Such a mood

Boss made you mad? Rage-apply for other jobs. Date is hotter IRL than on the app? You just got reverse-catfished. We now have words for every situation and emotion. Dictionaries groan. Boomers cringe. Reach for a fridge cigarette and follow our guide to 2025 slang

- Sneha Krishnan

Keep up. Language is changing fast. And the internet generation is inventing new terms faster than you can say “Delulu is the solulu”. Some terms have escaped the group chat and are out in the wild, confusing Boomers in the workplace. Others have become oddly specific micro-labels for micro moments of modern life.

So, how many of these can you figure out right away?

Fridge Cigarette

Sounds like: Some kind of chilled vape.

Actually is: A cola. Bad for your health (and addictive) just like a cig. But sourced from the refrigerator. A dramatic coping mechanism.

Usage: "Didn't cry. Had a fridge cigarette instead."

Tip: Works best after lam or a heartbreak.

Banana Botox

Sounds like: An injection endorsed by a celeb.

Actually is: Any unhinged DIY skincare ritual. It emerged from the TikTok-led belief of rubbing banana peels on one's face as a kind of Botox.

Usage: "If an influencer shares 'One tip that dermats won't tell you', it's probably Banana Botox."

Tip: The eat-your-retinol carrot salad is a hoax too.

Reverse Catfish

Sounds like: A case of scamming a scammer.

Actually is: Someone who looks better in real life than they do online. A Gen-Z unicorn.

Usage: "His profile gave 6, but he showed up as a 9.5. Reverse catfish!"

Tip: These people look good even in bad lighting. To be weaponised wisely.

Barebacking

Sounds like: Something John Wayne did in your grandpa's favourite movie.

Actually is: The act of jumping into feelings, flings or vulnerability without protection or logic. Essentially, no emotional PPE.

Usage: "I told him I liked him after two dates. Guess I'm now emotionally barebacking."

Tip: Like raw-dogging, but only for the feels.