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Professor keeps a hilarious list of slang terms he learns from students

"Secure(d) the bag = money received"

Sage Anderson

on May 1, 2019

Nothing is more cringe-inducing than when your professor (or any adult, really) tries to get hip with the kids and sprinkles some totally rad teen lingo into their everyday lectures.

That's why one professor goes the extra mile to avoid stepping into "How do you do, fellow kids?" territory. Twitter user @mewtailv2 posted a picture of a document their sociology professor created of new slang terms he's learned from his students, titled the "Callahan's Generation Z Dictionary."

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The column on the left features words and phrases such as "big mad", "sus", and "tea/spill the tea." On the right, the professor takes his own stab at defining the phrases, which are hilariously wholesome in their own right. ("Willing to make a sacrifice" makes "taking the L" sound more noble than it usually is.)

Commenters applauded the professor both for taking a genuine interest in the culture of his students and also for being a pretty funny practical application of sociology.

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Others wanted to throw in their own submissions to help expand the chart. "Yeet" was an incredibly popular choice.

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Some also suggested there be a separate part of the document for examples of usage in a sentence, lest he doesn't end up applying them like this wannabe cool professor.

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The swell of online pride stems from the fact the professor so obviously wants to connect with his students in a relatable way without coming off as condescending. It's little bittersweet too, considering that the effort he's making is not usually the norm. Many professors still ban students from speaking their own cultural language under the guise of "professionalism" or "speaking properly."

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It's worth noting that many of the phrases, both on the list of banned words above, and even in "Callahan's Generation Z Dictionary," are actually AAVE, African American Vernacular English, or at least originate from black LGBTQ culture. And the fact that there's a stigma of teens using those words specifically in the classroom, is, as the kids say, a little sus.

Which makes it even more special that this professor is making the effort and getting to know what these words mean to his students. It may be as simple as someone older just trying to understand the conversations around him, but I also imagine it's a great way for the students to feel included and supported.

Keep up the good work, Callahan. Please seriously consider the addition of "yeet."

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Sage Anderson

Sage is the newest Culture writer on the block at Mashable NYC. They recently graduated from Sarah Lawrence College, and have previously worked for The Dr. Oz Show, NorthSouth Productions, and on Netflix's 'The OA Part II'. Off the clock, they can be found testing out cupcake recipes, collecting dolls, and watching Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure for the millionth time.