1. ‘a word in youth language for a place, an event, a situation or an experience that could be described as unreasonable, unlikely, confusing or terrifying’
  2. Could also be used to describe a person as – „a loser, a weirdo, a failure”

In general English, Ohio is an American state situated in the western part of the USA in internet culture, however, it stands for an ironic or a playful comment to the content displayed, based mostly on the comedy of the situation.  In Polish, similar tendencies can be observed with names of places such as: Kongo (Congo), Meksyk (Mexico) or Stegna.

It is difficult to discover the origins of the slang term Ohio.  Information from different sources claims different things. According to one theory, „Ohio”’s world-scale popularity is purely accidental, because every American state has its own jokes about its region. https://www.reddit.com/r/OutOfTheLoop/comments/17st06w/comment/k8s5e1p/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button On the other hand, if we try to look at Google Analytics, we can see that the interest for the phrase „ohio meme” only started to appear in September 2022. https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=2013-01-01%202024-08-12&q=ohio%20meme.

To compare, according to the data from the website „Know your meme” in 2016 there was a „meme series” described as „Ohio vs The World”, where Ohio, being a state in the USA, wanted to „take over” the world, or in an another version – there was a certain unknown danger that had the goal to destroy Ohio, or that – the world was supposed to belong to Ohio all along. https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cultures/ohio

There’s also a theory that the name Ohio, as a part of meme culture, was popularised by the song „Swag like Ohio from 2011, created by the artist Lil B (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfqDIcrhqxM), which was parodied many times. For examplehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHokKcwWnx0 is a viral backing track for many humorous adaptations.

Perhaps the beginning of Ohio’s „bad” reputation (it being associated with it being a place where ridiculous things happen and where quite a lot of uncommon individuals live), is a photo from 2016 with the title:    „Ohio will be eliminated”, displayed on a bus stop. For comparison, the stereotype of a place as a „state of mind” can be observed in Poland too, with names of places such as: Sosnowiec, Wąchock, Bydgoszcz, or Podlasie („Ohio is like the American Podlasie; Ohio is the american Sosnowiec; certain people think that Bydgoszcz is like Ohio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1CmdcRY2bE)

Since 2022, „only in Ohio” has been a viral phrase, commonly associated with CG5’s song titled exactly like that. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tPnWr-V-2M),Used as the punchline or an ironic comment to the situation presented.

Examples:

  1. You don’t say „Ohio” but „Ohajo” (I’ve checked)/https://www.tiktok.com/@ptaszek.hot/video/7203268834055277829
  2. Ohio is a state of mind /https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdkGupif0rE.
  3. Only in Ohio. [A comment under a video:] In America, somewhere in Ohio,/ everyone keeps drinking and taking drugs./The games are over,/ the lawnmowers are running the hell away/https://joemonster.org/filmy/116787.
  4. I bet that, before you realize, / the whole world will be conquered, / by Ohio! / Only in Ohio, Ohio/ https://www.poeto.pl/wiersz/280398/Tylko_w_Ohio.
  5. Ohio is Polish. It’s been quite a popular meme lately/https://www.tiktok.com/@rost_minecraft/video/7162595488963792134..

See also: Ohio is a meme, that took TikTok by storm https://vibez.pl/wydarzenia/ohio-to-mem-ktory-podbil-tiktoka-o-co-w-nim-chodzi-6852687769988032a.

Definition:

Italian brainrot – literally “Italian brain decay” – refers to one of the absurd video trends popular on TikTok, aimed at overwhelming the viewer with stimuli, confusion, and grotesque amusement. This genre typically employs digital parody aesthetics and artificial intelligence, often balancing on the edge of unease, humor, and the grotesque.

Origin:

The phenomenon stems from shitposting aesthetics and the postmodern, ironic internet culture. In internet slang, brainrot refers to content that is so intense, chaotic, or senseless that it’s said to “rot your brain.” The adjective Italian refers to a stylized, stereotypical Italian accent often used by AI voiceovers in these videos.

Development:

The trend gained popularity between late 2024 and early 2025, especially on TikTok, where the algorithm favors content that provokes a strong user response. Italian brainrot videos usually present absurd hybrids: animals combined with objects, accompanied by grotesque “Italian” narration and dynamic editing.

Sample characters include:

Many of these materials use a narration style resembling children’s storytelling – simple, rhythmic language, exaggerated voice-over expression, and repetitive structures – which, when paired with absurd and grotesque imagery, results in a strong sense of cognitive dissonance and unease.

Fun fact:

Some videos in this trend are controversial – they’re accused of trivializing violence, blasphemy, or indifference to human suffering (e.g., references to the Gaza conflict). The brainrot aesthetic has also become the subject of critical analysis regarding the influence of overstimulation on youth perception and the redefinition of the boundaries of humor.

