Parents’ chance to become phat bluds

Sep 10 2008 by Daniel Thomson, The Journal

THEY say teenagers speak a different language. But who knew parents needed a dictionary to understand them?

Mums and dads left scratching their heads by their teenager’s colourful vocabulary need worry no longer.

A website with a ‘teen speak’ jargon buster has been launched by a Newcastle charity to help parents stay ‘tight’ (ie close) with their children.

Parentline Plus created www.gotateenager.org.uk after months of consultation with teenagers and their parents who were struggling to understand each other.

The new site aims to change this by schooling parents in terms such as ‘blud’, ‘butters’, ‘crunk’, and ‘phat’ (which mean friend, ugly, crazy-drunk, and ‘cool ’for those of you over the age of 19).

Nikola Mann, who helped create the site, said: “It makes you realise how out of touch you are when you read some of the words teenagers are using.

“But although the jargon buster is quite fun and light-hearted, it was actually something parents asked us for when we were designing the site.

“It actually grew out of conversations we were having with parents on our free 24-hour helpline who wanted to know what words used by their teenagers actually meant.

“One of the main messages we’re trying to get across is that the key to a good relationship between parents and teenagers is communication and the jargon buster is all about improving that.”

The site also hopes to give the likes of Facebook a run for its money by giving the parents of teens the chance to chat online and support one another.

As well as the more light-hearted jargon buster, www.gotateenager.org.uk includes a host of features, from e-learning modules and courses in dealing with drug and alcohol use to an online comic book with storylines and scenarios familiar to many teens. Topics covered include drugs, sex, bullying, boundaries, health, school, and self-confidence.

The site, which went live this week, also boasts blogs, message boards, stories, a texting service with tips and information, and a live web TV show. The first of four shows will go online on Monday.

Parentline Plus Newcastle area manager Maureen Pearson added: “Parents of primary school children enjoy a network of support and friendship that is lost when their children make the transition to secondary school. Gotateenager.org.uk plugs that gap by creating an online community for parents of teenagers.”

Parentline Plus offers a free 24-hour confidential telephone line for parents on 0808 800-2222. For more information go to www.parentlineplus.org.uk or www.gotateenager.org.uk

The teenglish dictionary

Jargon Buster – A Dictionary of ‘Teenglish’ taken from www.gotateenager.org.uk

Bait

(Obvious)

Example: “That’s so bait...”

Blud

(Friend, mate)

Example: “What you up to, blud?”

Butters

(Ugly)

Example: “That girl is so butters...”

Clock

(Caught out)

Example: “Jason got clocked seeing that girl the other day...”

Crunk

(Crazy, drunk)

Example: “Let’s get crunk tonight...”

Dissed

(Disrespected)

Example: “He dissed my new trainers...”

Feds

(Police)

Example: “The feds are coming...”

Flossing

(Showing off or teasing with material possessions)

Example: “Look at him over there flossing...”

Hench

(To be strong)

Example: “Check me out, I’m proper hench...”

Jacked

(Stolen)

Example: “My phone got jacked today...”

Nang

(Brilliant)

Example: “That music is nang...”

Off the hook

(Excellent, wicked)

Example: “That new track is off the hook...”

On your jays

(On your own)

Example: “You can go round Lisa’s house on your jays...”

Phat

(Cool, great)

Example: “That new song is phat...”

Rents

(Parents)

Example: “He’s going on holiday with his rents...”

Wasted

(Drunk)

Example: “I feel so wasted...”

Whack

(Crazy)

Example: “She is so whack...”