Teenglish jargon is phat with parents

Listen, rents, if you want to be phat with the kids, here are some new nang words you can floss with, writes Women's Editor Maria Cusine.

Yes, teenagers may be cringeing at this, but an online dictionary of 'teenglish' has been published to help parents better understand what their youngsters are talking about.

The guide explains such terms as tight (close), blud (friend), phat (cool), floss (show off), nang (brilliant) and rents (parents).

The jargon-buster website contains almost a hundred definitions for words commonly used by teenagers but until now incomprehensible to their parents.

Among them is chirps, or to chat up; dry, or boring; nang, which translates as brilliant; and off the hook - a phrase to describe something as excellent.

Devised by the charity Parentline Plus, the gotateenager website was created to help parents understand their children better and remove the language barrier.

They spent months talking to parents and teenagers about the latest slang before compiling the online dictionary of 96 words from bare - meaning many - to wagwaan, or what's going on?

Nikola Mann, who helped create the site, said: "It makes you realise how out of touch you can get when you read some of the words teenagers are using now.

"The jargon buster is simply light-hearted and fun, but it was actually something parents asked us for when we were designing the site.

"One of the main messages we're trying to get across is that the key to a good relationship between parents and teenagers is communication and the jargon buster is all about improving that."

The website also includes a host of features, from e-learning modules and courses in dealing with drug and alcohol use to an online comic book with storylines and scenarios familiar to many teens.

Topics covered include drugs, sex, bullying, boundaries, health, school and self-confidence. The site also boasts blogs, message boards, stories, a texting service with tips and information, and a live web TV show. The first of four shows will go online on Monday.

It also hopes to give the likes of Facebook a run for its money by giving the parents of teens the chance to chat online and support one another.

Maureen Pearson, an area manager for Parentline Plus, added: "Parents of primary school children enjoy a network of support and friendship that is lost when their children make the transition to secondary school.

"Gotateenager.org.uk plugs that gap by creating an online community for parents of teenagers."

By Maria Cusine