Move over Gen Z: There’s a new linguistic sheriff in town, and they’re not speaking your language — literally. Enter Gen Alpha, the cohort born in the early 2010s, armed with a unique vocabulary that leaves even the most seasoned linguists scratching their heads. In this wild grammar safari, we’ll embark on an adventure through the jungles of gyats, rizzlers, and Fanum taxes, decoding the cryptic messages of this rising generation.
First up on our linguistic journey is the enigmatic term “gyat.” Picture this: a big butt. Yes, you heard it right. Forget about flattering euphemisms; Gen Alpha cuts straight to the chase. Gyat initially was an abbreviation of the word “g*dd*mn,” but Gen Alpha more commonly uses it as a noun. If someone’s got a derrière that deserves a salute, they’re rocking the almighty “gyat.” Now, if you find yourself spending time with these children of millennials, don’t be surprised if you hear this term tossed around with the casualness of a seasoned explorer pointing out wildlife.
But what’s a gyat without a rizzler? No, it’s not a character from Grease, new-age cereal, or a futuristic supervillain. According to my younger brother, a five-year-old from Tallahassee, a rizzler is the epitome of goodness. “I don’t know. It’s just somebody who’s good. If they’re good at something, they have rizz,” he explained. Picture a combination of charm, charisma, and a sprinkle of unicorn dust — that’s the kind of goodness we’re talking about. If you’ve got rizz, you’ve got game, and being a rizzler means you’re the pro of the flirting game. Move over, Casanova: Gen Alpha is here to redefine the game of love.
Oxford Dictionary just announced that “rizz”, the slang term that “rizzler” derives from, is the 2023 word of the year and claims it is short for “charisma.” Tom Holland, a popular millennial actor, actually popularized the parent term “rizz” in an interview with Buzzfeed where he claims to have none.
Now, let’s dive into the musical masterpiece that’s sweeping through TikTok like a tornado — the “Fanum Tax Song,” which features the lyrics, “Sticking out your gyat for the Rizzler, being so Skibidi, and craving Fanum Tax.” If you’re scratching your head, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Even Gen Zers, the pioneers of internet slang, are feeling like the new “cringe generation” as they attempt to decode this linguistic rollercoaster.
“Fanum tax” seems to be the elusive treasure of Gen Alpha’s lexicon. The term pays homage to @JustFanum, a YouTuber and Twitch streamer with a penchant for “taxing” his friends during gaming sessions. Forget about dollars and cents; Fanum collects a small portion of their snacks as his “tax.” It’s like Robin Hood, but instead of stealing from the rich and giving to the poor, he’s swiping a slice of pizza and claiming it as his own. Gen Alpha teaches us that sharing is caring, even if it’s just a bite of your sandwich.
As Gen Z grapples with the perplexity of the Fanum tax, TikTok has become a battleground for the generations. Videos featuring confused Gen Z attempting to unravel the mysteries of Gen Alpha’s slang are going viral faster than you can say “skibidi.” The intergenerational confusion is palpable, with older siblings desperately trying to keep up with their Gen Alpha brothers and sisters.
“Skibidi” is a whole other can of worms. The term originates from a YouTube channel about a man’s upper half sticking out of a toilet and dancing to music. Honestly, it might just be easier to show you than explain it.
Finally, the song references a “sigma.” The song’s lyrics, a parody of the Tiktok viral song “Ecstasy” by SUICIDAL-IDOL, have become the battle cry of Gen Alpha, leaving everyone else to wonder if they missed the memo on the latest linguistic revolution. It’s not just a song; it’s a cultural phenomenon, a riddle for older generations to solve. Or, as Gen Alpha might say, it’s “skibidi” at its finest.
The infectious spread of Gen Alpha’s slang has transcended its digital origins, seeping into the very fabric of holiday traditions. As if to solidify its place in pop culture, there are now holiday remixes of the famed “Fanum tax” song. As we find ourselves humming along to the tune of “Last Christmas,” just know that Gen Alpha might think you’re referencing “sticking out your gyat for the rizzler.”
It’s important to remember that the evolution of slang is as old as language itself. What may seem like a perplexing, cringe-inducing lexicon to adults is often a developmental milestone for the younger generation. Just as Millennials and Boomers likely raised their eyebrows at the emergence of phrases like “swag” or witnessed Gen Z’s signature dance moves like the Whip and Nae Nae with a mix of bemusement and confusion, so too does Gen Alpha assert their linguistic independence with terms like “gyat” and “Fanum tax.” Their slang is even worthy of study according to some professors on TikTok. Will these terms show up in your classes?
At the end of the day, navigating the linguistic landscape of Gen Alpha is like trying to decipher modern hieroglyphs. So, if you find yourself lost in the gyat-infested conversations of Gen Alpha, just remember: embrace the confusion, laugh at the absurdity, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll earn your stripes as an honorary rizzler.
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