Example of usage:

  1. I think the one with the crocodile and the one with the shark should be stopped immediately, and the meme itself is not just political, because the one with the crocodile symbolizes the bombing of Palestinian children in Gaza and disbelief in Allah. 💔 Besides, the meanings are rude and disgusting, it’s all stupid and should be stopped. ✋
    (User: Unkown_2013, comment under the thread “What does the Italian brain rot mean?”, Reddit, accessed: May 8, 2025) https://www.reddit.com/r/italian/comments/1jgfz7h/what_does_the_italian_brain_rot_means/?tl=pl
  2. You know, translating Bombardino Crocodilo as ‘Bombardino Crocodilo, the alligator who bombs children in Gaza and Palestine and doesn’t believe in Allah but loves bombs’ (User: Yetteesss, comment under the thread “What does the Italian brain rot mean?”, Reddit, April 26, 2025) https://www.reddit.com/r/italian/comments/1jgfz7h/what_does_the_italian_brain_rot_means/?tl=pl
  3. Is ‘Italian brainrot’ the stupidest internet trend yet? [Eng. Italian brainrot is the stupidest trend in the history of the internet?] https://www.news.com.au/technology/online/social/is-italian-brainrot-the-stupidest-internet-trend-yet/news-story/b3cdc5e5ffb370ef184aa72e2cff7e34
  4. “FINALLY THERE’S Italian brainrot internet trend explained | news.com.au INDONESIA IN THINKNOODLES VIDEO (…) To be honest… brainrot tung tung tung tung sahur and tralalelo tralala are actually from Indonesia 🙂 but the most brainrot is Italian brainrot.” (Comment under video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pplu60NmwIA)
  5. Also see: Instagram account dedicated to Italian Brainrot: https://www.instagram.com/italian.brainrot

Sources and context:

Lowkey – literally: ‘subdued’- is a slang expression used by youth to describe hidden emotions, unobvious opinions or statements with a perceived detachment. In this context, it means: “on the whole,” “a little,” “unofficial,” “by surprise,” and “inconspicuous but noteworthy.” It is often used in combinations with a verb or evaluative noun, e.g., lowkey want, lowkey smash, lowkey genius.  On the Internet and in youth slang, this word has gained a new meaning- as a medium to express emotions with a hidden intention. It has come to Poland in an unchanged form, mainly thanks to TikTok.

The word lowkey spread on social media in the early 2020s. Users of TikTok, Twitter, and Discord have begun to use this term as an ironic or shy way to admit emotions, preferences, or opinions. Examples of use include:
lowkey smash–  someone attractive in a non-obvious way,
lowkey deep– something surprisingly valuable.
In Polish, this word is used in everyday speech as a non-inflected form, often with Polish syntax and inflection.

The popularity of this term has made lowkey often criticised as an empty cliché or a youth’s “filler phrase”. The user of Reddit has written, e.g.:

„The popularity of the phrase ‘low key’ is extremely cringe and annoying. It’s used fucking everywhere now and it seems to just be another filler phrase. 95% of the time, when I hear it, the people aren’t even describing anything lo-key or using it properly. It seems to just be a gen Z saying that doesn’t actually say anything and it’s low key annoying as piss” [User [deleted], comment below the thread „The popularity of the phrase ‘low key’ is extremely cringe and annoying”, Reddit, 5 years ago], access: 8th May 2025,https://www.reddit.com/r/unpopularopinion/comments/joy4g4/the_popularity_of_the_phrase_low_key_is_extremely/.

In Polish youth slang, similar in semantic and pragmatic function to the word:jakby, np.  Twój post jakby się źle zestarzał.

Examples of use:

  1. What does lowkey mean [User HardnerPL, comment below the thread “?”, Reddit, 7 years ago, access: 8th May 2025]/https://www.reddit.com/r/EnglishLearning/comments/a3evy3/what_does_lowkey_mean/?tl=pl.
  2. Lowkey I would like that [Comment below the film, TikTok, 31st December 2024: “”, access: 8th May 2025]/https://www.tiktok.com/@komfort.konto/video/7454285700247211286.
  3. Low key- bez przyoalu- [Krzysztof Łukasz, comment below educational material on youth jargon, TikTok, 20th March 2024] 3/https://www.tiktok.com/@grammar.mamma/video/7345578255195442464.
  4. Lowkey smash [Julia Pośnik TikTok, 25th January 2024, access: 9th May 2025]https://www.tiktok.com/@juliaposio/video/7328028902184602913.
  5. Always lowkey vintage [blejderpawel, TikTok, 27th February 2024, access: 9th May 2025] / https://www.tiktok.com/@blejderpawel/video/7476082995850415382.

‘a phrase/exclamation expressing lack of interest, disappointment with a topic or problem, indifference to a conversation, or a reaction to an unfortunate turn of events. A synonym of phrases like “I don’t care”, “cry more”; also used as an ironic comment on encountered content or to interrupt a speaker and change the subject.’

Some sources indicate that it is an onomatopeia [pronounced: womp womp] imitating the sound of a tuba or trombone known from cartoons.

Womp womp became popular on TikTok, Instagram, and X (Twitter) in 2023.

(https://www.tiktok.com/@leah.3590/video/7386472426542636689?q=%23womp%20womp&t=1730892251499)

It appears in both written slang (e.g., humorous comment) and spoken form (conversations, wordplay).

  1. When you ask someone why they’re staring at you, and they answer “womp womp”, it means they don’t care or they just brushed off what you said https://zapytaj.onet.pl/Category/001,003/2,33265153,Co_to_znaczy_womp_womp.html
  2. What did you do? Womp womp! https://www.youtube.com/shorts/xYU5sV7VudI?app=desktop
  3. Hey, son! What does womp womp mean? (…) I saw your comment on TikTok! https://www.youtube.com/shorts/qvUJmoMlGbk?app=desktop
  4. What does womp womp mean, please someone explain 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻/ https://www.tiktok.com/@kiriimad/video/7380038379435690350?q=womp%20womp&t=1730836949266

🤙 – an emote used instead of the words: essa, sztos, or sigma.

👐 – an emote of open hands – could also signify the act of hugging someone.

