Every few years, when a new generation of teenagers concocts a glossary of words and phrases meant only for them – and somehow manages to spread it universally- you have to wonder: how does it keep happening? If you went digging, would you find one single person who inadvertently created a word that travelled across the world? Imagine finding that person behind every such word, across generations – that would be quite a club. There is, undeniably, a charm to new-age lingo that makes older generations want to try it out – to look cool, younger, or simply to fit in. Most of the time, they stick out, like an eager imposter trying too hard. But occasionally, the awkwardness becomes the joke itself – think Ryan Gosling. In a short promotional video for his film Project Hail Mary, Gosling chats in Gen Z lingo with a young man, tossing around words like ‘tea’ (gossip), ‘giving’ (a vibe), ‘slay’ (to succeed), and ‘no cap’ (no lying). The humour lies entirely in how unnatural it feels.…