Say These 10 Things and Gen Z Will Instantly Know You’re Old
Language moves at the speed of TikTok these days. One minute a phrase is everywhere and the next it’s gathering dust in a Facebook memory you’d rather forget.
Gen Z have their own internet-fuelled words and expressions. So, if you’re still dropping phrases that once made you feel “cool,” you’ll probably be earning a few eye-rolls from the Gen Zers in your life.
Here are 10 phrases that literally scream that you’re an ancient relic to Gen Z.
1) Cool Beans
Rewind back to the 90’s or early 2000’s and you would hear this phrase a lot, but these days it sounds like something an overly enthusiastic kids presenter would say. It belonged in the 90s and that’s where it should stay. Nowadays, you might hear “valid,” or simply “bet.” Saying “cool beans” to a Gen Z is almost like asking them to friend request you on Facebook.
2) Netflix and Chill
A cheeky innuendo in the early 2010s, which now sounds pretty outdated. Gen Z knows exactly what it means, they just communicate with more subtlety! Say this too many times and you’ll be dating yourself back to MySpace.
3) YOLO
Back around 2012, YOLO showed how spontaneous you were on Instagram and also served as a dramatic excuse for every reckless decision made by young people. But Gen Z? They’re all about being unbothered and prefer a calm “it is what it is,” while making wildly questionable choices anyway.
4) Talk to the Hand
Popularised back in the 90’s on US talk shows, saying this today is the verbal equivalent of owning a pager. Gen Z have never used this phrase, unless they were being sarcastic, instead opting to say “anyway,” accompanied by a dead pan expression.
5) Epic Fail
This one belongs in early meme culture alongside skateboarders colliding with railings and cats falling off furniture. Gen Z doesn’t call anything an epic fail, they keep it simple with “not the vibe,” or “that’s rough,” and move on with their day.
6) Sorry, not sorry
Once a phrase considered as iconic and sassy, now painfully try-hard. Saying this in 2025 is the equivalent of using hashtags like #blessed. Gen Z doesn’t really do fake apologies, you might just hear a “my bad” instead.
7) Cray cray
If you’re saying “cray cray,” you sound like someone who still quotes Mean Girls on a daily basis. Gen Z swapped this out for dramatic descriptors like “unhinged,” “feral,” or “delulu.” They don’t do cutesy, they go full chaos.
8) Totes
Shortening every word felt edgy and clever once upon a time. “Totes amazeballs,” right? Now, if Gen Z says it, it’s 100 percent ironic. Use this seriously in your conversations and you might as well wear a T-shirt that says “Proud Millennial.”
9) Winning
This phrase really only reminds people of one chaotic celebrity era (you know the one). Gen Z like to keep things short and sweet. If something’s great, it’s simply a “W.” If it’s horrendous, it’s an “L.” No catchphrases required.
10) You go girl
Empowering in the 2000s but now edging towards theatre mum energy. Gen Z hype their friends with “slay” or “ate” instead. If you shout “you go girl” across the room, all you’ll probably hear back is deathly silence.
Language keeps on moving
As much as we love the confidence these phrases once gave, slang has a short expiry date. Keeping up with the latest lingo doesn’t mean ditching who you are, it just means knowing when a phrase needs to be retired. And if you accidentally say “YOLO” in public…just pretend you were being ironic.