🤝,✍️,👍  – expressions of approval, agreement, or understanding.

👉👈- shyness, embarrassment.

🙏 – a request, begging.

👆  – pointing to the post above, can also be used as a form of approval, for example: “this👆 ”. To emphasize approval,”👉”  can also be used. When the finger is pointed left, it suggests disapproval, for example: „Absolutely not 👈. https://www.emojiall.com/pl/emoji/👈Sure 👉https://www.emojiall.com/pl/emoji/👉”;

💪- emphasizes positive feelings, strength, or victory.

🫶 – kindness; can also be used instead of a heart emote.

🙌 – positive feelings, kindness, sympathy.

🫱  – an open hand expressing confusion (for example: “Boy, what the hell?  ”).

[spelling variants: maczing, meching]

“To fit (into something), to have something or feel the same as someone else, a match.” (See matching – “corresponding”). This term refers to the combination of two or more elements or qualities that complement each other.

In 2022, a popular trend on TikTok and Instagram was matching outfits – a style where “together with your partner, friend, or just a loved one, you wear clothes with similar or even identical cuts and colors” (see: https://avanti24.pl/Magazyn/7,150441,29004058,wiesz-co-to-matching-outfits-ta-tendencja-jest-coraz-bardziej.html).

In Japanese culture, this phenomenon is known as osoroi kod. Wearing matching or even identical outfits is a way to express closeness, love, or friendship between two people, or to symbolize group unity. In Western culture, it has become a contemporary fashion and lifestyle trend (cf. the custom of dressing twins in identical outfits).

Examples of Use:

  1. – My friend asked if I wanted to do a matching with her with a ship from a band, what does it mean? Please help.
    – Matching means connecting someone with someone, and to ship someone is to connect someone but against their will.
    (Question and answer on Onet.pl)
    https://zapytaj.onet.pl/Category/001,003/2,31822227,Kolezanka_spytala_czy_chce_zrobic_z_nia_matching_z_shipem_z_zespolu_co_to_znaczy_Pomozcie_prosze.html
  2. – We have the same blouses, matching. (conversation among teenagers)
  3. – When you get a matching tattoo with your boyfriend.
    https://www.tiktok.com/@xxliszkadd/video/7464329082113740054
  4. – Do you have a meczinggg with someone?
    https://www.tiktok.com/@juqliex/video/7425333019839335702?q=meczing&t=1738958225070
  5. – Metchting pajamas are so cringe. I won’t wear them with you.
    /https://www.tiktok.com/@kurzelus/video/7307721151810112800?q=meczing&t=1738958225070
  6. – Matching fits.
    https://www.tiktok.com/@mlynskaaa/video/7440515611077201174?q=meczing&t=1738958225070
  7. – Sis Forever – Matching Cups! Get matching cups like ours, sis forever! You just know I’m stoked, damn!
    https://www.tiktok.com/@tajemniczyzabmoni/video/7379620504413408545
  8. – I want to dress like this one day, with opposite colors matching, and record something, please.
    https://www.tiktok.com/@mardzinalol/video/7112891347140381957
  9. – The best maczing tattoos I’ve ever had the opportunity to do 
    https://www.instagram.com/duch_lasu_tattoo/p/DBGaoFuIbQF/?img_index=1

[Eng.”We listen and we don’t judge”‘]

‘a phrase used when discussing secrets and revealed (usually embarrassing) behaviors; it is a direct translation of the English expression “We listen and we don’t judge”‘

It refers to a social media trend (primarily on TikTok) and an online challenge (see also: We listen and we don’t judge), which gained popularity at the end of 2024The trend originated in South Africa in 2024. One of the first videos, “We Listen, We Don’t Judge”, was posted on Instagram[1] by user “thestanlley1” on April 21, 2024.

The game is based on the concept that people in a close relationship share secrets or difficult emotions with each other. One interlocutor confesses to a specific kind of disloyalty, negligence, or repeated dishonesty. For example: “When you ask me to do something, I don’t do it because I don’t want to”. The other person should only listen to it and refrain from judgment. Then, they switch roles. Throughout the conversation, the participants constantly repeat the phrase: „Słuchamy, nie oceniamy” [Eng.”We listen, we don’t judge”].

If the trend is approached with humor and a sense of detachment, it can be entertaining. To some extent, it also encourages the idea of creating a space where everyone can openly talk about their emotions and experiences without fear of criticism or judgment. It highlights the need to build stronger relationships based on understanding and empathy. However, as such public exposure carries the risk of being harmful, it is advisable to approach this trend with caution.

Examples of use:

  1. https://www.tiktok.com/@haaipapi/video/7443132479864605954
  2. https://www.tiktok.com/@pysia67/video/7443005994080259350
  3. https://www.tiktok.com/@brutamerica/video/7442051334288870702
  4. Wojewódzki / Kędzierski, https://www.instagram.com/p/DGISOA7sgrb/
  5. https://www.instagram.com/synmojegotaty/reel/DDIDiTcO5H4/

See also:

Młode głowy, https://www.instagram.com/mlode_glowy/reel/DDpW9Q0ISdQ/

„Słuchamy i nie oceniamy” – w rozmowach, https://pytanienasniadanie.tvp.pl/84369836/sluchamy-i-nie-oceniamy-w-rozmowach

‘a person who has a high-pitched voice, behaves in a childish or immature way; someone who acts like a child’

The word is a derivative (a shortened innovation) from the word castrato ‘a man who has undergone castration, formerly a singer, whose testicles were surgically removed just before puberty in order to preserve his high-pitched voice’.

