The TikTok slang terms every parent should know to avoid being ‘cringe’

Struggling to translate your teen right now? (Picture: Getty Images) Younger generations have always coined their own era-defining slang, from ‘groovy’ and ‘far out’ in the 60s to ‘talk to the hand’ and ‘as if’ in the 90s. But in the age of social media, teenage language is moving faster than ever – to the point many parents struggle to keep up. A prime example is the term 6-7 and its associated hand gesture. Within months of emerging as a niche Gen Alpha meme, brands, politicians and even the Pope were using it. Less than a year later, the craze was widely declared dead. ‘For parents, it can feel like the dictionary changes every week,’ says Madeline Enos, language trends expert at language-learning app Preply. ‘School holidays often accelerate the trend, with young people spending more time online and bringing the latest phrases into everyday conversations.’ Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. If you’re struggling to translate your child, never fear. We’ve got the 411 (as millennials might say) on 2026’s top terms. Madeline adds: ‘Understanding a few of the biggest expressions can make it much easier to follow conversations, and maybe even avoid that cringe moment when your child has to explain what they just said.’ Do you think parents should try to keep up with the latest slang? Absolutely, it helps bridge the generational gap.Check Not necessarily, they should embrace their own identity.Check Only if they are genuinely interested.Check It depends on how much their children care about it.Check Quiet on the creek Since Saucy Santana’s Quiet on the Creek — throughout which these words are repeated in a whispered voice — Madeline says the phrase has ‘exploded on TikTok’. Since then, many on social media have posted videos ‘deliberately refusing to explain it, making it even more appealing as an inside joke.’ Beyond this though, it can be used similarly to ‘keep it on the down low’, essentially instructing someone to keep something secret or stay discreet. Crash out ‘If someone says they’re about to “crash out”, they don’t mean they’re going to sleep,’ Madeline explains. ‘The phrase describes someone who’s about to lose their temper, overreact, or completely spiral emotionally.’ This isn’t a totally new phrase; believed to have originated from African American Vernacular English slang as early as a decade ago, it was recognised by the journal American Speech in 2024. Now it’s made its way to the vocabularies of UK youngsters though, and has replaced the likes of tantrum, meltdown, and hissy fit. Tylenol babies Following a controversial White House press conference last September in which Donald Trump’s administration linked Tylenol (a US brand of paracetamol) use in pregnancy to autism, it sparked a wave of satirical social media content. Asking them to explain meanings is a cringe (Picture: Getty Images/Maskot) Some autistic people began jokingly referring to themselves as Tylenol babies to mock officials’ widely-refuted claims, while parents used the term affectionately in videos about their neurodivergent children’s special interests. But as is so often the case, some had to spoil things by weaponising it, and this phrase has now evolved into an insult for anyone ‘who’s perceived as overly sensitive or unable to handle criticism.’ Corny on the bob, off the bob ‘One of TikTok’s strangest phrases, “corny on the bob, off the bob”, is generally used to call out someone for acting differently depending on who’s around them,’ says Madeline. ‘Like many viral sayings, plenty of people repeat it simply because it sounds funny, even if they’re not entirely sure where it came from.’ For once, this piece of slang is inoffensive and has a wholesome origin story, stemming from TikTok creator Patty Miller’s term for sweetcorn. Corny on the bob refers to corn on the cob, so when it’s off the bob… you get the idea. NPC In the gaming world, NPC stands for non-player character (or non-playable); those computer-controlled villagers and security guards who assign quests, offer hints or just shout random catchphrases. In the real world though, Madeline says ‘the phrase describes someone who’s acting robotic, predictable or lacking originality,’ and is ‘often used as a light-hearted insult for someone who’s simply following the crowd.’ Basically, not something you want to be. Cooked According to Madeline, ‘If someone says “I’m cooked” or “it’s cooked”, they mean a situation has gone badly wrong or is beyond saving.’ This can range from ‘failing a test to a disastrous football result, or even just having an exhausting day’ — the level of severity here is all about tone. Aura points ‘Aura points are an imaginary score that represents how cool, confident or impressive someone is,’ says Madeline. ‘Doing something effortlessly impressive is said to gain aura points, while embarrassing yourself means you’ve lost them.’ This is normally said in a humorous manner, often self-deprecatingly after doing something embarrassing, so if you fall over and your child tell you you’re -100 aura as a result, try not to take it too personally. Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@metro.co.uk Arrow MORE: If you love Sangria, you need to try this ‘ugly’ wine and Coca-Cola cocktail Arrow MORE: Kids don’t like video games and that’s a massive problem – Reader’s Feature Arrow MORE: ‘Boob storage’ is the night-out hack every woman knows