans or you’d actually landed a massive promotion at work, you were “dead chuffed.” It’s a solid, dependable word that still gets used a fair bit by older generations, but it’s definitely losing its grip.
Gen Z tend to go for much shorter, more global terms they’ve picked up online, so chuffed starts to sound a bit like something out of a black-and-white film to them. They’ll understand that you’re happy, but they’re not going to be adopting the word themselves anytime soon. It’s become one of those “dad words” that’s familiar but feels a bit dusty.
3. “Give us a bell” was the standard way to ask someone to call.
Before every single person had a smartphone glued to their hand, telling someone to “give us a bell” was just the normal way of saying, “Call me later.” It was friendly, casual, and meant you were looking forward to a proper catch-up. But since nobody actually uses their phone to make a voice call anymore—unless it’s an emergency or their mum is ringing—the phrase has started to feel a bit like a relic.
If you say it to a younger person now, they’ll probably just send you a WhatsApp message instead because the idea of actually sitting down for a phone call feels a bit intense. It’s a phrase from a time when we actually talked to each other rather than just sending emojis back and forth.
4. “Bob’s your uncle” wrapped everything up neatly.
This is one of those classic Britishisms that makes absolutely no sense if you think about it for more than 2 seconds. We’ve all used it to finish off a set of instructions—”Put the tea bag in, add the water, and Bob’s your uncle.” It was a shorthand way of saying, “And there you have it, job done.” For Gen Z, though, it’s a bit of a weird one.
If they haven’t grown up hearing it, they’re left wondering who Bob is and why he’s suddenly their uncle. It’s a bit too whimsical and old-fashioned for modern slang, which tends to be a lot more direct. You might still hear it in a DIY shop or a garage, but in everyday conversation, it’s definitely on the way out.
5. “Leg it” was the quickest way to say run.
If you were in a rush or, more likely, you’d done something you shouldn’t have and needed to get away fast, you’d leg it. It was a great, punchy phrase that perfectly described that panicked sprint down the street. While it’s still fairly common in certain parts of the UK, it’s definitely not the first word a 15-year-old would pick to describe running away.
They’re much more likely to use terms they’ve seen on TikTok or just say they’re running without the extra flair. It feels a bit like a word from a ’70s cop show, where someone is being chased down an alleyway. It’s still a classic, but it’s losing its place as the go-to way to describe moving your feet quickly.
6. “On the pull” had a very specific meaning on a night out.
Back in the day, if you were heading out to a club or a bar with the specific goal of meeting someone, you were on the pull. It was the standard way of describing your intentions for the night, and everyone knew exactly what the game plan was. But dating has changed so much with apps and social media that the whole concept of going on the pull feels a bit dated and, honestly, a bit cringe to younger people.
The way they talk about meeting people is completely different now, and this particular phrase brings to mind sticky carpets and cheap aftershave in a way that just doesn’t work for Gen Z. The behaviour is still there, but the language around it has had a total makeover.
7. “Kip” was an everyday word for sleep.
Saying you were going for a kip just meant you were heading off for a bit of shut-eye, whether it was a quick 20 minutes on the sofa on a Sunday afternoon or actually going to bed for the night. It’s a short, no-nonsense word that everyone in the UK used to use without thinking. However, for Gen Z, it feels a bit like something your grandad would say before he starts snoring in his armchair.
They’re much more likely to say they’re napping or going to sleep, rather than using a word that sounds like it belongs in a grainy ’70s sitcom. It’s not that the word is confusing, it’s just that it’s lost its cool, and you’re much less likely to hear it in a group chat these days.
8. “Skint” summed up having no money.
Being skint was a badge of honour for most of us at one point or another—that feeling when you’ve got about 40p in your pocket, and you’re three days away from payday. It was a classic, self-deprecating way of saying you couldn’t afford a round of drinks or a night out.
While the reality of being broke hasn’t changed at all, the word skint is definitely fading out of the vocabulary of younger people. They’ve got their own ways of describing being out of cash that feel a bit more current, often borrowed from US slang they’ve seen online. Skint still gets the point across, but it’s starting to sound a bit more like a “dad word” than something you’d hear from a student today.
9. “Dodgy” covered anything that felt a bit off.
If you bought a watch from a bloke in a pub, or you weren’t quite sure about that kebab you just ate, you’d call it dodgy. It was a brilliantly flexible word that meant anything from a bit suspicious to outright dangerous. You could have a dodgy motor, a dodgy haircut, or a dodgy stomach.
It’s still one of those words that perfectly captures a certain British feeling of distrust, but Gen Z tend to be much more specific with their language. They’ll use terms that describe exactly what’s wrong, rather than using a catch-all like dodgy. It’s a great word for a bit of a laugh, but it’s definitely not the first thing a teenager would say if they were worried about something.
10. “Sorted” meant everything was taken care of.
Saying something was sorted was the ultimate way of letting someone know a problem had been dealt with, and they didn’t need to worry about it anymore. It was short, confident, and very British. Whether you’d fixed the leaky tap or organised a night out, once it was sorted, the job was done.
While it still gets used quite a bit in workplaces and by older generations, it’s not really a part of how younger people talk to each other. They’re more likely to say something is fine or handled, or just send a thumbs-up emoji. It feels like a word from a time when we were a bit more direct about getting things done, and it doesn’t quite have the same ring to it for Gen Z.
11. “Taking the mick” was a softer way of saying someone was joking.
If your mates were giving you a hard time or someone was clearly being a bit cheeky, you’d tell them to stop taking the mick. It was a classic, slightly more polite way of saying they were having a laugh. It was the perfect way to call someone out without starting a proper argument. Sadly, for younger generations, the phrase has started to sound a bit clunky and old-fashioned.
They’ve got a whole different set of words for when someone is being annoying or making fun of them, often ones that feel a bit more pointed. Taking the mick is a bit too classic British for a generation that’s grown up with a much more global way of speaking.
12. “Give it a miss” meant you were choosing not to bother.
This was the ultimate way to politely decline an invitation without making a big deal out of it. If you weren’t fancying a night at the pub or a trip to the shops, you’d just say you’d give it a miss this time. It was a very British way of opting out—relaxed, non-committal, and totally drama-free. For younger people, though, it feels a bit long-winded.
They’re much more likely to just say they’re skipping it or not bothered. The phrase “give it a miss” sounds like something you’d hear in a ’90s rom-com rather than a modern conversation. It’s a perfectly good way to say no, but it’s definitely not the quickest way to do it anymore.