The word was already listed in 2022 (see https://www.miejski.pl/slowo-kasti) and originates from the online gaming community. It is considered offensive.

Examples of use:

  1. I look at what a kasti has put on / https://www.tiktok.com/@hubertfanthanosa/video/7473763767096986902
  2. I’m afraid of people who don’t know what kasti is[post comment: I’m afraid of people who call me kasti, but kasti is already taken] / https://www.tiktok.com/@_igul.ka_/video/7459825304475864342
  3. Kasti tells stories about 118 meters /https://www.tiktok.com/@wiktor.richert/video/7449802719646321942
  4. Kasti means that a person looks or acts like a childhttps://www.tiktok.com/@projektink/video/7430884438457814294
  5. What a kasti he is!/overheard/

A person who succeeds in everything in life; a lucky person. Also: a favorable situation, luck, good fortune. The opposite of przegrywa (a “loser”) or przegrywu  (“fail.”) See also wygryw życia (“life’s winner.”)

Examples of usage:

To leave, to exit a room, to go away. One of the many synonyms meaning ‘to depart,’ e.g., bujać/bujnąć, cisnąć, ciągnąć z buta, drałować, dymać, gołingować, patatajać, pomykać/mykać, prażyć, petować, spadać, śmigać, turlać dropsa, walić.

Example of usage:

– Asia, maybe we shouldn’t go to those classes?

– Okay, (to wyginamy) let’s leave then /From a conversation between teenagers/

An abbreviation formed from the Polish phrase “w sensie” (meaning, in the sense).

Example of usage:

Grandpa was in the store today with mom and grandma and spotted a leather jacket for me (wsn made of eco leather) and wanted to buy it for me (I told him I was looking for a nice one)./https://mobile.twitter.com/looseeers/status/140452470

An abbreviation formed from the Polish phrase “w sumie” (in sum, all in all).

Example of usage:

[…] i’m not a k-pop fan, because all in all I didn’t want to be one but it didn’t work out /https://mobile.twitter.com/_zuz_qa_/status/1404798291309629448/

 

‘argument, dispute, quarrel’

To have beef with someone means having a quarrel or being in conflict with another person.

English: beef [biːf] – beef, colloquially: argument, complaint

The word has been noted in youth slang since 2009. However, it previously had a different meaning – ‘stupidity, nonsense’. To act like beef or to do something beef meant doing something stupid (https://www.miejski.pl/slowo-%C5%9Awirowa%C4%87+wo%C5%82owin%C4%99)

Examples of usage:

  1. There’s going to be beef /wołowina /overheard/
  2. Oh! You’re going to have beef! /overheard/
  3. Let’s see how many people turn away after the beef, and the real ones will stay #viral /https://www.tiktok.com/@babykondzio/video/7321852262228315425
  4. Why do they have beef /https://www.tiktok.com/@babykondzio/video/7321852262228315425
  5. Have beef – mieć wołowinę / have a problem / dispute with sb. / https://twitter.com/nazwiskaiskroty/status/557160867339726848

Variants:

Wiem, co jest 5.

‘to understand, to know what’s going on’

This phrase, in this meaning, was already noted in 2007 (see Miejski.pl), appeared in hip-hop song lyrics, but gained renewed popularity in 2020 after ZBUKU released an album and single titled „Wiem, co jest 5”.

Examples of usage:

  1. – Can you handle it?
    – No problem, I know what’s up (Wiem, co jest 5) /overheard/
  2. I always know what’s up (Wiem, co jest 5) / I do what moves me / https://genius.com/Lewy-zawsze-wiem-co-jest-5-lyrics
  3. When I don’t know what’s up (Wiem, co jest 5) and the mercury is rising and I’d rather just lie down here https://genius.com/Ona-i-webber-bez-mapy-lyrics
  4. ZBUKU / Olee – Wiem Co Jest 5! / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYYcibza_xQ.
  5. SB accepted me, I know what’s up(Wiem, co jest 5) and what hip-hop is / /https://genius.com/Piotr-zwierzynski-polski-rap-a-pika-nozna-annotated
  6. Sorry, who the hell is he anyway? Didn’t get it for free. Someone smart knows what’s up, cheers / https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0fPGAXByQ3yLciGE3iAcQ3nYHH8SBpVNygASe74mtUb

An exclamation meaning ‘oh well, meh!’. A slang and colloquial variant of the word “well” expressing disappointment, resignation, or acceptance of something not entirely good. It’s a combination of the words “well” and “help”.

Examples of usage:

  1. Welp. I still haven’t played Ori mainly because I have no one to… BORROW it from on Steam /https://twitter.com/PucciReal/status/1469287347950923779/
  2. Someone unfollowed me […] welp /https://twitter.com/Megumibemine/status/1469296569346367492/

A combination of the words “weeaboo” (an obsessive fan of Japanese culture, especially Japanese comics, animated films, and related computer games, see also  mangozjeb ) and “Wehrmacht” (the armed forces of Nazi Germany).

A “wehraboo” is a person who believes that the Wehrmacht was the best military formation in history and that this army had no flaws. People referred to as wehraboos tend to assess certain historical facts tendentiously, often ignoring their context to portray the Nazi German army in a positive light. Many of them are Nazi apologists, as well as Holocaust deniers or people who downplay the number of its victims. Wehraboos often participate in discussions on various historical and military forums and in online games with World War II themes.

