Communicating with teenagers can be quite a challenge. Sometimes it feels like young people are speaking an entirely different language, peppered with a set of mysterious words. However, there’s no need to panic—new slang words are characteristic of any generation, especially today’s youth. Terms like “cringe,” “rofl,” and “Spanish shame” all share something in common.
Cringe and Its Variants
In everyday use, it has softened to mean something embarrassing. Cringe is a more modern equivalent, often used in social media comments to express a negative judgment.
In English, cringe means “to wince” or “to shrink back.” If someone’s actions seem inappropriate, silly, or disgusting, and they provoke embarrassment, indignation, or discomfort, that’s when you’re “experiencing cringe.” When applied to an absurd or ridiculous situation, synonyms might include “trash” or “a complete mess”.
Synonyms for the adjectives “cringy” and “cringe-worthy” include “disgusting,” “embarrassing,” “shameful,” or “awful.” To “cringe” means feeling intense embarrassment or disgust on someone else’s behalf.
Examples of usage:
- I’m cringing at this movie.
- That looks so cringe-worthy.
- Wow, that’s cringe!
- You’re a cringy loser.
- I was cringing so hard yesterday.
Born Online: When to Use “Rofl”
Active users of the once-popular ICQ messenger will immediately remember the smiling face emoji that signified ROFL. The term ROFL stands for “Rolling On the Floor Laughing”, and its meaning is self-explanatory—laughing hysterically.
While ROFL has a neutral emotional tone, it is closest to outdated slang terms like “lol” or “dying of laughter”. It refers to an intense reaction to a joke or story. Over time, the verb “roflit” has taken on a slightly negative connotation, becoming a slang equivalent of “mocking,” “trolling,” or “making fun of someone.” Hence, a “rofler” is someone who mocks others.
Although “ROFL” is rarely used in spoken language, it’s commonly seen in posts and comments on social networks, gaming chats, messengers, and YouTube. There’s even a genre of videos called “ROFL videos,” where the author posts a funny scene and openly mocks others.
Examples of usage:
- Check out this hilarious video—it’s such a ROFL moment!
- Are you ROFLing me?
- Let’s hop into the chat and ROFL.
Spanish Shame: Origin and Meaning
The phrase “la vergüenza ajena” (“shame for another”) originated in Spain and quickly spread to other languages. In Russian, the term “Spanish shame” is a direct translation of the English phrase “Spanish shame”. Despite the name, the feeling has no real connection to Spain—it refers to the burning embarrassment and discomfort you feel when witnessing someone else’s foolishness.
Spanish shame describes the internal discomfort that arises when watching another person embarrass themselves or act awkwardly. In psychology, it is explained by factors like:
- Empathy: Feeling someone else’s embarrassment as if it were your own.
- Increased sense of responsibility for others.
- Fear of social rejection: On a subconscious level, it feels like society might reject you next.
- Low self-esteem: If you often feel discomfort over others’ actions, it may indicate a tendency to over-identify with weaker individuals.
Those who frequently feel embarrassed on behalf of others are often highly dependent on the opinions of friends, colleagues, or society. On the other hand, people with strong self-confidence rarely experience Spanish shame.
Language is a living organism that constantly evolves and changes. Slang that was popular just recently may become outdated, only to be replaced by new terms. Youth is particularly susceptible to these trends, with much of the slang stemming from English, which dominates the internet.