Share Share Comment Shyla Carter was recently beefing with a classmate
It is so funny because I remember people using the word or phrase "beefing" in middle school. Like 'oh they beefing" or "They are about to start some beef," it's funny how these phrases come and go but they always can come back
saying “it’s bubblegum pink,” referencing the creator’s … “It’s not [the students] trying to make a sexual remark,” Peralta explained. “It’s repeating something that you understand enough to know it’s inflammatory but not enough to know how harmful and unsafe it is.
Yeah I definitely understand how harmful this is. I feel like on one level the gen alpha slang can get offensive, and then with other words within this realm, it's funny and grouping. Everytime I see this type of comment online, though, I actually can't stand it. I think that the whole "chat am I cooked" thing is funny, but when it crosses a line like this it quickly becomes weird and offensive.
“It’s one of those things we constantly have to defuse,” he said. “It’s usually the kids who want to be funny who will repeat things that they hear or say that performed well online.”
I think that it can definitely become a distraction within the classroom, especially with gen alpha, but I do not think all of this slang should be diminished to something to "defuse." I hear how a lot of gen x absolutely hate gen z and gen alpha slang, but I feel like, at the same time, it can be something that brings a certain group together, and we have to have some level of empathy for that.
For them, using “chat” can often function as an icebreaker when addressing people in the second person.
I understand this, I feel like sometimes when I am talking with new people who are around my age I am looking for something to determine that they get my humor, like with gen z slang. When I am talking with others my age and they'll say something like "cooked" or something like that, something in my mind is like oh! they get you, idk if that makes sense.
“I can’t say I’m from Ohio,” he said, referencing the popular, post-ironic replacement slang term for cringe that quickly became oversaturated as more mainstream attention was brought to it, “or I’ll just lose the class.”
I'm literally cracking up. After so long of social media joking about Ohio and "Ohio rizz," every time I hear the word "Ohio" it just reminds me of gen alpha slang and I laugh. My younger sister also is always talking about something "ohio rizzler gyatt sigma huzz" like hello.
But now, it’s become adopted as IRL slang, used in any context, for any reason at all.
Yes and it's crazy to hear sometimes lowkey!! Working at Claire's, a store where gen alpha usually shops, I hear so many crazy terms being thrown around and it's sometimes pretty jarring, lol. One time a kid said to me "you look so skibidi!" not even joking... and I laughed because it's pretty funny lol.
“I don’t know, chat.
As opposed to the other article talking about "sigma" and other terms, "chat" and "cooked" are words that I often hear my friends and myself actually using. like the term "I'm so cooked," I have definitely used this in reference to when something bad is happening, lol. It's interesting to see how this is considered "gen alpha" and how gen z language has also transformed into this, if that makes sense.
Sometimes, the language and words they use from the internet are much more problematic.
I 100% agree with this. Kids see others say something, so they think it is okay to repeat it. Obviously, that is not always the case.
She wouldn’t use “chat” in a context like school, particularly concerning unfamiliar peers or authority figures. It’s simply derived from their pop culture, and adds a bit more humor and energy to the conversation. Advertisement Advertisement
I fully agree with Carter. The "iPad babies" are not doomed they are just forming a community without even realizing it. It adds humor to their community.
: The younger generations get to build a language of their own, distinguished from the older norms, as they have always done throughout history.
Honestly, though, how cool is that to think about the fact that these slang terms can catch on with just one post and become a part of the language in our generation for years to come? It truly shows how powerful dialect and slang are.
The internet has transformed how Gen Z communicates. Our language is built on memes and a collective sense of wry existentialism, with our humor often turning dark or potentially dangerous
I believe some of this is true, especially thinking about the meme part and how TikTok has become such a big part of our culture. Even the gov ban on TikTok lasted barely a day and was back up again because of how big it is with Gen Z and it's a form of communication we use.
it’s a delightful twist of fate that the incels’ own words are now being wielded against them. If this upsets the adults, all the better: The younger generations get to build a language of their own, distinguished from the older norms, as they have always done throughout history.
I really enjoy this conclusion to the article, I feel like the gen z slang definitely does help us bond more as a group, in one way or another. It is ironic language, so I am glad that the author recognized this, I never use the word "sigma" when I am being serious lol, it's always to poke fun, and even better when it's poking fun at incels.
“I just wanna be your sigma.”
I know exactly which Tiktok audio this is referring to, and I remember when it became popular and everyone was calling it "gen alpha" language, rather than gen z. I feel like while this type of language is definitely common in younger gen z and gen alpha, I do not think it can be related back to older gen z, for sure. Sometimes I'll say things like this because it can be funny, but I am not saying it because its a part of my everyday vocabulary. I literally had to google what skibidi meant when it first got popular, lol.
they migrated to 4chan, an anonymous bulletin board website famous for giving us some of our most foundational online concepts, such as rickrolling, dank memes and copypastas.
