EN⚫ Welcome to Your English Toolbox, your Slow English Podcast where we train your ears step by step.
EPISODE 18 · 12 MIN · SLANG & IDIOMS
Slang Expressions Nobody Teaches You Ep1
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EN⚫ I am Martin.
EN⚫ Thank you for joining me today.
EN⚪ And I am Julia.
EN⚪ We are really happy that you are here with us for a new episode.
EN⚫ Before we begin, I want to ask you one simple favour.
EN⚫ If you learn something new today, please leave a comment after listening.
EN⚫ Your comments show the platforms that our community is alive, real, and growing.
EN⚫ This support helps us reach more people and keeps this project alive every week.
EN⚪ Let me ask you something.
EN⚪ Do you understand everything native speakers say when they talk fast?
EN⚪ Or are there moments when you hear English but it suddenly feels like another language?
EN⚪ Maybe you understand every individual word, but not the meaning.
EN⚪ Maybe you hear young people speaking and think, “What are they talking about?”
EN⚫ If that happens to you, this episode will help you a lot.
EN⚫ Because today we talk about modern slang and new expressions that change quickly.
EN⚫ These expressions are everywhere on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, series, and everyday conversations.
EN⚫ But most teachers do not teach them.
EN⚫ And traditional textbooks ignore them.
EN⚪ The result is simple.
EN⚪ You understand the grammar.
EN⚪ You understand vocabulary.
EN⚪ But when someone says, “No cap, he has zero rizz,” you feel lost. ⚪ And that is completely normal.
EN⚫ So today we slow down.
EN⚫ We break everything into clear examples.
EN⚫ We show you how native speakers use these expressions naturally.
EN⚫ And we help you build confidence so you can understand modern English without fear.
EN⚪ Let us start with a scene you might recognize.
EN⚪ Imagine you walk into a café in New York.
EN⚪ You order your coffee and sit down at a small table near the window.
EN⚪ Behind you, two young people are talking quickly.
EN⚪ Their conversation sounds like this.
EN⚫ “Bro, he has zero rizz.
EN⚫ No cap.
EN⚫ She was high-key into him, and he still fumbled.”
EN⚪ You listen, and you understand the individual words.
EN⚪ But the meaning is a mystery.
EN⚪ You think, “Did they just change the language completely?”
EN⚫ The answer is no. ⚫ They are speaking English.
EN⚫ But they are using modern slang.
EN⚪ And today you will understand all of it.
EN⚫ Our first expression is rizz.
EN⚫ Rizz means charisma when you talk to someone you like.
EN⚫ It means charm.
EN⚫ It means having a confident energy that attracts people.
EN⚪ If someone “has rizz,” they know how to flirt or speak smoothly.
EN⚪ They have emotional intelligence in social situations.
EN⚫ And if someone has zero rizz, the opposite is true.
EN⚫ They feel shy.
EN⚫ They say strange things.
EN⚫ They do not know how to approach someone they like.
EN⚪ There is also unspoken rizz.
EN⚪ This means that a person is attractive without speaking.
EN⚪ They have a style or presence that communicates confidence naturally.
EN⚫ Mini-scene.
EN⚫ Imagine you like someone at a party.
EN⚫ You walk toward them and say, “Hey, how’s it going?” ⚫ You smile, you speak calmly, and you make them feel comfortable.
EN⚫ Your friend looks at you and says, “Wow, you have rizz today.”
EN⚪ Our second expression is no cap.
EN⚪ No cap means “no lie.” ⚪ It means “I am being honest.” ⚪ It is a way to say that something is true.
EN⚫ For example.
EN⚫ “Your pronunciation is getting better, no cap.” ⚫ That means “I am telling the truth.”
EN⚪ The opposite is cap.
EN⚪ Cap means “lie” or “that is not true.” ⚪ If someone says something unbelievable, you can respond, “That’s cap.”
EN⚫ This expression is extremely common between young people.
EN⚫ It makes conversations faster.
EN⚫ It adds emotion and personality to the message.
EN⚪ Mini-scene.
EN⚪ A friend tells you, “I studied for 10 hours yesterday.” ⚪ You know he never studies.
EN⚪ You look at him and say, “Bro, that’s cap.”
EN⚫ Deadass means “seriously.” ⚫ It means “I am not joking.” ⚫ It can express strong truth, strong emotion, or strong surprise.
EN⚪ Example one.
EN⚪ “I am deadass hungry.” ⚪ This means “I am really hungry.”
EN⚫ Example two.
EN⚫ “You walked five kilometers in the rain, deadass?” ⚫ This means “Seriously?”
EN⚪ Deadass has intensity.
EN⚪ It can sound dramatic, but in a fun way.
EN⚫ Mini-scene.
EN⚫ Imagine you tell your friend, “I woke up at 4 a.m. to study English.” ⚫ Your friend looks at you and says, “Deadass?” ⚫ He cannot believe it.
EN⚪ Bet is fast, simple, and extremely useful.
EN⚪ Bet means “okay,” “sure,” “I agree,” or “let’s do it.”
EN⚫ It is a positive reaction.
EN⚫ It feels confident.
EN⚫ It is common in quick conversations and group chats.
EN⚪ Example.
EN⚪ “I will send you the notes later.” ⚪ “Bet.”
EN⚫ Another example.
EN⚫ “Do you want to meet at seven?” ⚫ “Bet.”
EN⚪ Mini-scene.
EN⚪ Your friend says, “Let’s watch that new show tonight.” ⚪ You answer, “Bet.” ⚪ Simple.
EN⚪ Clear.
EN⚪ Friendly.
EN⚫ Low-key means secretly, quietly, or a little bit.
EN⚫ It is used when you do not want to express something strongly.
EN⚪ Example.
EN⚪ “I low-key want to travel alone this year.” ⚪ It means you are not announcing it loudly, but the idea is inside you.
EN⚫ High-key is the opposite.
EN⚫ High-key means openly, clearly, strongly.
EN⚪ Example.
EN⚪ “I high-key love this podcast.” ⚪ That means you really love it and you do not hide it.
EN⚫ Mini-scene.
EN⚫ You try a new dessert, and it tastes amazing.
EN⚫ You whisper, “I low-key want another one.” ⚫ But five minutes later you say loudly, “Actually, I high-key love this.”
EN⚪ Now let us combine everything in a short story.
EN⚪ Listen carefully and try to notice the slang expressions.
EN⚫ Yesterday I met a friend at the gym.
EN⚫ He wanted to talk to a girl he liked, but he had zero rizz.
EN⚫ He looked nervous.
EN⚪ I told him, “Just breathe.
EN⚪ You got this.” ⚪ But he said, “Deadass, I am terrified.”
EN⚫ The girl walked by and smiled at him.
EN⚫ High-key she was interested.
EN⚫ It was obvious.
EN⚪ My friend tried to speak.
EN⚪ He opened his mouth.
EN⚪ No words came out.
EN⚪ Zero rizz.
EN⚫ He dropped his water bottle.
EN⚫ He said, “I low-key want to disappear right now.”
EN⚪ I laughed and said, “You will be fine.
EN⚪ Just try again later.”
EN⚫ After a few minutes he walked toward her again.
EN⚫ He said, “Hey, I like your training routine.
EN⚫ No cap.”
EN⚪ She laughed.
EN⚪ They started talking.
EN⚪ She said she wanted to get coffee after her workout.
EN⚫ My friend looked at me with wide eyes.
EN⚫ He whispered, “Bet.” ⚫ And then he smiled like the happiest person in the world.
EN⚪ That tiny conversation used rizz, zero rizz, deadass, no cap, low-key, high-key, and bet.
EN⚪ Now you have seen them in action.
EN⚪ And now they live in your memory much more clearly.
EN⚫ Let us practice quickly.
EN⚫ I say a sentence.
EN⚫ You think of the meaning.
EN⚪ “He has rizz.” ⚪ It means he has charm and confidence.
EN⚫ “No cap.” ⚫ It means no lie.
EN⚪ “Deadass?” ⚪ It means seriously?
EN⚫ “Bet.” ⚫ It means okay or agreed.
EN⚪ “I low-key like this.” ⚪ It means secretly or quietly.
EN⚫ “I high-key hate waiting in lines.” ⚫ It means very strongly.
EN⚪ Today you learned seven modern expressions.
EN⚪ Rizz.
EN⚪ Zero rizz.
EN⚪ No cap.
EN⚪ Cap.
EN⚪ Deadass.
EN⚪ Bet.
EN⚪ Low-key.
EN⚪ High-key.
EN⚫ These expressions appear everywhere in modern English.
EN⚫ Now you can understand them naturally.
EN⚪ In the next episode we go deeper with informal phrasal verbs that change meaning depending on the context.
EN⚪ This will help you understand native speakers even better.
EN⚫ If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a comment before you go.
EN⚫ Your comments show the platforms that our community is real, active, and growing.
EN⚫ This support is essential to keep creating new episodes every week.
EN⚫ Tell us which slang expression was new for you or which one surprised you the most.
EN⚪ Thank you for listening.
EN⚪ See you in Episode Two.