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Internet slang is less a fixed vocabulary than a record of how online communities borrow, remix, and discard language. Gen Z and Gen Alpha terms draw from gaming, African American English, Black queer ball culture, anime fandoms, meme communities, earlier internet slang, and—in some cases—incel subcultures. The result is a fast-moving dictionary in which the same word can be sincere, insulting, absurd, or deliberately meaningless depending on who is using it.
This guide explains the current meanings of the terms most likely to appear in TikTok captions, gaming chats, comment sections, and viral videos. Generation labels are approximate: Gen Z is often placed around 1997–2012, while Gen Alpha is variously described as beginning in the early 2010s. Neither range is universal, and no generation invented all of the language below.
The two terms in the title
Alpine divorce
Alpine divorce describes abandoning a romantic partner in a remote or dangerous outdoor setting—usually on a hike, climb, or mountain trip—instead of ending the relationship directly. It is internet slang, not a legal procedure, criminological category, or established dating trend.
The expression is linked to Robert Barr’s 1893 short story An Alpine Divorce, in which a husband plans to push his wife from a mountain. Its modern online use is generally darker shorthand for leaving somebody in the wilderness, although it does not automatically mean murder. Attention to the phrase surged after a TikTok posted by @everafteriya on February 18, 2026, showing a woman distressed after being left on a mountain trail. The video’s circumstances should not be treated as independently verified evidence that this is a widespread practice.
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Example: “Leaving your partner miles from the trailhead is not a breakup conversation; people are calling it an alpine divorce.”
Important distinction: Viral popularity does not establish prevalence. Reports describe a phrase circulating online, not a measured social phenomenon.
Zoomer perm
A zoomer perm is a haircut with faded or shaded sides and considerable length and volume on top. It overlaps with descriptions such as broccoli haircut, broccoli hair, and bird’s-nest cut.
Despite the word “perm,” the term does not necessarily mean the hair was chemically treated. In ordinary usage it describes the shape and styling of the haircut. “Zoomerification” memes, which pair the look with exaggerated Gen Z language, became particularly associated with 4chan in 2022 after an earlier image circulated in 2021.
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Example: “He showed up with a fresh zoomer perm and immediately started talking about aura.”
A practical glossary of current slang
| Term | Meaning | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 6-7 / 67 | A deliberately nonsensical brainrot expression with no stable dictionary meaning. | Used for comic effect, particularly in response to questions involving numbers. |
| 304 | A visual rebus for “hoe.” | Enter 304 into a calculator and turn it upside down; it is not an acronym. |
| Ate / eat | Performed extremely well, especially in relation to an outfit, appearance, or performance. | “You ate that outfit.” |
| Aura | Perceived coolness, charisma, presence, or social energy. | Someone impressive is said to have “a lot of aura.” |
| Aura farming | Deliberately cultivating an image of coolness or charisma. | It may be admiration or mockery, depending on whether the performance seems natural. |
| Based | Admirably independent or unconcerned with conventional approval. | “That opinion is based.” |
| Bed-rotting | Spending an extended period in bed while avoiding ordinary activities. | Similar to “lazing around,” but often carries a stronger sense of prolonged withdrawal. |
| Bop | As a person-label, a sexually derogatory term for a promiscuous girl or woman; as a noun for music, a very good song. | Context matters: “That song is a bop” is a compliment, while the person-directed use is insulting. |
| Brain rot / brainrot | Excessive exposure to repetitive, absurd, or low-value online content. | It can also mean the slang, habits, or mindset associated with being overly online. |
| Bussin’ | Excellent or very good; frequently used specifically for delicious food. | “This curry is bussin’.” The broader use should not be confused with the food-specific sense. |
| Cap / no cap | “Cap” means a lie or falsehood; “no cap” means “I’m serious” or “I’m not lying.” | “That story is cap.” / “No cap, the concert was incredible.” |
| Chopped | Unattractive, poorly styled, or generally unimpressive. | It can describe a person, face, outfit, or situation. |
| Choppelganger | A portmanteau of “chopped” and “doppelgänger”: somebody who resembles another person but is considered a worse-looking version. | Usually used as an exaggerated insult or meme caption. |
| Crash out | Have an intense emotional outburst or act impulsively because of frustration or overwhelm. | “He crashed out after reading the comments.” |
| Deadass | Seriously; emphatically and without joking. | “You deadass forgot the tickets?” |
| Delulu | A playful shortening of “delusional.” | Often used self-deprecatingly about unrealistic hopes or romantic assumptions. |
| Drip | A stylish outfit or fashionable appearance. | “Those shoes are part of the drip.” |
| Fanum tax | Taking some of a friend’s food. | The phrase refers to streamer Fanum’s on-camera habit of taking food from other people. |
