The Singapore Mama’s Guide To Gen A Slang: 6-7, Skibidi & More That Make Us Feel Old

GYATT, did you know that some Gen A slang has made it in the Oxford Dictionary?! What the sigma?! If you get blindsided by Gen A slang on the daily, here’s a decoded list of what the kids are saying. 6-7, or whatever.

I don’t know about you, but I can’t keep up with the lingo that kids are using these days. It’s almost as if my daughter picks up Gen A slang quicker than she can memorise words for her next spelling test! If you’re just as confused by the words your kids are throwing around at home, you’ve come to the right place. Here, we decode the most commonly used Gen A slang, so you can be ‘total sigma’ or ‘skibidi’, as the kids say.

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– Gen A slang words & what they mean

My daughter’s Gen A slang is a wake-up call that I’m not as young as I thought

It was a regular afternoon on a weekday when my 7-year-old daughter came home from school and randomly blurted, “What the sigma?!”

“What did you say?” I asked, confused by the words that just came out of her mouth.
“What the sigma!” she replied.

“What does that mean?” I pried, starting to cry on the inside because my daughter, who used to be a cute toddler in ponytails, is now learning foreign things that are beyond my control.

“I don’t know,” she shrugged and continued drawing unfazed.
Meanwhile, I was still in disbelief, trying to wrap my head around her newfound vocabulary and the source of this seemingly alien language.

“Well, if you don’t know what it means, then why did you say it?” I casually asked, attempting to be totally cool about it.
“Because my friends are saying it!” she said.

In the spirit (or rather feeble attempt) of being a trendy, supportive mum, I decided to consult my best friend: chatGPT.

“‘What the sigma’ is Gen Alpha and late Gen Z slag. It’s basically a remix of ‘what the heck?’ with the internet sprinkled on top. It’s usually said when something is confusing, surprising, unhinged, or just plain weird.”

And that’s when it hit me. I’m not young anymore. I thought I was, considering I’m still in my early 30’s, which is technically not even half of an average lifespan! I get out of bed without random aches and pains, have 20/20 vision and can still crush a workout without feeling like I’m dying. But when my kids come home with vocabulary that isn’t found in the Oxford Dictionary or the usual slang I’m used to (like ‘lol’, ‘rotfl’, ‘ttyl’, ‘gtg’ and the like), I’m faced with the harsh reality. I’m not young anymore.

I’m now on a mission to stay on top of the Gen A slang, not to be hip and chic (because I think my time has passed for that), but to understand the random slew of words that my kids come home with every once in a while. So if you want to join me on this mission, keep reading to decode the meaning of the ‘coolest’ Gen A slang that the kids use these days.

Read more: 20+ Gen Z Slang Terms Mamas Should Know

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Guide to the most-used Gen A Slang for clueless parents:

6-7

A popular internet slang that has no meaning (what?!). It’s an inside joke that the kids use with their peers to confuse adults. It can sometimes be used a numeric eye-roll.

How they use it: If their friend says, ‘The teacher said there’s no recess today,” a kid might exclaim, “6-7!”
Translation: That’s stupid!

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Fanum tax

A playful “tax” on food or stuff taken from someone.

How they use it: You’ve got fries? Fanum tax, I’m taking two!
Translation: You’ve got fries? Time to share, I’m taking two!

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Gyatt

Used as an excited or shocked reaction to something impressive.

How they use it: GYATT, that jump was crazy!
Translation: Wow, that jump was crazy!

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Rizz

Charisma or flirting ability.

How they use it: He’s got no rizz.
Translation: He’s got no charisma.

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Sigma

For all the math geeks out there, no, it doesn’t have anything to do with ‘summation’. For the Gen Alpha crew, ‘sigma’ describes an ultra-cool person who doesn’t need approval.

How they use it: He didn’t even react. Total sigma.
Translation: He didn’t even react. He’s so cool.

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Skibidi

Originates from Skibidi Toilet, a dystopian animated series on YouTube (that’s really not worth your time). This means weird, random or unhinged.

How they use it: That video was so skibidi.
Translation: That video was so weird.

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What the sigma?!

To add to the confusion, the meaning of ‘sigma’ in this expression has nothing to do with ‘sigma’ when it’s used on its own. This is usually used in reaction to something confusing or baffling.

