It’s brat summer when we use slang expressions from Generation Z | Language

As a 17-year-old, I can attest that my friends and I regularly “rawdog” car rides without headphones, school days without pencil cases, or tests without retaking (How did “rawdogging” become part of polite conversation?, August 21). In this unprecedented world of social media, slang spreads like wildfire—but is it any wonder when now more than ever we need expressions to laugh at?

It was “Give disrespect” when Rishi Sunak advocated that we do a year of national service. It was “reserved terrifying” as far-right unrest spread across England. “Rawdogging” and other expressions may be the result of “semantic bleaching” – but they are also about processing what is happening around us in a way that instantly brings us together.

That’s why it was a smart move for Kamala Harris’ campaign to use the term “Brat Summer.” Brat Summer is a sentiment that’s hard to describe, but instantly understandable to those in the know. It was Brat Summer when my girlfriend and I went to our local bar just for cheese chips – and now it’s Brat Summer when Kamala fights for abortion rights.

When you mention things like Brat Summer among friends, there’s a special kind of mutual understanding that’s developed over months of conversations, both online and face-to-face. It’s something young people have been doing since long before social media existed: reveling in our shared experience.

Our slang as Generation Z may seem a little ridiculous, but I believe it brings us together in a time of division. If the government is concerned about the number of students failing their GCSE English exams, I think reforming the curriculum to both reflect and welcome the language we speak today would be a good place to start. After all, the study of English should embrace the beauty of expression – in whatever form that takes.
Mia Pitts
Marlborough, Wiltshire