# What's up with this new teen-speak? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 31, 2008, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-this-new-teen-speak/451283 "2008-05-31T17:52:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Can_Handle_the_Truth)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-this-new-teen-speak/451283/1 "2008-05-31T17:52:25Z")
I first heard this about a year ago when my niece was talking on the phone to her friend. I thought it was some code language that they came up with themselves, but now I’ve begun to hear it at various schools. It sounds like they’re saying, “getta-gitta-gotta-gum” over and over. Every word, or perhaps even every syllable, seems to start with G. Does anyone know anything about this? ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-this-new-teen-speak/451283/2 "2008-05-31T17:56:10Z")
It’s called “huffing dry-erase markers.” ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-this-new-teen-speak/451283/3 "2008-05-31T18:14:50Z")
When I was in middle school (about 16 years ago), I knew some girls who spoke something they called Missouri. They add “izzoo” to the middle of every word (at least, that’s what it sounded like; they’d never actually reveal their “code” to me). They were fluent in this form of language, but it sounded like gibberish to me. I suppose these kids are doing the same thing; they are adding a sound to each word, which is why they all sound very similar. Once you break the formula, you could (were you so inclined) learn to translate. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-this-new-teen-speak/451283/4 "2008-05-31T19:34:33Z")
Yeah, there were kids who spoke “Op” lo these many years ago. I wasn’t one of them and to me it was indeed a deeply mysterious tongue. ---
**Author:** ![hocow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hocow/32/4112_2.png) [@hocow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hocow)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-this-new-teen-speak/451283/5 "2008-05-31T20:47:12Z")
It’s actually known as Gibberish around here. One simply puts a ‘g’ sound before each vowel sound in a word. Easy to translate if you’re so inclined. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-this-new-teen-speak/451283/6 "2008-05-31T20:54:49Z")
[QUOTE=hocow] It’s actually known as Gibberish around here. One simply puts a ‘g’ sound before each vowel sound in a word. Easy to translate if you’re so inclined. [/QUOTE] Everything old is new again. My sister did this when she was 14-15, back in the mid-70’s. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-this-new-teen-speak/451283/7 "2008-05-31T21:01:27Z")
Ixnay on the Ibberishgay. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-this-new-teen-speak/451283/8 "2008-05-31T21:09:00Z")
We used to speak what we called Obenglobish, which is probably similar to Op, mentioned above. You put “ob” before every vowel. Very easy to speak and understand if you know the trick, and fairly secretive from those who don’t. Obenglobish = English (in Obenglobish). ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-this-new-teen-speak/451283/9 "2008-05-31T22:55:29Z")
IIRC, you’ll find an example of the language mentioned in the OP in the movie _Slums of Beverly Hills_ (a good flick, btw) ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-this-new-teen-speak/451283/10 "2008-05-31T23:17:43Z")
While not exactly being specifically responsive to the OP, there’s always something new the teens are doing. [http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mpiglatin.html](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mpiglatin.html) ---
**Author:** ![Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Can_Handle_the_Truth)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2008, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-this-new-teen-speak/451283/11 "2008-06-01T00:16:59Z")
[QUOTE=samclem] While not exactly being specifically responsive to the OP, there’s always something new the teens are doing. [http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mpiglatin.html](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mpiglatin.html) [/QUOTE] Actually that link is very relevant. In fact, the “Hog-Latin” that’s mentioned from 1866 is exactly what I’ve been hearing. Cool! > [@](#): > > Kids developed their own secret code, which by 1866 was called “hog-Latin.” In \*The Galaxy \* of that year we find the following: > > He adds as many new letters as the boys in their “hog latin,” which is made use of to mystify eavesdroppers. A boy asking a friend to go with him says, “Wig-ge you-ge go-ge wig-ge me-ge?” > The other, replying in the negative says, “Noge, Ige woge.”