The curious language of Gen Z and Gen Alpha … What is a skibidi toilet and what does it mean?

VICKSBURG, MS – With every new generation comes a foreign language that makes previous generations scratch their heads. Nothing is more telling of the graduation from youth than the bewilderment from hearing strange new slang. One day you’re feeling fly in your 20s, the next you find yourself wondering if you have enough rizz to face the 40s. This is the crisis many Millennials are currently facing.

Not long ago, everything seemed right in the world and life for Millennials was all gucci. We enjoyed simpler times of grinding through the week days and turning up on weekends with the fam. Cruising around town in a sweet ride with your bae was low-key pretty tight. Anything good was a mood and anything lousy could simply be yeeted into the abyss of yesterday. Everything made sense.

Suddenly we are faced with the age old question that generations upon generations before us have asked: “what the heck are the kids these days even saying?” Have we really made it to this point in life? Have we at last become out of touch with what’s currently in? Are we becoming… our parents? As if! It’s time to take back the power and get right with the times.

This new social media driven reality just hits different.

Consider this a primer for Millenials, Gen Xers and even Boomers who want to skip the guessing games and maybe understand what Gen Z (’95-’09) and Gen Alpha (2010-’24) are talking about. In today’s lesson we’ll be learning the answers to some very serious questions.

Such as: What the sigma is a skibidi toilet and why is it important? How does one increase their aura points in order to succeed in life? Why do we have to stop the cap and who even started it to begin with? Are you an alpha who ate or just a delulu bed rotter? Lastly, what in the world does Gen Z have against Ohio?

First of all, let’s get the toilet thing out of the way. Long story short, the term “skibidi toilet” comes from a YouTube series starring… You guessed it! Skibidi toilets. The series depicts a conflict between singing human-headed toilets—the titular “Skibidi Toilets”—and humanoids with CCTV cameras, speakers, and televisions in place of their heads. They chant a hypnotic song that goes, “skibidi dop dop dop yes yes,” over and over. The YouTube channel currently has 43.9 million subscribers. You probably have more questions now than before, and you’re not alone.

Since the rise in popularity from the YouTube series, the term “skibidi” has been absorbed into the lexicon of Gen Alpha. By definition, it’s a nonsense word that can mean “good, cool, bad or evil.” The thing is, nobody knows exactly what it means. Kids just think the song is catchy. Hopefully that clears that up. Now we can move on.

Here’s a list of some commonly used terms and their meanings:

• Sigma
  This is a term used to describe a cool guy/the bad boy type. Think Bender from The Breakfast Club.
• Beta
  Someone who is a beta is considered weak. It could also be used to describe someone who is laid back.
• Aura points
  The greater your aura, the cooler you are. Do something good and your points go up, do something uncool and they go down.
• Stop the cap
  Simply put, it means quit lying.
• Alpha
  The alpha is the big cheese, the main guy, the leader, the star quarterback… you get the gist.
• Ate (as in, “he ate” or “she ate”)
  Generally referring to how someone is dressed, this means their outfit is stylish. It could also refer to a job well done. Bonus points if you ate and left no crumbs.
• Delulu
  It means you’re delusional.
• Bed rotting
  Spending too much time in bed, usually on your phone. A modern way of saying someone is being a couch potato.
• Rizz
  An abbreviation of the word charisma. If you’ve got the rizz, you’re good at flirting. You’re a true “Rizzler” if you’ve got the finesse of Fonzie.
• Cheugy
  Old news, outdated, and trying too hard to fit in. Something that is “so two thousand and ten.”
• Go off
  Have you ever been really passionate about something and wind up on a tangent about it? You’re probably going off.
• Fell off
  If you fell off, you likely retreated from society to focus on yourself for a while. This could also refer to distance in friendships.
• Hop off
  Mind your business. Scram. Beat it, punk.
• Bussin
  If something is bussin: it’s good, it smashes, it’s a hit, it totally rocks.
• Slay
  For those who don’t already know, this is just another way to say you’re killing it. Got that job promotion? Rocking a trendy new hairstyle? Making parenthood look easy? Made serious gains at the gym? Slay, queen (or king!)
• Goat
  An acronym for Greatest Of All Time. You’re the goat!
• Catching feels
  It means you’re developing romantic feelings for someone
• Dead
  If you say you’re dead or dying, it means something is hilarious. You laughed so hard it sent you to the grave.
• Bougie
  To be bougie is to be fancy, whether you’re rich or on a budget.
• Doing the most
  Someone who is doing the most is being extra and over the top
• Vibe check
  If you don’t pass the vibe check, you’re being uncool.
• Ohio
  Anything referencing Ohio is super uncool. The younger generations think Ohio is the most unimpressive place on planet Earth and whatever you do, don’t be Ohio. Don’t go to Ohio. Don’t even think about Ohio.
• Ick
  If someone is giving you the ick, they are creeping you out or making you really uncomfortable.
• Touch Grass
  Have you been told to touch grass? You probably need to take a break from the internet and go outside until you’re ready to come back to reality.
• Curve/Swerve
  To curve or swerve something or someone is to avoid an unwanted situation.
• Sus
  Suspicious. This one has been around for a bit, but may be good to know if you don’t already.
• This ain’t it
  When someone THINKS they are being cool but in reality they aren’t being cool, you tell them this ain’t it.
• Main Character Syndrome
  This refers to someone who lives life as though life is a movie and they are the main character.
• Mewing
  The act of tightening one’s jaw line by holding your tongue to the roof of your mouth, literally making cat noises.

Every generation has its own unique trademark sayings, and random, misunderstood interests. The list grows longer each day and will continue to do so until the end of humanity. With a little practice and a lot of patience, we can learn to understand and communicate with our fellow Gen Z and Gen Alphas. All it takes is willingness, and a good sense of humor. No cap.