How they use it: They get a ‘D’ on a test and exclaim, “What the sigma?!”
Translation: What on earth?!

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Reaction & Emotion Gen A Slang

Mid

This describes something average or disappointing. It usually has a negative connotation.

How they use it: The movie was hyped, but honestly…mid.
Translation: There was so much hype about the movie, but it wasn’t that good.

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NPC

This describes someone who is acting robotic, basic or scripted.

How they use it: He says ‘nice weather today’ every morning. NPC behaviour.
Translation: He says ‘nice weather today’ every morning. It’s a bit robotic.

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Side eye

This descibes silent judgement–you know, it’s the same thing that we mums do from time to time when your mother-in-law does something questionable. But instead of just doing it, these Gen A kids verbally express it.

How they use it: She said pineapple belongs on everything. Side eye.
Translation: She said pineapple belongs on everything. Gross.

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Skull 💀

This can be spelt out or used in the form of the skull emoji, because who talks on the phone anymore? These kids only communicate through texts.

How they use it: He tripped over nothing. 💀
Translation: He tripped over nothing. I’m laughing so hard!

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Sus

For once, this Gen A slang is just an abbreviated version of an actual word: suspicious. I think it’s the easiest one to add to our daily vocabulary as parents. But be prepared for your Gen Alpha kid’s side eye when you use it on them.

How they use it: Why is he smiling like that? Kinda sus.
Translation: Why is he smiling like that? He seems a bit suspicious.

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Internet-Brain Gen A Slang

Bro really said…

This is similar to something we would say when we’re in disbelief about what someone said. The kids use this to call out something wild or awkward, normally with a side of judgment.

How they use it: Bro really said, ‘just wake up earlier.’
Translation: Did he really just suggest I wake up earlier?

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Cooked

For mums who spend a lot of time in the kitchen, you might think this has a positive connotation because we celebrate when dinner’s all cooked and ready to go. For the kids these days, it takes on a completely different meaning. It means to be completely done for.

How they use it: I didn’t study, and the test is today. I’m cooked.
Translation: I didn’t study and the test is today. I’m in big trouble.

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Let him cook / Let her cook

This one is somewhat easy to understand. If taken at face value, it means to let someone do their job. For the Gen Alpha kids, it means to let them continue because they’re onto something.

How they use it: Wait, that idea actually makes sense. Let her cook.
Translation: Wait, that idea actually makes sense. Let her explain it further. This might actually work!

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Ohio

I’m tempted to dig deeper into the origin of this word, but I fear it will take me into a rabbit hole. For the sake of brevity, “Ohio” means weird, cursed or unexplainable.

How they use it: Why is there a mannequin in the lift? This is Ohio.
Translation: Why is there a mannequin in the lift? This is so strange.

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Ohio final boss

This is the ultimate level of weird.

How they use it: A raccoon riding a scooter at 3am? Ohio final boss.
Translation: A raccoon riding a scooter at 3am? Now, that’s something you don’t see every day!

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Gaming & Online Gen A Slang

AFK

This is an abbreviation for “away from keyboard, which is the modern-day version of “out of office.”

How they use it: BRB, AFK for dinner.
Translation: Be right back! I’m heading out for dinner.

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Sweaty

This describes someone who is overly competitive.

How they use it: I can’t play with him anymore. Too sweaty.
Translation: I can’t play with him anymore. He’s too competitive.

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Tryhard

You know how we encourage our kids to reach for the stars and dream big? Well, anything is possible…so, they’ve randomly decided to form a compound word with the same meaning as the words used separately. ‘Tryhard’ means to take things too seriously.

How they use it: It’s a friendly game, and he’s sweating. Tryhard.
Translation: It’s just a friendly game, and he’s sweating. He’s taking it too seriously!

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W/L

This one’s simple: win or loss.

How they use it: ‘Free snacks today? That’s a W.”
Translation: ‘Free snacks today? That’s a win!”

So, there you have it! I’m sure the list keeps growing, so I’ll be on a never-ending mission to keep up with the kids’ lingo these days. But hey, it keeps my brain somewhat young! The next time your child comes home with a new Gen A slang that you’ve never heard of, just hit up this list. And if it’s not listed here, share your revelation with us at [email protected] so we can keep this list updated!

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