Hearing about 4chan in 2025 is literally so horrifying, and I am intrigued to hear more about how maybe the slang used on 4chan relates back to gen z slang. I know that 4chan has become a very popular thing to joke about, and for good reason because it was filled with hatred, but I honestly have never done much research into what 4chan was actually like, all I know is that it is "incel territory"
sigma
This word literally plagues me. My younger sister uses this all the time, and same with all of the kids who shop at where I work (Claire's). There have been so many times where I am explaining something to someone who is younger gen z at my work and they'll reply with something like "that is so skibidi sigma rizz" like.... but it's so funny though.
“The Matrix” where Neo (Keanu Reeves) had to choose between the red pill and the blue pill,
This is so interesting to learn about because my friends and I reference "red pill or blue pill" all the time, and I knew it was from the Matrix, but never thought about how this is derived from incels. I have definitely heard a lot of people using "maxxing" though, but I feel like this is more common in the younger gen z/gen alpha.
The younger generations get to build a language of their own, distinguished from the older norms, as they have always done throughout history.
I believe the slang they use sounds ridiculous at times. It is just like any other generation. We all come up and communicate with our own slang at some point.
But what started as a way for people to connect eventually became a community overrun by violent men who blame women for their absence of a sex life.
This made me so incredibly sad. What was the purpose of making women feel this way?
“Citizens want and need more than a fair distribution of resources: they also desire meaningful recognition of their humanity and uniqueness.”
This reminds me of another article we read last week, how where you are from follows you everywhere, and it makes up your identity which must ultimately be recognized. The stereotype following Appalachia is a concept that undermines the Black Appalachian experience, it does not allow for Affrilachia to be heard, so it is pleasing to see how after the term was coined more and more people shared their stories and creativity regarding the subject. Like it is mentioned in the last paragraph following this, this is what can push that stereotype out of the picture when it comes to Appalachia, shining light on those who have "been pushed to the margins."
30 years after he coined it
30 years... and it's unfortunate to just now be hearing of the term "Affrilachia," I feel like this should have been something taught to us a long time ago, especially being on the borders of Appalachia. It goes to show how there is truly more than one story to be told, and this can allow for the Affrilachian artistry and identity to be explored and heard even further.
Later stood off the same ones with a gun when they wanted his property.
This is genuinely such a hard-hitting line, truly illustrating how the Black residents of Appalachia can be seen by the white residents, in one moment, friend and the next something to prey on, if that makes sense. I will definitely be reading up more on Affrilachian poetry, I am deeply interested in this topic. Feldman, within just this small excerpt, does such a great job at highlighting the race "dynamic" within Affrilachia.
Writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has spoken of the danger of the single story. When “one story becomes the only story,” she said in a 2009 TED Talk, “it robs people of dignity.”
I think that this is such a great example to bring up in this article. I remember watching this TED Talk and having it really stick with me, and I believe this excerpt from it does a great job in relation to the story of "Affrilachia." The becoming of "Affrilachia" shows how this one story, or one narrative, is not the only story behind Appalachia, and how there are more voices to be heard.
Affrilachian artistry and identity allows Appalachia to be fully seen as the diverse and culturally rich region that it is, bringing to the forefront those who have historically been pushed to the margins, out of mind and out of sight.
It is so mind-blowing how essentially there is a language group inside another language group. That honestly i just thought the Appalachian dialect was interesting and haven't heard of it really but there is an even more of an expansion on it in the African American community. That they made this language their own as well, that it truly shows the diversity of the small region.
But as Black poets and scholars living in Appalachia, we know that this simplified portrayal obscures a world that is far more complex. It has always been a place filled with diverse inhabitants and endowed with a lush literary history.
I feel like sometimes we forget how much generational impact literacy has on keeping the language going since we are the ones currently living in it. But, I wouldn't be surprised if 30 years from now we look back and see how much of an impact we have made on the generation below us. This is what history is all about, literacy and our dialect become apart of our society or group's history that makes us all unique.
I thought that perhaps that style would be easier than the log cabin quilt I had settled upon.
I love how the author brought back the concept of the quilts near the end, because at first I was confused as to why they brought it up near the beginning, and how this would fit in. I realize now that the quilt within this statement is a symbol or metaphor for the narrator's own person experience with identity and language. Rather than a quilt, they thought that fitting in and the other "style" would be "easier" than the "log cabin" = Appalachian dialect. I really love this symbolism here, and how there was a deeper meaning added to the quilts.
I distanced myself from Haywood County.I laughed along.
