Slang‘s Staying Power: ‘Cringe‘ and ‘Lost‘ May Outlive Youth Trends
BERLIN – While fleeting youth slang frequently enough fades as quickly as it emerges, some terms demonstrate surprising longevity, possibly integrating into mainstream language-similar to the decades-long adoption of words like “cool” and “horny.” Linguist Konstanze Marx-Wischnowski identifies current youth vocabulary, specifically lost and cringe, as strong contenders for lasting impact, citing their nuanced meanings beyond existing German equivalents.
This phenomenon underscores a basic aspect of language evolution: teenagers utilize unique slang to establish distinction from older generations. However, the adoption of these terms by adults doesn’t signify a surrender to “youth madness,” but rather an acknowledgment of the subtle shades of meaning thay convey. Cringe, such as, encapsulates not merely embarrassment, but a specific type of vicarious awkwardness. The ongoing selection of “youth word of the year” highlights this dynamic, bringing attention to emerging terms and their potential trajectory.
The provocative term goonen,briefly gaining traction,appears to have already peaked in popularity. Susanne Daubner casually referenced the word during a recent declaration of the top three contenders for the youth word selection, on approximately 2025/09/15, demonstrating a normalization that likely contributed to its rapid decline in usage. This illustrates the cyclical nature of slang, where widespread adoption frequently enough signals the beginning of the end for a term’s “cool” factor.