Top 'Teenglish' word already old hat, say those in the know

BY KIRSTY JOHNSTON

The word "diss" may have been named as the top teen-speak buzzword of 2009, but in Taranaki it's already out of fashion.

A survey of 2000 teenage users of the social networking site Habbo Hotel has nominated the word, meaning disrespect, as the top "Teenglish" phrase from last year.

However, when the Taranaki Daily News conducted its own street survey yesterday, teenagers scoffed and and said "diss" was an old person's word.

Instead, the teens named the word "fail" – an expression of disapproval used when somebody fails at something – as one of their most popular expressions.

Thirteen-year-old Macey McArthur said she used the word when something bad happened but it was funny. "Like if you trip over then someone says `fail'," she said. An "epic fail" was the highest form of fail, reserved for special occasions.Macey's friends Meg Everest and Mikayla Barrett, both 14, said another favourite was "lol" meaning laugh out loud.

"Everyone uses it now. But my mum still doesn't know what it means. She thought it meant lots of love," said Mikayla.

Another word, which the teens thought might be unique to Taranaki, was "skux", meaning sexy or cool, the girls said.

Some of the "Teenglish" words only used online or through text included "ftw", meaning for the win, and "noob", amateur.

Osai Tuungafasi, 15, said he used both the phrases when playing Xbox Live. "You'd say something like, this gun ftw, if you were playing a game. It means this gun is awesome," he said.

TEENGLISH-AS SHE WRIT

The top 25 "teenglish" buzzwords for 2009, as nominated by 2000 users of the teen social networking site Habbo Hotel:

1. Diss  Disrespect

2. Fail  Expression of disapproval for something or when someone does fail at something. Sometimes spelt with a ph and epic fail is the highest form of failing.

3 ftw  For the win, used to show enthusiasm for something, e.g. "kittens FTW"

4 hai  Hi

5 idc  I don't care

6 idk  I don't know

7 ily  I love you

8 irl  In real life

9 jks  Jokes

10 k or kk  OK

11 meh  expression of indifference

12 noob  A new person, also newbie, often used to make fun of someone you don't like

13 pwn, pwned, pwnage  To "own someone", beat them at a game or teach them a lesson

14 plz  Please

15 props  Proper respect

16 rents, rentz or rentals  Parents

17 rofl  Roll on the floor laughing

18 soz  Sorry

19 srs  Serious, seriously

20 sup  What's up? What's happening?

21 tbh  To be honest

22 totes  Totally

23 ty  Thank you

24 w.e  Whatever

25 zomg  expression of amazement or shock at something even more amazing than omg (Oh My God)

- © Fairfax NZ News