Hollywood, MD – Every year seems to bring changes to word meanings and the way we talk and interpret what others are saying is changed forever. Remember when “ballistic” simply meant projectiles and their flight. Now, it seems when the word is used in conversation it refers to “anger.”
The 2017 was no exception in society’s continuing vernacular evolvement. According to writer Morgan Baila of the web site Refinery 29, 2017 has brought us several “silly, goofy words.” At the top of the list is “adulting.” Someone is said to be “adulting” when they perform duties that are associated with being grown up. These acts would include paying taxes, working through the summer without a lengthy vacation or changing your car’s oil. Another redefined word, according to Baila, is “finesse,” which now is used as a verb “to perfect” a skill or appearance. A manufactured word made popular in 2017 is “turnt” (those of us who are baby boomers used the grammatically correct expression “turned on” back in the 1960s and 1970s. “turnt” means you are becoming excited or having fun. Another peculiarly redefined word in 2017 is “snatched,” which now is another way of telling a person “you look good.” The expression “on fleek,” which first gained use during the early part of the last decade this past year gained in popularity as a way of saying “nice, sweet.”
Education First (EF) Blogs listed several slang words and expressions that increased in popularity during 2017. The most curious—and arguably most pretentious–expression is “hundo P,” which means “100 percent.” EF Blogs reports the word “savage” can now describe something cool you did, “low-key” now indicates you are secretly enjoying something and “done” means you are tired of something, some place or someone.
I think it would be adulting not to use any of these hip new words or expressions. I’m sure some of you agree with me hundo P. I hope you are as turnt about the new year as I am.
Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com