Gen Alpha, those born between 2010 and 2024, have developed their own slang, just like generations before them.
A new generation of popular slang words has created heartburn for an Iowa school and prompted a bigger debate on whether students who embrace trendy slang such as "Ohio," "skibidi," "chat," "rizz" and "sigma" are disrupting learning or exercising their free speech.
The issue recently came to a head in Iowa's Fremont-Mills Community School District along the Nebraska border when parents and a free speech group accused a teacher of banning more than two dozen slang terms from her classroom that have been embraced by Gen Alpha students -- kids born after 2009.
FIRE, the Foundation for Individual Rights, a Philadelphia-based, nonprofit advocating for free speech, sent a letter to district officials protesting a classroom poster listing the banned slang words. It also alleged that a teacher had sent students to detention for using them in class.
Teachers' frustration with slang in the classroom isn't new. In recent years, several educators have even taken to social media to share lists of words they've banned.
But FIRE contended Fremont-Mills was taking things too far.
In a letter to secondary school Principal Kurt Hanna on Dec. 10, Aaron Terr, a FIRE attorney representing an unnamed parent, raised concern that the sign infringed on students' First Amendment rights.
The group's letter included a picture of a large, paper sign it said was hanging in the teacher's classroom titled "X BANNED WORDS X" with a handwritten list of about 30 words and references students should not use.
"Our concern is that this teacher is imposing a blanket ban on a long list of words, phrases and even references, including ordinary words like 'Ohio' and 'chat,' without regard to their context," Terr said in an interview with the Des Moines Register.
Officials at the rural school district explained in two emails to the Register they were aware of the parent's issue. The poster was removed at the end of school's first quarter, according to the emails. Officials did not say why the poster was removed.
The sign was part of a civics classroom assignment which included "a list of words that could disrupt learning or negatively impact peers (that) was developed in collaboration with students," according to a district statement on Thursday.
"The grievance in question was previously addressed with the complainant but will be investigated further after more information was received this afternoon," Hanna wrote in an email Dec. 10.
District officials did not specifically address whether the words had been banned and whether that ban was still in place.
Lawyer says 'preemptively banning' words violates students' rights
In the letter, Terr agreed with the parent that the purported ban, including threats of 30-minute detentions, violated students' freedom of speech.
"It is well-established that public school students do not shed their First Amendment rights at the schoolhouse gate," Terr's letter to Hanna states. "... While schools may restrict student speech in limited situations for limited purposes, in the absence of a specific showing of constitutionally valid reasons to regulate their speech, students are entitled to freedom of expression of their views.'"
The letter alleges that at least 10 students received detention for using banned words from the list.
Government employees preemptively "banning students from ever saying the word 'Ohio' or referring to Nazis or drugs in any way, is overreach, and it makes little sense in a social studies class where those may well be topics of discussion," Terr told the Register in an interview.
School officials did not specifically address whether students received detention, but they defended maintaining classroom discipline.
"Students may also have consequences for speaking at a time when student discussion is not permitted," officials wrote. "The level of consequence is based upon building or district level rules or policies and not determined by individual teachers."
District officials said in a statement the poster was the product of a classroom assignment meant to be "an important lesson of civic responsibility. This process engaged students in critical discussions about the meaning, context, and intent of commonly used slang and expressions, promoting empathy and awareness of how language affects others."
"Our goal is not to censor or stifle student speech, but to guide students toward language that fosters a positive and inclusive learning environment," the statement said.
From 'Ohio' to 'skibidi,' language, culture are evolving
Across the country, educators on TikTok have posted videos listing words they banned in their own classrooms, many of which were replicated on the Fremont-Mills' sign.
They include common words that have been co-opted such as "Ohio," which has taken on the meaning of something strange or dumb, or variations such as "rizz," short for charisma.
Shifts in language also can reflect news or social media events, such as references to the September arrest of rapper and businessman Sean "Diddy" Combs with slang such as "Diddy party," or a viral social media sensation like "Skibidi Toilet" about a YouTube series following an army of toilets created by animator Alexey Gerasimov.
In an October 2024 TikTok video, teacher and content creator Hailey Bryant listed a number of words that she no longer allows to be said in her classroom.
"Words I have had to ban as a high school teacher: skibidi, fanum tax, fat, fluffy, gordo ... mewing, not the word, the action," Bryant said in the video. "... anything that ends with 'ookie.' Grande, Diddy. There's probably 10,000 more. That's all I can think of."
In March, educator and content creator Angela Santalo also put out a video of "forbidden" classroom words.
"Hey everyone, today I'm going to be talking about words that are forbidden in my class," Santalo said in the video. "From now on, if you're one of my students, you cannot be (using these) words because I have had enough."
She started off with the show "Skibidi Toilet."
"'Skibidi Toilet,' 'Skibidi Toilet.' No, we're done," she said.
Students who do not follow the rules could face discipline, she said.