Examples of usage:

  1. Why do wehraboos not understand the concept of altitude advantage, and in most matches, the higher altitudes are mainly occupied by the Allies? /https://www.wykop.pl/wpis/59724875/dlaczego-wehraboo-nie-rozumieja-koncepcji-przewagi/
  2. Do you know any wehraboo who isn’t a jerk? /https://twitter.com/GeneralOlo_/status/1473326300030976001?s=20/

 

A fan (male or female) of popular Japanese culture, especially anime and manga. Usually, they are also interested in Japan itself, Japanese cuisine, Japanese customs, and sometimes its history. This word is a shortened form of the derogatory noun “weeaboo,” and as such, the words are sometimes used in similar contexts. However, there is a prevailing tendency to differentiate their meanings: a weeaboo is obsessively (though superficially) interested in Japanese culture to the extent of negating or even renouncing their own culture, while a weeb is simply a kind of “Japanophile” (see, e.g., the discussion on this topic on Slang.pl https://slang.pl/weeb/).

Examples of usage:

  1. My sister is 11 years old and I’ve already made her a gay weeb Genshin player, I can’t /https://twitter.com/relyoona/status/1392835124383920130/
  2. Kara has really gotten into Danganronpa XD, she’s growing into a little weeb /https://twitter.com/neifajen/status/1326625414828224512/

An abbreviation popular among online gamers, meaning to ignore someone’s message. It comes from the English phrase “talk to the hand” and conveys the idea of ‘talking to a wall’. Among gamers, it is also used to mean “I don’t care what you’re saying”.

See e.g., abbreviations and sayings used in RuneScape, https://www.runescape.pc.pl/component/content/article/41-pozostale/280-skroty-powiedzenia-uzywane-w-runescape

 

Example of usage:

[own translation:]

– And that guy keeps ttth. No one listens to him! /From a game chat conversation/

[Eng. ‘a conservative girl’]

A girl with conservative views, who typically has a modest style in clothing and makeup. She is the opposite of an ’alternatywka’.

 

Example of usage:

[own translation]

In 10 years, you’ll be a ‘konserwatywka’ voting for Konfederacja

/https://twitter.com/IiiPawel/status/1412497030908416000/

(very) easy, simple / easily, simply; also ‘cool; relax.’ It is derived from the English word “easy,” which means “not difficult; calm, comfortable; calmly, comfortably,” and has been similarly modified in American slang /https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=izi.

Examples of usage:
[own translation]

1. Today’s test was izi /from a conversation among teenagers/
2. – Hurry up, we’ll miss the bus!
-Izi, mom! We still have one hour left. /from a conversation between a teenager and her mother/

A well-known Latin word meaning ‘deceiver’ and ‘fraudster,’ or somebody who impersonates other people. (https://sjp.pwn.pl/sjp/impostor;2561338.html). It appears in both Polish and English. It entered youth slang due to the popularity of the game “Among Us,” where one of the players takes on this particular role. The impostor’s task is to sabotage the game and eliminate crew members. Discovering the impostor guarantees a win (zob. https://among-us.fandom.com/pl/wiki/Impostor).

Examples of usage:
[own translation]

1. Aśka finally left. Impostor eliminated.* /overheard/
2. – Impostor eliminated.
– So, pause.. /https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTqfGLxm3Gw/.

[Eng. ‘an autumn-loving girl’]
A melancholic girl who loves autumn. A typical ‘jesieniara’ likes to sit under a blanket with a cup of hot drink (e.g. cinnamon coffee) while reading books or watching favourite films.

Sometimes, a ‘jesieniara’ is also someone who dresses in oversized sweaters, has a slightly old-fashioned style, and nostalgic about the past.

Examples of usage
[own translation]

She’s such a jesieniara! As soon as the first leaves fall from the trees, she gets all excited as if she was crazy. /overheard/

An example of the masculine form – ‘jesieniarz’ – in an advertisement: Wysmakowani jesieniarze [Eng. Sophisticated jesieniarze].

Sure; of course; definitely (as an affirmative response to a question); most commonly occurs after the Polish word ‘no’

Examples of usage:
[own translation]

– Are we playing football after school?
– No, jacha! /from a conversation among teenagers/

An abbreviation created from the English expression in before meaning “before; before you say that…; anticipating replies that…,” used in discussion forums and social media in order to prevent the posting of anticipated responses, advice, or votes in a particular thread.

Example of usage:
[own translation]

Could you help me? I turned on my laptop, and the situation looked exactly like in the video. inb4 I’ve already tried turning it on and off.
/https://www.facebook.com/groups/ithardware.pomoc/permalink/2854063058165316/

‘in my opinion’

Examples of usage:
[own translation]

1. imo an awesome move /https://twitter.com/niemozliwe_/status/1471794552063283205/
2. […] Christmas Eve is, IMO, the worst holiday […] /https://twitter.com/AmeliaBanaszak/status/1472257544412446724/

‘trade, monetize, get rid of something’. The word originates from the English language – trade, trading (in the Polish language: ‘handel, handlować, handlowanie’) and is popular among computer gamers. This verb also appears in the perfective aspect (strejdować). In specialized language, there is also the word tradować ‘formerly: to take possession of a debtor’s property according to the law for the benefit of the creditor’ (SJP PWN, translated). It is also found in the terminology of those involved in the Forex market, where trejdowanie/tradowanie refers to ‘buying and selling’ https://www.facebook.com/pfxc.org/posts/546917855338340/.

The word has been recorded since 2014 but is still used and reported by young people today.