I feel for the narrator in this moment, because this is so painfully relatable, especially when it comes to dialect and the stereotypes others have about the area you're from. I remember an experience I had in my first year of college where I went with a friend back to their home state. I can't remember exactly what I said, but they replied "that's not how you say that!" I laughed along in the moment, and changed my grammar, but it left an icky feeling inside of me. I thought that I shouldn't have to suppress my language just because I'm in another state, or something like that. It seems like an easy thing to laugh along with these stereotypes but ultimately, it brought me to feel more proud of where I'm from than anything else.
but “Haywood County” suddenly became more than a place to me. It was a marker of identity.
Right off the bat, this is very relatable to probably everyone, or at least to me. Well, not about "Haywood County" but for me, about "Allegheny County" and Pittsburgh as a whole. I didn't realize it when I was younger, or even when I was still growing up in Pittsburgh, but I realized that after I came to college, it did become a marker of identity, that I am ultimately happy with. Going back to the conversation about stereotypes, it would be a common thing during ice breakers in class to say where we're from. When I said "Pittsburgh," people were nodding, when I said Braddock, and given those who were from the area and knew about Braddock, it was like I saw those stereotypes people had about Braddock emerging, it was actually quite interesting to see, lol.
In it I saw how a thing is made whole, how the intricate gathering together of the unlikely can make sense.I am reminded of it now when I consider the seemingly disparate layers of my own voice and identity – multi-generational Appalachian, first generation college graduate, economically privileged, queer, feminist, antiracist, mother, writer, teacher.
I like that she mentions that there are parts that make up their whole, and she has a voice that has defined who she is in some ways. That the way a person speaks can help define their identity too and what they want people to know about them. She wants people to know that she is proud of her dialect and family culture, and its a beautiful thing.
Now that I have learned to articulate issues about representation and gender politics, I want to do so in my own voice – to let my vowels relax into to the shape that they wanted to take all along. I want to honor the voices that were the soundtrack to my upbringing and respond to the calls of Uncle Joe, Granny, Aunt Lena, Aunt Betsy, Pa and Mom. I want to draw thick that perforated line to my past. I want to claim the voices belonging to my people.
This is so empowering to hear, I feel that in this world some people could easily give into society's norms, in this case the way a community talks. But, she is choosing to have her own voice that her family shaped and to keep passing it down for generations to come. I think it's all about communication, if it works for them let them speak in a way that is comfortable to them.
People in Appalachia consume the same national media as everyone else, and they fully realize how other parts of the nation look down on them.
Firstly, media, and the portrayal of certain groups within media, is a huge problem with perpetrating stereotypes. This reminds me of a conversation I had with my grandparents once who are from Appalachia. They were telling me about a family who moved down the street who was from the city, and the little kid was talking to my grandma about how they're "hick" now and they're "poor" and I was like ?? that's crazy that a little kid was saying these things, but it's because of the media and probably the biases/stereotypes which those within more urban areas have with those within rural areas, and vice versa! I know my grandparent's have some stereotypes about those who live in urban areas too, and it's crazy to think about.
There’s no monolithic “Appalachian dialect,” and language variation – an important component of language everywhere – is just as diverse within Appalachia as it is outside of the region.
True! I feel like language varies throughout so many different regions, cities, cultures, etc, but many people have formed their own biases against certain language variations or groups of people with those language variations. I wonder if these biases stem from things they were taught at birth or from certain experiences they've had with language variation growing up?
“be like” was widely adopted by speakers born after 1960
The amount of times I use "like" or "was like" or "be like" in my everyday language is insane, and this is just a reminder of how I do so, lol. I feel like this has just become such a normal part of everyday vernacular, a lot of people overuse "like" in their sentences as a filler word, I feel like it makes the conversation more casual than anything else. But, this data is interesting to look at when specifically in the Appalachian region. It make me think of my dad who is from Central PA who uses "like" and "was" in these scenarios, if that makes sense.
By claiming that the language was somehow “frozen in history,” he helped perpetuate the stereotype that Appalachians were a retrograde people.
Which is also just interesting to think about. Having a family and a parent who grew up in Appalachia, I constantly been surrounded by such aspects or language of Appalachia and never thought about how this came to be, or thought about how others perceive Appalachia, but I should have. I knew that people thought of Appalachia as "hillbilly" or something like that, I just thought it was because it was more rural, but regardless, is a negative stereotype. It's interesting to think that others perceive Appalachia as "frozen in history," this had never stumbled across my mind before.
The second example of changes in Appalachian language variation patterns is in fact one shared with most of the English-speaking world: the use of the verb “be like” to introduce a quote. (“They were like, ‘No, the market is not open on Saturdays.’”
This just is funny to me because the amount of times I hear people turn "like" into a filler word is endless. It went from introducing a quote to becoming a filler word for example when nervous public speaking people us "like"and "um." I agree that this word is used way to much and I feel it has lost its emphasis.
Many qualities come prepackaged with the hillbilly stereotype: poverty, backwardness and low levels of education. One of the most prevalent is the idea that the way the people of Appalachia speak – the so-called Appalachian dialect – is somehow incorrect or malformed.