"Can we stop as a whole saying rizz? L rizz (a lack of charisma), W rizz (winning rizz). ... Stop asking me if I have W rizz," Santalo said. "I obviously have W rizz. We're done. And as the year continues to go on, I'm gonna add more to this list. But if you're in my class, I don't want to hear this. If you say any of these words, infraction. We're all intelligent, so let's start sounding intelligent."
Creating an actual list of banned words is probably not considered a best practice, but it is understandable why a teacher might choose to post one, said Mandi Jung, a Minnesota middle school teacher and education content creator known online as Sabocat Teacher.
In her videos, Jung sometimes talks about how she avoids saying certain words or phrases that might distract her students.
Teachers are under a lot of pressure in an era of changing state laws and a charged political climate, she said.
"We as teachers are expected to be perfect, do everything perfectly for everyone," Jung said, "and we're not given the support, the time, (and) the understanding that may come with the expectations."
Ate/eats: If you say someone "ate," it means you are saying that they did something exceptionally well or deserving of praise, according to Keyhole. "Did you hear Charli XCX's latest album? She ate."
Aura points: "Aura points" refer to a lighthearted way of measuring coolness, based on a TikTok trend, according to Polygon. "Did you see her new shoes? She definitely just gained some aura points."
Cap/No cap: To "cap" means to "lie, to boast, or to front," according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary (although this meaning hasn't officially made it yet). "No cap" means you are being truthful or honest. "Joe said he didn't take my food, but I think that's cap."
Drip: Drip means cool, stylish or fashionable clothing, according to Arizona State University. If someone is "dripped out," it means they are dressed stylishly. "I just went to the mall and bought some new drip."
Fanum tax: The act of stealing someone's food without their permission. The origin comes from online comedy creator Fanum, who is a part of streamer and Youtuber Kai Cenat's "influencer crew," according to Business Insider. Fanum is known for jokingly taking other's food and calling it a "tax." "I took his fries when he wasn't looking -- he had to pay the Fanum tax."
Goat: An acronym meaning "Greatest of all time." LeBron James is the goat. He's been goated since he was in Cleveland.
Gyatt/Gyat: Gyatt or gyat (Ge-yaht) is used to express strong excitement, surprise, or admiration, often in reference to seeing a large butt, according to Dictionary.com. It can also be used as a term by itself for a large butt.
Looksmaxxing: "Looksmaxxing" is an online movement dedicated to maximizing your physical appearance, often through a variety of techniques including improving your jawline, skincare and muscles, according to The BBC. "Riley's been obsessed with looksmaxxing videos on TikTok lately."
Mewing: Mewing is looksmaxxing technique aimed at improving your jawline by holding your tongue on the roof of your mouth, according to the BBC. Mewing comes from a controversial British orthodontist named John Mew. who developed a practice called "orthotropics." According to the BBC, there is little evidence supporting its effectiveness. "Dude, are you seriously mewing right now? Are you looksmaxxing?"
Mog: To "mog" someone is to be significantly more attractive than them, and thereby lower their attractiveness in comparison, according to Vice News. "He mogged everyone else at the party with his drip."
Ohio: No, they aren't really talking about the Buckeye state. Unfortunately for Ohioans, "Ohio" has a slang meaning of strange, weird, cringe or dumb. The origin likely originates from a number of memes like "it's all Ohio," or "Can't even X in Ohio" that circulated in online culture in the 2020s, according to Know Your Meme. "Did you see how she was dressed at school today? She's so Ohio."
Rizz: A shortening of the word "charisma," used to state that someone has success in attracting romantic partners, according to Merriam-Webster. "He spent the entire party rizzing up the girls."
Rizzler: A rizzler is someone who is successful at flirting with people, according to The New York Times.
Sigma: A "sigma" (based on the Greek alphabet) is a male who has overcome the hierarchy of "alpha" and "beta" males, often characterized by silent success, or someone who is a social outcast by choice and "plays by their own rules," according to Know Your Meme. Colloquially, it can just mean good or best.
Skibidi (Skibidi Toilet): "Skibidi" refers to a series of surrealist videos popular on Youtube, which features an army of human-headed toilets fighting a war against another army of camera-headed men, according to Forbes. Skibidi as a slang word is largely meaningless and simply a reference to the video series.
Slay: If you "slay" something, it means you do it particularly well, according to Dictionary.com. ""Did you hear Charli XCX's latest album? She's slay."
Stand on business: Standing on business (sometimes spelled 'standing on bidness), means to take care of your responsibilities or put your money where your mouth is, according to USA TODAY. "I told you I was going to do that; I stand on business."
What's up brother? Saying "what's up brother," accompanied with raising your index finger upward, is a reference to the popular streamer Sketch, who uses the expression as a sort of catchphrase, according to USA TODAY.
USA TODAY Network reporter Cole Behrens contributed to this story.