Example usage:

  1. I completely can’t ‘trejdować’ on the lane. I usually fall first. When I play some range matchups, I get beaten up even more. And then I go on splitpush and do 1 v 9 xD.

/https://www.wykop.pl/wpis/45063983/kompletnie-nie-umiem-sie-trejdowac-na-linii-zwykle/

  1. Is it worth exchanging: poo http://steamcommunity.com/market/listings/730/M4A1-S%20%7C%20Knight%20(Factory%20New) for the rainbow http://steamcommunity.com/market/listings/730/%20M9%20Bayonet%20%7C%20Fade%20(Factory%20New)? The first item may not be rarer but it’s easier to trade. /https://www.wykop.pl/wpis/11583418/januszerynkusteam-csgo-czy-jest-sens-wymieniac-kup/
  2. I traded [strejdowałem] my old air rifle for a decent amount of money /heard/.

(Eng. total boss)

A person admired for daring actions, courage, and creativity. Someone who is exceptional or has done something extraordinary. The expression is synonymous with words like “kozak” (Eng. “badass”) or “gość” (Eng. “dude”) or someone who “rules”. The verb “rządzić” (Eng. “to rule”) in collocations such as someone or something “rządzi” (Eng. “rules”) means that someone is the best at something or is the winner (cf. English “rulez”; e.g., “Poznań rulez”, “5b rządzi”).

The graphical equivalent of a “total boss” is, according to some teenagers, the “smiling face with sunglasses” emoji:

Source: https://emojio.top/google/

The expression “totalny szef” (Eng. “total boss”) has permeated colloquial language, especially in its online variant, as a hyperbole of extraordinary behavior, e.g., “Kamil Glik like a total boss” /https://naszemiasto.pl/kamil-glik-jak-totalny-szef-memy-o-meczu-polska-anglia/ar/c2-8446887/.

Examples of usage:

  1. The guy who hacked into the e-journal is a total boss! /Overheard/
  2. While taking this photo, I felt like a total boss 😎🤙/ https://www.instagram.com/p/CJB34PtFWOn/.

Examples of memes:

“Eleven-year-old you when your dad has bought you a shiny tracksuit from the market and you feel like a total boss on the playground”

[Eng. ‘the language of facts’]

 

‘approval, statement of fact, confirmation of truth]

[variant: choose ‘język faktów’]

The expression is used in conversation or in online comments to show approval of the speaker’s words.

 

Example of usage:

[own translation]

 

  1. -The girls from class 2e are amazing. – Hmm… of all the languages, you chose ‘język faktów’ /overheard/
  2. -Physics is boring. -Język faktów. /overheard/
  3. Of all the languages in the world, she chose ‘język faktów’ /https://twitter.com/WiedzaToRozwoj/status/1751989220187553963
  4. Mua Boy chose ‘język faktów’ /https://twitter.com/search?q=j%C4%99zyk%20fakt%C3%B3w&src=typed_query
  5. The girl chose język faktów ‘cause nothing is interesting in the sims apart from building on mods and creating characters /https://twitter.com/search?q=j%C4%99zyk%20fakt%C3%B3w&src=typed_query

A popular saying, especially on TikTok, referencing the well-known phrase: “Ah, these women!” It serves as an ironic, mocking summary of a statement or behavior considered stereotypically ridiculous or foolish. Additionally, using the tag #łymynmoment ☕, clips (movie snippets, memes, comments) are shared, and such situations are mocked.

The term refers to a scene from the game Team Fortress 2, which became a popular meme – a dialogue between two men sipping coffee and laughing loudly after saying “women”.

Source: https://www.tiktok.com/@mlody_matczaq77/video/7090606407317196038?is_from_webapp=v1&item_id=7090606407317196038

A popular saying, especially on TikTok, referencing the well-known phrase: “Ah, these women!” It serves as an ironic, mocking summary of a statement or behavior considered stereotypically ridiculous or foolish. Additionally, using the tag #łymynmoment ☕, clips (movie snippets, memes, comments) are shared, and such situations are mocked.

The term refers to a scene from the game Team Fortress 2, which became a popular meme – a dialogue between two men sipping coffee and laughing loudly after saying “women”.

Source: https://www.tiktok.com/@mlody_matczaq77/video/7090606407317196038?is_from_webapp=v1&item_id=7090606407317196038

A negative event that evokes emotions, such as a scandal, argument, riot, etc. It is also a synonym for a party (see Miejski.pl).

Examples of usage:
[own translation]

Folks, another inba with Kurski
/https://www.facebook.com/OgladamWiadomosci/photos/a.199102730494217/98980296475

1. trip (Polish: ‘wycieczka, podróż’);
2. a state of intoxication after taking psychoactive substances

It is mostly used in the phrase ‘mieć tripa’ (Eng. to have a trip) meaning ‘1. to go on a trip, travel somewhere; 2. to be in a state of intoxication after taking psychoactive substances’.

Examples of usage:

1. […] we ate 50 mushrooms yesterday and had a beautiful trip […] /https://www.miejski.pl/slowo-Trip/

2. I’m riding with the middle schoolers on a bus. The adventure of a lifetime. “I can have a party today; I can even have a trip today. We’ll get high on acid. But will you have money?” /https://twitter.com/sle3va/status/469901404103266304/

3. I’m also going to have a trip to Warsaw hehe /https://twitter.com/ZUZIIKK_/status/1403253475702620163/

4. Mushrooms are dangerous because you can have a flashback trip at any moment, even weeks after taking them /https://twitter.com/fluffyzui/status/1306509514787741696/

5. But I will have a trip to Katowice tomorrow /https://twitter.com/PEPSlMANGO/status/1409241963589771271/

’lists of the best movies, songs, jokes, things; something that is in the highest place in the ranking’ A synonym for the expression top 10 or on top.

