Word deep-dives

Online, "I fear" is a mock-formal tag meaning "I reluctantly admit this is true," as in she ate, I fear. In formal English it still means real worry.

Rumble is slang for a fight, especially a street fight between rival groups. It sounds dated and movie-like, and "wanna rumble?" can be a real challenge or a joke.

Yaas is an emphatic, drawn-out "yes" for excitement and approval, usually praise for how someone looks or what they did. Yas and yasss mean the same.

Acting Hollywood means acting famous or too good for ordinary people, usually after something good happened to you. It is a mild insult or a tease.

Serving is a compliment for presenting a look, attitude or performance with confidence and flair, as in serving looks or serving face. It is praise, not a criticism.

In South African slang, a chop is a silly or foolish person. Friends use it as a playful tease, so "my chop" is closer to "my silly friend" than to "my mate".

Girlypop is a playful, usually affectionate word for a friend, most often a girl or woman. It can also describe a deliberately feminine, cute style.

Goated is strong praise for someone or something exceptional, built from GOAT, "greatest of all time". In everyday use it usually means one of the best.

Goon, gooning and gooner are vulgar internet slang for prolonged masturbation without finishing, usually with porn. Older meanings are a thug or a fool.

Chronically online describes someone whose outlook and language seem shaped by internet culture. Said to you it is a putdown; said about yourself it is often a joke.

Diabolical means evil or extremely bad, but online it is often a grinning reaction to a clever prank or an outrageous move. What it is aimed at tells you which.

"I see you" is slang for "I noticed that, and I respect it," said about a look, a confident move or an achievement. Tone and the sender decide how warm it is.