Stereotyping is such a big subject on dialect and talking, it is a topic that will unfortunately never go away. The Appalachian dialect could make complete sense if someone explained it, but since there is that stereotyping that they have low education and live in poverty. So, this automatically makes someone create assumptions about this group and how they speak. That if we took the time to observe and understand these people there could be true intelligence in their dialect.
What’s the difference? It’s that -ful and -ly are Germanic endings, while -ity came in with French.
I had no idea that either endings came from different languages. I guess I just assumed that they were already apart of the English language.
Finally, as if all this wasn’t enough, English got hit by a firehose spray of words from yet more languages. After the Norse came the French. The Normans – descended from the same Vikings, as it happens – conquered England, ruled for several centuries and, before long, English had picked up 10,000 new words
I think it's really cool how the English language will pick up thousands of words from multiple different places.
Crucially, their languages were quite unlike English. For one thing, the verb came first (came first the verb).
This is so odd to think about. It just sounds funny saying it out loud. It is fascinating how people learn differently.
Anglophones
I had never heard of the word 'anglophone' before. Finding out that an anglophone is another term for an english-speaking person threw me off.
For instance, it was here that the idea that ‘big words’ are more sophisticated got started.
It's crazy because it's such a large joke to make about someone using big words, I never really wondered where that stemmed from.
What’s more, one way to connote formality is with substitute expressions: English has life as an ordinary word and existence as the fancy one, but in the Native American language Zuni, the fancy way to say life is ‘a breathing into’.
This reminds me of when I was breaking down the root of environment-related words for my environmental ethics class last semester. We looked at words in English and in other languages like "earthworm," "dirt," "soil," etc. It was so interesting to see the different connotations/definitions for each word.
Yet there is a wet-fish issue with them, too: normal languages don’t dangle prepositions in this way.
And I think that's the thing about it all. A lot of people have become very caught up in what is "natural" for them, and don't empathize much with what might just be "natural" for others.
Life went on, and pretty soon their bad Old English was real English, and here we are today: the Scandies made English easier.
That's actually kind of crazy to think about, how a language can be transformed just like that, by speaking in a "bad" version of it! Before this, I never gave much time to thinking about how the English language was derived from Old English.
Thus English’s weirdness began with its transformation in the mouths of people more at home with vastly different tongues.
This excerpt not only made me think of Pittsburghese, but also broken English as well. My grandmother is from Vietnam and English is her second language, so I can see how English has been transformed within the homes and areas which people grew up within. Like with Pittsburghese how there's different words for "shopping cart" and "nosey."
Crucially, their languages were quite unlike English. For one thing, the verb came first (came first the verb).
This is the kind of thing I really struggled with when I was learning French, specifically. Less about the verbs and more about the use of adjectives and where they would go when describing a subject/noun.
and yet, to the untrained eye, Beowulf might as well be in Turkish.
Being able to broaden your knowledge on different languages and translations is something that I think would really help with literary analyzation. When reading Beowulf in class, I was very immersed and wanted to learn more about dialect and the translations between other literary texts, I feel like it would also make analysis come more easily.
But our monolingual tendency leaves us like the proverbial fish not knowing that it is wet. Our language feels ‘normal’ only until you get a sense of what normal really is.
I really love the simile they made here about the monolingual tendency and how it's like a fish not knowing that it is wet. I feel like the "english = normal" it is a very common mindset (unfortunately), and this sentence really goes to show how this can be interpreted, if that makes sense.
The oddity that we all perceive most readily is its spelling, which is indeed a nightmare.
I don't know exactly how to put this into words, so I will try my best here, but this is something which I find myself thinking about a lot, especially when I am writing. Lately, as I have been writing, I find myself looking at the words and trying to make sense of their spelling, how non-English speakers would perceive them, etc.
When saying ‘eeny, meeny, miny, moe’, have you ever felt like you were kind of counting? Well, you are – in Celtic numbers, chewed up over time but recognisably descended from the ones rural Britishers used when counting animals and playing games. ‘Hickory, dickory, dock’ – what in the world do those words mean? Well, here’s a clue: hovera, dovera, dick were eight, nine and ten in that same Celtic counting list.
Wow, I never knew that this was a thing, who knew we were using Celtic numbers without us realizing it? Like it said in the text it sounds like a game to us but everything comes from the root of a language or word, so i think its amazing how words like that evolve into a different meaning overtime.
people speaking Old English were Celts. Crucially, their languages were quite unlike English. For one thing, the verb came first (came first the verb)
This is crazy to think about because basic grammar when we were younger would be the verb is that action and it comes 2 or third in the sentence, just like how I typed out now. But to have it first seems so bizarre but it wasn't to the Celts speaking Old English.