Usage examples:

  1. Topka of Polish YouTube /H/
  2. Adek Na Topce /https://www.margonem.pl/profile/view,9112602#char_370151,fobos
  3. The first TOPKA in 2024!/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BPnbia6Zq4
  4. TOP 50 games of all time – 2022 edition /https://angryboardgamer.pl/tag/topka/
  5. Kanye West is on topka /H/

’T-shirt, short sleeve shirt’

Use examples:

  1. Great teesik, I recommend /https://www.tiktok.com/@filipzhills/video/7128090737215950086
  2. Teesik, tees in awesome condition, beautiful, fragrant /https://www.vinted.pl/items/3309122412-teesik?referrer=catalog
  3. Does anyone have info on how this teesik fits/ size S/M/L? /https://wykop.pl/wpis/49190551/ma-ktos-info-jak-fituje-ten-teesik-wymiary-s-m-l-h
  4. Remember, in such heat hoodie only after 6 pm And best of all a nice teesik, from our promotion www.outrestore.pl/ https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1635152739963173
  5. Teesik opium ken carson lit./https://www.olx.pl/moda/q-by-ken/
  6. This teesik is quite cool /H/

to be honest

Usage examples

  1. my classmates are supposed to come to my remote class for wine because we have until 4pm today and they’re supposed to come at 11am I think and I’m in a mess and I don’t really feel like getting up tbh /https://twitter.com/niestabilnoscc/status/1472852133942857729/
  2. jprld… I was convinced all weekend that I had a German test today and now I feel cheated sitting in a Christmas lesson. tbh, I wanted to get it over with, but… /https://twitter.com/95wheez/status/1472830458639659008/

A thick layer of make-up. A word also present in the language of the middle generation. See: tapeciara.

Usage examples

  1. – Since when has Baśka been putting on so much tapeta?
    – Since the holidays started.
  2. – What do you have on your face?
    – What?
    – Wash off this tapeta, because it will be embarrassing to be seen with you on the street. /https://slang.pl/tapeta/

A girl with too much make-up, using too many cosmetics, applying tapetę (wallpaper) to her face.

Usage examples

No normal person would fall for this, because no normal person would date such a tapeciara. Some people just ask for it. I’ve never dated a girl who had so much make-up. /https://mobile.twitter.com/Stefan05991984/status/1403826161298415622/

I tried to do natural make-up and I think I’ll stick to being a tapeciara XD /https://mobile.twitter.com/schnappuccino/status/1402195711568056326/

A word so general that it can be adapted to many situations. It describes something exceptionally positive (‘cool, amazing, fantastic’ according to the definition of an internet user who submitted the word to the PWN Youth Word of the Year 2016 poll). Variants of the word include: sztosik and sztosiwo.

Example of use

– Look,  what a cool (sztos) photo it turned out to be.

– Sztos! /conversation under photos posted on Instagram/
– Your blouse is sztos! /H/

‘An informer, whistleblower’. The name comes from Article 60 of the Penal Code on extraordinary mitigation of punishment and a minor crown witness (par. 3 and 4) and means a person who snitches, informs on others, testifies against them, protecting themselves. See: konfitura.

Reflections on the relationship between the ‘sześćdziesiona’ and Article 60 of the Penal Code can be read in the post Dogmas of the criminal on Facebook.com. See: https://www.facebook.com/dogmatykarnisty/posts/461011165370536

Examples of use:

  1. Sześćdziesiona, will inform on his best mate without scruples /Comment on the website: https://slang.pl/60-2/
  2. Młody – Ty sześćdziesiono! Did you snitch on me to our parents?! /From a conversation between siblings/
  3. I don’t talk to 60! /H/

term for food, a meal eaten at home or “out”. The word also appears in a diminutive form () – szamka.

The verb szamać is related to szama, which probably comes from the onomatopoeic, Proto-Slavic root *šam- / *šem- (cf. PSlav *šamati : *šemati (?) ‘to cause noise, rustle; to rub with something, to spin with something’). As indicated by the Great Dictionary of the Polish Language PAN, the meaning ‘eat’ is secondary, as it arose through “neutralization of the initially expressive definition of a loud way of eating food”.

The word szama also appeared in prison jargon, which led to the popularization of the word in slang and colloquial Polish.

Examples of usage:

  1. Come on, mordo, let’s go for szama! /H/
  2. The best szama in town KEBAB & ZAPIEXY /https://szamka.net/
  3. [Szamka!] Great place!!! Tasty and cheap food! You can have a casual word with the ladies;) and most importantly fresh and fast for such food!!! Only a bit far from UG ehhh… /https://forum.trojmiasto.pl/Szamka-t506773,2,5482.html
  4. I am active in social media and scroll TikTok under the pretext of work. I am a maniac for good szama and gym. I miss places in the world that I have not been to yet, https://goingapp.pl/more/essa-o-mozliwym-kandydacie-na-mlodziezowe-slowo-roku-i-jego-genezie/

pronunciation: [sueg] a unique, fashionable style, also a personality or attitude that can arouse admiration, also bragging about something, e.g. clothing, gadget or achievement, showing off. The word was borrowed from American slang. It was created from the word swagger, functioning as a verb ‘to behave in an arrogant or haughty pompous manner, to show excessive self-confidence; to boast, to be superior, to show off’, and also as a noun ‘arrogant behavior, boasting, self-confidence, showing off’, and even as an adjective ‘elegant, showy’ (see https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swagger#h2 and https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/what-does-swag-mean).

