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Slang Words: 10 Things Teenagers Are Saying These Days

10 Words Kids Are Saying These Days

For many, the holidays mean family gatherings and talking to people of all ages. If you're usually the parent trying to decode words like "noob," "pwned" and "flop" during conversations with teenagers -- we're here to help.

We talked to tech expert Marc Saltzman about why parents should attempt to learn teenage lingo.

"Parents may want to use the same language as their kids so they're not old or outdated. But, it has to feel right. If they're not using the right context it can have a negative effect on kids," he says.

In a recent survey sponsored by Orville Redenbacher, Canadian parents were asked if they felt comfortable in the world of gaming. Some parents said, "I don't play games very often and die within minute," while others said "the controls are too confusing." This is what Saltzman calls the digital divide.

"The digital divide is the disparity of those who are comfortable with technology and those who are not. It isn't good or bad. It's just a basic common finding that kids who grow up with these tools are used to these things," Saltzman says.

To help you out, the Huffington Post Canada Living team has come up with 10 words teens are saying these days, along with their definitions:

Flop

Kids Say The Darnedest Things

FLOP:

A flop is when a planned event doesn't end up happening. A flopper is someone who often cancels last minute.

PHOTOBOMB:

A photobomb is when a person or object is in a picture accidentally or intentionally and as a result, ruins the photo.

FAIL:

A fail is a fail in life. It can be anything from falling off your bike, walking into a glass door or overcooking your holiday dinner. Fails can also happen online if you write on someone's Facebook wall by accident, for example.

EPIC FAIL:

Now if a fail is a fail in life, then an epic fail is a fail of giant proportions. An epic fail can also refer to a task that is meant to be easy, but still wasn't carried out properly.

LIPDUB:

A lipdub may not be as common among all teens, but a lot of libdubs have been popping up on the Internet. For example in this one, students at the University of British Columbia sing their way through campus with Pink's "Raise Your Glass." Essentially, a lipdub is a music video done in one take with a variety of people singing along.

NOOB:

A noob refers to someone who doesn't have the basic knowledge when it comes to pop culture, tech terms or just generally what seems to be "in" that week. (And don't worry, after you read our guide, you will no longer be a noob when it comes to popular words among teens).

PWNED:

No, this is not a typo, pwned is spelled with a "p" and is pronounced 'owned.' History suggests it originated in an online game called "Warcraft," where a map designer misspelled "owned." (Just look how close "p" and "o" are on your keyboard). When the computer beat a player, it was supposed to say, "has been owned." Being owned means someone just proved you wrong, but it could also be positive. If you did well on a test, guess what? You pwned that test.

POS:

Now kids aren't going around saying "POS" out loud -- nor would they say LOL (laugh out loud), WTF (what the f--k), BRB (be right back) or SMH (shaking my head) --but this one is just for texting and chatting. If you ever happen to look over your son or daughter's shoulder while they are on instant message sites or Facebook and you see "POS," it refers to: parents over shoulder.

SICK:

Sick doesn't refer to being ill or literally sick. It usually refers to something that was awesome, cool or surprising.

HATER:

A hater is usually someone who feels anger or jealously towards another person because of their success. However, when most teens use it, they just assume they other person is ruining their life on purpose.

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