| Fax, no printer | “Facts”; emphatic agreement or an assertion that something is true. | “That ending was rushed.” / “Fax, no printer.” |
| Glaze | Praise somebody excessively, often to an embarrassing or apparently insincere degree. | “Stop glazing the celebrity and be objective.” |
| Gyatt / gyat | Originally an exclamation of surprise or admiration; now commonly a reference to an attractive butt. | It is often sexualized and can be objectifying. |
| It’s giving | Something has a recognizable quality, mood, or “vibe.” | “This outfit is giving 1980s rock star.” / “It’s giving desperate.” |
| It’s so over | The situation is considered hopeless. | It is commonly contrasted with “we’re so back,” meaning circumstances have improved again. |
| Maxxing | A suffix meaning to optimize or improve something. | Examples include “gymmaxxing” and “friendmaxxing.” |
| Mid | Average, mediocre, or disappointing. | “The sequel was mid.” |
| Mog | Outperform or outshine somebody, especially in attractiveness or social presence. | “He mogged everyone in the group photo.” |
| Normie | A conventional or average person, often portrayed as boring or disconnected from internet culture. | It is usually mildly insulting rather than neutral. |
| NPC | Originally a non-player character in a video game; online, a person perceived as predictable or lacking independent thought. | It does not simply mean socially awkward. |
| Opp | Short for “opposition”; an enemy or somebody viewed as working against the speaker. | “Don’t trust him—he’s an opp.” |
| Rizz | Charisma or romantic charm; “rizz up” means to attract or charm somebody. | The word is commonly understood as a shortening of “charisma,” not as an exclusively Gen Alpha invention. |
| Serve | Present an especially stylish, striking, or confident appearance. | It is closely related to “ate.” |
| Sigma | An internet-created “lone wolf” male archetype outside the supposed alpha/beta hierarchy. | Although once presented more seriously, it is now frequently used ironically or mockingly. |
| Yapping | Talking at length, often rapidly and without saying anything considered useful. | “I was yapping for ten minutes before realizing nobody had asked.” |
| Yeet | Throw, eject, or move something quickly and forcefully. | “Yeet that broken chair into the garage.” |
Why these words are difficult to translate
Slang does not behave like a technical vocabulary. “Bussin’,” for example, may praise a meal or describe something excellent more generally. “NPC” may criticize somebody’s supposedly scripted behavior, but it does not have one universally accepted meaning. “Sigma” can be used earnestly in one community and as a parody of masculinity in another.
Tone is equally important. “Ate,” “serve,” and “based” are usually compliments. “Chopped,” “normie,” “glaze,” and “op” can be dismissive. Terms such as “bop” and “gyatt” may sexualize or insult people, so repeating them without understanding the context can turn an attempted joke into harassment.
Some expressions also move through communities rather than belonging to one age group. Rizz, gyatt, and many other terms have been popularized by younger internet users but were not necessarily created by Gen Z or Gen Alpha. Their histories may include African American English, Black queer ball culture, gaming, older message-board slang, meme culture, and other online subcultures.
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- Read the entire sentence. “Bop” means something very different when it describes a song than when it describes a person.
- Check the platform and community. A gaming server, a fashion account, and a TikTok comment section may use the same word differently.
- Look for irony. “Sigma,” “6-7,” and “brainrot” are often intentionally exaggerated or meaningless.
- Do not assume a viral term describes a widespread behavior. “Alpine divorce” became visible because of online circulation, not because reliable statistics show that it is common.
- Treat definitions as snapshots. Slang changes quickly, and a term can lose its original meaning, acquire another one, or become dated within a short period.
FAQ
Did Gen Z or Gen Alpha invent all of these slang terms?
No. Online slang is borrowed and reshaped across generations and communities. Many terms have connections to African American English, Black queer ball culture, gaming, meme culture, anime fandoms, older internet language, or other subcultures.
Is an alpine divorce a real legal or social category?
No. It is a viral internet phrase for abandoning a partner in a remote outdoor setting. The expression has a literary connection to Robert Barr’s 1893 story An Alpine Divorce, but it is not a legal process or proven widespread dating practice.
Does a zoomer perm involve a chemical perm?
Not necessarily. In current slang, it usually means a high-volume haircut with short or faded sides and longer hair on top. The name describes the look more often than the treatment used to create it.
What does 6-7 mean?
In the brainrot usage covered here, 6-7 is intentionally nonsensical and has no stable hidden definition. It is commonly used for comic effect, especially around questions involving numbers.
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The Bottom Line
Gen Z and Gen Alpha slang is best understood as a changing record of internet culture, not a neat generational code. “Alpine divorce” and “zoomer perm” illustrate how a phrase can acquire a new online meaning, while terms such as “rizz,” “bussin’,” and “NPC” show why context matters. Use the definitions as a guide to current usage, not as permanent or universal rules.
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