As you can see, the word swag has both positive and negative connotations. Currently, it refers primarily to people who want to shine in society by showing off a gadget or outfit, i.e. by doing swag. A person who does swag is called a swagger. Compare: drip, to drip with a drip.

Example usage:

  1. – Look what a cool phone I have, the latest one
    – Ooh, what a swag! /teenagers talking in a school hallway during a break/;
  1. Just don’t buy me that sweatshirt. I don’t do swag. I’m not a swagger /From a conversation between a teenager and his mother/.

A person who behaves in a suspicious way or whom we do not trust. An abbreviation of suspicious. A word often used by Among Us players. Pronounced sas.

Example of usage:

Mega SUS /chalk writing on a blackboard, class 7 SP/

jokingly about foot fetish and a person interested in e.g. photos of another person’s feet (intentional spelling mistake).

Example of use

  1. – My friend sent me a photo of feet yesterday.
    – Ugh, you stuparo! /from a conversation between friends/
  2. Are you a stupkarzem? / https://samequizy.pl/czy-jestes-stupkarzem/
  3. Stupkarstwo is the worst perversion right after cuckolding and defecation in the mouth. Change my mind/ https://jbzd.com.pl/obr/2588552/cos-dla-st00pkarzy

A man considered a failure in life, a victim of fate, loser, who, on top of that, has no success with women. A contemptuous word, derived from the noun phimosis, meaning a disease of the male reproductive organ.

Usage example

A young stulejarz, Mirek, banged his fist on the table and decided to get out of przegryw, started going to the gym, taking care of his appearance and dressing well….
…unfortunately, Oskar Deweloperski and Sebastian Normicki also go to the gym, take care of their appearance and dress well, so despite the enormous effort, Mirek took, he will remain in the same place as he was – on the lower level of the sexual hierarchy 🙁 /https://www.wykop.pl/ludzie/st00ley/

A person taking stimulants.

Usage examples

  1. stimulants, man, I’m a stimiarz with experience, I can sort you out whatever you want […] /https://twitter.com/brx4444/status/1543939323338317825/
  2. […] Fuck stimiarzy mightly.  Anyone who snorts should be killed /https://twitter.com/l3vvysk8rrr/status/1538892283017404416/

’style, styling, interesting styling, favorite activities’ The phrase to have stilo describes a fashionable, stylish way of dressing and spending time, replacing the once popular – to have a style (cf. the song by the band Trzeci Wymiar. The form of the word refers to the pronunciation of the Italian stilo – ’rysik’, but in Esperanto the word stilo means ‘style’.

Examples of use:

  1. Pissed off, check my stilo / One in a million, DGE, PDG, I’m going with a homily / https://genius.com/Donguralesko-stilo-lyrics
  2. I play this, because this is my stilo / Tell these morons here that:/ It’s time for them to wrap up / / https://teksciory.interia.pl/aleshen-feat-white-widow-giera-tekst-piosenki,t,694087.html
  3. Not bad stilo, Zuza! /H/

The verb stanować means ‘to follow information about a favorite band, their new songs, and also to listen to the band’s music regularly’. A very popular word among fans of Korean popular music, or K-pop. The origins of the word can be found in Eminem’s 2000 song Stan. The name of the title character, an obsessive admirer of the artist and his work, gave rise to the slang term stan, referring to obsessive fans of a celebrity. This noun began to be used as a verb. According to some sources, who ignore Eminem’s song, the word stan is a combination of the words stalker and fan. See https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Stan

Usage examples

  1. I’m thinking about starting stanować twice /https://mobile.twitter.com/Kolor0wy_swiat/status/1405173137281622019/
  2. I also listened to Lucy’s album and I think it’s only a matter of time before I start stanować her /https://mobile.twitter.com/ekranizacja/status/1405105602796400643/

The word comes from the English verb stalk ‘to follow, track’.  It means ‘to stalk information or look for information about other people on social media’.

Examples of usage:

  1. I added a friend stalkującą måneskin on duolingo and now we can stalk each other as we learn languages (including Italian) /https://mobile.twitter.com/betonherz/status/1404134849485623302/
  2. What I love about being a small account is that I can with impunity stalkować everyone and I don’t have to struggle with drama /https://mobile.twitter.com/tincerio/status/1405131971211182081/

seriously [variants: srl/ srsly/ srly].

an abbreviation for the English word seriously used, usually ironically, to express surprise or disbelief. It occurs most often in the written, conversational variety of language, e.g. in posts, entries, online comments.

Examples of usage:

  1. srsl, and we pay them /https://www.tiktok.com/@nowickikacper/video/7347318207319002401
  2. Srsrl!!! http://instagram.com/p/qRe0dwTTqb/ https://twitter.com/Sparkyslunchbox/status/487235284808237057
  3. What does srsly mean ?  -Seriously  – rly?/ https://zapytaj.onet.pl/Category/001,003/2,24797482,Co_to_znaczy_srsly_.html
  4. You said yes? SRL ??? / from a conversation on Messenger /.

A spontaneous, unplanned action. See: na spontanie.

Example of usage:

Have you seen him in action? Full spontan and relax! /from a conversation between teenagers/.