‘Out-of-date’ slang we should definitely keep using

It’s time to bring back some of the OGs

Slang is a linguistic marker of the times. It is an indicator of the prevalent trends and behaviors of any given era. Now we have words such as “demure” and “rizz,” while in years past, popularized expressions like the Terminator-inspired “talk to the hand” and “chill pill” dominated pop culture. 

It often belongs to the teens and is representative of what it is “in” but let’s not forget even the oldies had their own brand of slang. And just as certain styles in fashion make a comeback every now and then, here are a few “out-of-date” slang words we should consider bringing back—not just because they’re catchy buzzwords but since they’ve each respectively impacted pop culture and shouldn’t be left to obscurity.

READ: ‘Very demure, very mindful,’ the new TikTok vocabulary you need to know

Hohol

“Hohol” is an abbreviation for hang-out hang-out lang. The term was originally used as a way to ask someone out, “Tara hohol?” and alternatively, to explain that a hang out was merely platonic in nature, “Nag hohol lang kami”—a contrast to its more popular and still-used counterpart, momol.

Pabebe

While the Japanese “tsundere” appears to find traction among the anime and manga-loving crowd, we also had our own term to define the “acting like they don’t like someone/thing” individual—”pabebe.” 

Alternatively, it also refers to someone acting in a “pa-cute” manner and was most notably embodied by the “Aldub” era in afternoon television. 

Japorms

“Japorms” simply combines the word “porma” with “ja” to describe an individual who is overdressed, or a way to tease someone who is trying to impress another with their outfit.

Resbak

“Resbak” was often used in the context of revenge with the support of one’s friends (aka their “back up”). It can be used as a verb, “Resbakan natin sila” (in non-slang translation: “Bawian natin sila”) or as a noun, “Nasaan na ’yung resbak natin?” (translation: Nasaan na ’yung backup natin?). 

Deins

“Deins” is simply an alternative to saying “hindi” and “no” in most contexts. It’s also mostly associated with conyos.

Tus

“Tus” is slang for “huli ka” and used when one is about to get caught doing something bad—”Uy baka ma-tus ka” or “Tus ka, nakita ni ma’am ’yung ginawa mo.”

Sepanx

“Sepanx” is an abbreviation for “separation anxiety” and encapsulates the feeling of being left out or missing out on a certain activity or experience—a similar term to FOMO (fear of missing out).

Sprak

Sprak was mainly used to describe someone getting really mad and can be used in a sentence as “Uy nag-sprak si Michael” or “Tigilan mo yan, baka mag-sprak si boss.”