I am volunteering with teenagers. I need to sound hip. Is it off or on the chain? On or off the hook? Can you tell me some cool phrases so I don't sound like a dink? Can you give me context for them as well?
by 
Someguy
ANSWERS: 29
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Perhaps you should just text them :) Sorry,just had to say good on you vounteering.
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If your not hip now, don't try to be any advices you get wont help. Most kids grow up looking for someone whos real and honestly cares. Be your self.
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First, good job volunteering. Depending on your age, you may want to speak simple and proper english. They might learn more. Also, I know that if were to attempt to use current phrases, I would look more like an idiot than hip.
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I have to agree with Chappy - they don't expect you to talk exactly like them. From my experience volunteering with teens, I have found that they can tell immediately if you are trying too hard and they will reject that. Just be yourself but show them how interested you are in them. If you still want to throw in some phrases, ask them to teach you. Teens love a chance to flip the roles and be the teacher. Let them indoctrinate you in to their group by teaching you their own slang.
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Well, first of all, don't say hip. Or off/on the chain, or off the hook. Just no, really, no. Talk in proper English. We laugh at adults who try to sound like young people.
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If you say "That's on point"- That means- that's organized and well executed.
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I was going to say not to bother because it may actually turn the kids off, but it's already been said. You were a teacher right? Did you try to act hip and cool around your students? Be yourself. Kids need a mentor not another friend.
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You're going to sound like a dink no matter what you say -- you're a grown-up. Just be yourself, and don't talk down to them. You'll do fine.
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SHUT UP....lol, this question is for you? LOL....ha ha ha "Wow man, that car is off the hook" (it's really nice) "man, thats pretty sweet" or "tight" "FOR REALS?" means you are in shock and dont believe them
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Things that are really uber-good are "The Bomb".
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Best thing you can do if you want to connect with them, is NOT try to sound hip. Talk to them like adults, anything else is degrading and they won't respect you.
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Well, teenagers don't like grown-ups who try to be cool and talk like them, they won't take you seriously! Just be yourself and throw in a corny joke or two. :P
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Some things I like to say: Pick up your $hi+ and put it away. I am not your mother, punk. Are you eye F5cking me? I suggest you stop before I gouge them out of your pointy little head and feed them to my fish. You best not be plotting on me... I get paranoid and snap... Every time i snap someone ends up with a mudhole stomped in their a$$. Take your hands out of your pocket when you address me. You can look for candy later. Ok... So maybe I don't Just remember that as the adult YOU are the example. Just be yourself (who happens to be cool as a cucumber)... Let them try to emulate you, because youa are a good example. If they mess with you.... Rip their lips off and send them home. EDIT*** Thank you for volunteering to interact with teens. The world needs more people who do that... I actually teach 11 to 16 year olds how to shoot competitively... So you pretty much know that most of the above is BS... Or someone would have shot me by now.
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You should just be yourself if you try to be someone your not they wont respect you as much. I know if someone who wasnt a teanager said stuff like that Id probably laugh....so just be yourself :)
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Okay, don't do any of that, please. Just act like a grownup or the kids'll ridicule you for trying to act like a teenager. A lot of midlife crisis jokes will start going around (I'm not sure how old you are, so maybe over the hill jokes will start goining around instead). And no one ever says dink. But you shouldn't worry about that. Just be yourself
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Trust me, you'll get a lot more respect by being yourself than trying to be like them! Teens feel that adults should be adults and every generation has their own vocabulary. It depends what the teens are like. Most of them speak normal English... :) You're a brave soul for volunteering with teens!
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I would advise against specifically learning ''cool phrases'' to use, it won't sound genuine and authentic... so you'll end up doing the very opposite of what you're trying to do. It's a cliche, but true: be yourself. Listen to them, be courteous and don't patronise them. Teenagers will see right through any attempts to ''get down to their level'' -- it's something so many adults have tried and failed at, that really, it's just eye rolling stuff. They're just people who can't be lumped together and defined by a trait, the same as any non-teen. Each one is, and generally likes to be treated as an individual, not an age group to be addressed in a certain preconceived way.
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just be yourself. i worked for a long time with homeless teenagers and they can spot a fake in about 2 seconds...they will love you for who you are...I promise.
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If you try too hard, they will think you're a dink. Just talk normally. Most teenagers don't talk like that anyway.
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Abby from NCIS is my heroooo... And dink makes me think of "Spaceballs" - dink dink, dink dink dink dink dink dink... And I don't know the chain thing but it is "off the hook" and I think if you call everyone "dog" and say "that's dope" (I'm not talking about what's in the baggy) it means basically "that's cool" but it sounds cooler. Then again, I'm 35 so nevermind.
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let's face it: no matter what you do you're going to sound like a dink. Embrace your dinkiness.
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I hope you're joking. I am a teenager and I think it's annoying when adults try to sound "hip". Someguy, I think your communication skills are awesome on here. Perhaps you should just talk to them like you talk to us.
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haha, whatever you do .. DO NOT try to talk like them, they'll laugh and think you're trying to hard .. just talk like yourself :)
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Depending on your age. I.E. anyone over 30 your going to sound stupid to them even if you know the lingo. I'm 28 and my little sis is 16. Its like we speak a different lanquage but if I know something she does shes completely weirded out by it. The best thing you can do though is don't worry about sounding hip. You need to know the culture. Music, clothes, and tv shows. That wasn't supposed to rhyme but if you know all that how you sound won't matter.
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These are teenagers, they will see what you are trying to do right off the bat. They don't like for older people to try to act like them, they will make fun of you, and you will not gain their trust or respect! To be able to even talk to them you have to be honest and sincere, and it takes time. They know fakes. Don't do this to yourself, don't set yourself up! Be yourself, you are there because you want to be, enjoy them, let them be who they are and you be who you are! You are a cool guy!!!!!!!!! Just be you! You'll have them trying to act like you!!!!!!!!!YOU are AWSOME, don't try to be someone else!
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Ok don't try to impress them, don't try to be different to what you are because we can tell when someone is trying to imress or fit in. Be funny if you can so that they will respect you...
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You don't need to SOUND "hip". Just be yourself. If they say something, ask them to explain it, cuz then they are teaching you and then they are happy and think you're cool.
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No offense but you sound like a "dink" now, whatever that is. Just speak normally. If you try to talk like young adults you'll sound pretyt lame. Just let you be you, I'm sure they'll like you. Just try to be there for them, listen to them, and give advice. They'l talk your ear off when they need to vent.
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Be yourself, talk like yourself, be true to yourself..And don't treat the teenagers like kids or idiots and you should get along quite nicely.
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