15 Common Everyday Slang Words

How often do you use slang words in everyday English?

Slang consists of very informal words and expressions that are used by friends or some who have the same interests or people of a particular group.

There are many slang terms that natives use on informal occasions. On top of that, you can hear slang while listening to podcasts, watching films or TV shows in English. I’m not saying we should use slang every which where, but I believe it's worth understanding their meaning.

Let’s have a look at the informal dialogue between two best friends and then go through several slang terms to figure out their meanings.

John: What’s popping’, homie? I didn’t expect you to swing by so early. Come on in!
Bob: Yup, I was walking by your crib and decided to pop in. All good?
John: Fine. I was just going to nuke something for lunch. Fancy joining in?
Bob: What a score! I’d love to. I never miss a freebie, you know. Erm…, how’s your brother doing?
John: Well, he entered the uni recently, and now he’s a frosh at Cambridge. On that occasion, our parents made him a gift.
Bob: Go ahead, spill the beans, bro! What’s that?
John: Ready? A new whip! Can you imagine? And now he’s constantly bragging about his beemer… .
Bob: Wow, that’s legit, no cap! Come on, man, don’t well jel. You didn’t even try to achieve anything of that sort by yourself, to be honest. Anyway, is our lunch ready? I’ve munchies!
John: Right, feel free to start. I’ll make tea in the meanwhile.

What’s poppin’?

What’s poppin’? - it’s just another way of asking: “What’s up?”, “How are you doing?”

Example:

What’s poppin’?
Nothing, just lounging.

A homie

A homie - short for homeboy or homegirl, pal, buddy

Example:

My homie has never let me down, you know.

To swing by

To swing by - to visit a place or a person very quickly, to pop in, to pay a brief visit

Example:

I’ll swing by confectionery to buy some yummy muffins.

A crib

A crib - the place where somebody lives, home

Example:

I’m having a party at my crib tonight! You are welcome to pop round.

To nuke

To nuke - to cook or bake food in the microwave oven

Example:

That won’t take long to cook, just nuke it for three minutes.

What a score!

What a score! - What luck!

Example:

What a score! It’s exactly what I need right now!

A freebie

A freebie - something which is given for free, for nothing

Example:

He’s ever so delighted to get some freebies at the bookstore.

A frosh

A frosh - a freshman at college or university

Example:

How do you feel being a frosh at Oxford?

Spill the beans!

Spill the beans! - to unveil a secret, to tell the truth

Example:

Please, don’t spill the beans, I don’t want it to go public.

A whip

A whip - a car

Example:

Do you like my jaw-dropping whip?

A beemer

A beemer - a name for any car made by BMW

Example:

How do you find my brand-new amazing beemer?

Legit

Legit - extremely awesome and cool

Example:

This brand-new phone is fully legit!

No cap

No cap - no lie, for real

Example:

Your English pronunciation is fabulous, no cap!

Well jel

Well jel - very jealous

Example:

How come you’ve been promoted, I’m well jel!

To have munchies

To have munchies - feeling of hunger

Example:

I’ve munchies and can’t think of anything else but a tasty snack.

Video example: