I was talking to my partner the other day and he asked me a question and I responded “Perf!” and I realized I unironically use that word when I used to use it in moderate jest.

I think I first heard of it in the Official Preppy Handbook (which I read in junior high, I believe), but I’d never heard anyone say it in reality until I heard my partner’s mom say it. She sounded so peppy and positive and I was like, I, TOO, WILL SAY PERF.

So I started saying PERF and somewhere along the line, I started saying it sincerely and here we are.

Another word I find myself using is YOLO. I know YOLO is an acronym but I started saying it in jest while playing games and, again, somewhere along the line, I started using it seriously. If you had asked me a year ago if I would be saying YOLO sincerely, I would have laughed. Yet here we are.

The same can be said for HYPE.

Every year, twice a year, an event called GDQ (Games Done Quick) happens; it’s a video game speedrunning marathon for charity. I adore watching it and, often, when donations are read, they involve the word HYPE. Also, in the video game community, many of us are not immune to new release HYPE.

I now say HYPE.

Just this week I said HYPE about something and not even as part of a sentence.

Growing up I used to really dislike the word RAD for some reason and, some time in the past ten years, I just warmed right up to it. Now I say RAD all the time.

I grew up in the ’80s and I still remember when I was starting to hear the word FRESH. To me, FRESH was always fruit and bread and other types of food, but never a haircut or outfit. Now FRESH can be anything.

In the Baby-Sitters Club books, they have their own slang, one term being DIBBLY, which is short for INCREDIBLY. So sometimes the girls will say something is DIBBLY FRESH.

I have yet to say the word DIBBLY out loud or use it sincerely. Or ironically. DIBBLY just isn’t a word I’m using.

I can’t even believe I’m writing about this. Good lord.

Back to FRESH.

I’ve actually caught myself saying something was FRESH TO DEATH and I was like WHO EVEN AM I?

I use DOPE all the time now, as in THAT’S DOPE AS HELL. For a stretch of time, a profile image I used was a neon sign that said DOPE. I liked that image.

I like words. I especially like certain words. Some words feel like they sound and I like that, too. Words like SPLASH or COCOON. Words like COTTON CANDY. Words like ROLLER COASTER. Words like AMUSEMENT PARK.

What a weird piece.

With that I ask: are there words you used to use ironically that you now use sincerely? If so, which words? Which words do you especially like in general?

Please be safe out there, friends. Cheers.