The Surprising Origins of Our Favorite English Slang Words

Have you ever wondered where your favorite language really comes from? From ancient phrases to pop culture catchphrases, here's where some of the most popular English slang words originated .

 

What is the origin of the English slang words that people use?

Language is a living thing, constantly changing to fit the times. One day a word is strange, the next it's commonplace. Sure, slang can sound silly, but it serves a real purpose: It reflects creativity, emotion, and connection in ways that 'standard' English often can't. Slang isn't just how we speak; it's how we play, post, and protest. Slang captures culture in real time, turning TikTok trends into shorthand and letting us say a lot in just a few syllables. It also keeps language fresh—and makes people feel in the know. But where did slang come from, and how did it become so popular?

 

This article is shared by word experts: Michael Adams, PhD, professor of English and linguistics at Indiana University; Grant Barrett, linguist, lexicographer, and co-host of the podcast A Way with Words; and Jess Zafarris, etymology expert and co-host of the podcast Words Unravelled.

The Origins of Today's Most Popular English Slang Words

Slay

Derived from the Old English verb slean, slay originally meant to kill or destroy (as in slaying a dragon). In slang, slay means to dominate, to look great—whether on stage, on the runway, or in life. It involves dedication, confidence, and flawless execution. RuPaul's Drag Race helped bring slay and other drag dance terms to life.

" Slay is interesting because there's a subset of slang words—like kill, destroy, throw down—that are associated with being on top, being the best, that have some violent undertones to them, " Adams said.

Cap

" In Atlanta and Memphis slang," Zafarris says , "cap means to lie or brag or speak loudly without any basis ." And, according to Green's Slang Dictionary, in the 1940s, cap could mean to exceed something. No cap, she says, " may be related to cap meaning top or upper limit. For example: There's no top on how authentic I'm being ."

Mid

Common language often comes from laziness—the origin of slang is often a shortened version of a longer word. Mid is short for middle or mediocre. When someone calls something mid, they're saying it's average—not great, not bad, just… meh. It's often used dismissively, as if something should be better but is completely unimpressive.

 

Simp

The word simp has been around since at least the early 1900s as a shortened form of simpleton—meaning a foolish or gullible person—though it may also have come from simper (to laugh in a silly, artificial, or flattering way), Zafarris says. It's an all-encompassing term for a person (usually a man) who shows excessive attention or affection to another person (usually a woman) in a way that is considered desperate or embarrassing.

Cringe

Speaking of shaming, remember: cringe. The word comes from the Old English cringan, which meant to bend or yield. But in modern slang, Zafarris says, "It's indirect shaming when someone tries too hard at something and fails, like when a brand says lit or when Dad dabs at graduation."

Cringe can have many parts of speech: It can be used as a noun ("That was pure cringe"), an adjective ("cringe behavior"), or a verb ("I cringed so hard I vapored").

Sus

Sus is another slang word, which is a shortened version of the word 'real'. It is short for doubtful or suspect, and is used to indicate that something or someone seems shady, untrustworthy or just unusual in some way.

Ate

When someone says: someone ate a performance or a look, it means they did a great job.

Like slay, RuPaul's Drag Race helped bring eat from drag ballroom culture to life. In the late 2010s and early 2020s, TikTok and Twitter users adopted ate specifically for fashion, music, and special events.

Also, if you pair ate with "and leave no crumbles", it means absolutely perfect.

Main character energy

These days, social media is often the source of slang and colloquialisms. The phrase started popping up around 2020, especially on TikTok , where users create videos imagining themselves as the main character in a movie. A person with Main character energy is confident, self-focused, and enjoys being the star of the show—never just a supporting actor. It also has more than one meaning. It can be used seriously, ambitiously, or sarcastically.