Slang dossier
Bop
Pronounced bop
A word with very different meanings. A song can be “a bop,” meaning catchy and enjoyable. Used about a person, it can be a derogatory, sexualized insult implying promiscuity.
Get the free weekly briefing.
One email a week — what you need to know about your teens world.
Your email goes to Substack under its privacy policy. You may need to finish signup there. Subscribe directly on Substack.
Want more? Go paid: $9/month or $75/year.
In a sentence
How it sounds
Illustrative examples
- “This song is a bop.”
- “People are calling classmates bops in the comments.”
Where teens use it
The habitat
Music reactions in its positive sense; gossip, comment sections and bullying in its insulting sense.
Parent briefing
What parents should know
Ask what or whom the word describes. Enjoying a catchy song is different from sexual shaming. If it targets a classmate, discuss consent, harassment and how to report a pile-on rather than repeating the insult.
Keep decoding
Related terms
Get the free weekly briefing.
One email a week — what you need to know about your teens world.
Your teen won’t explain it. We will.
Your email goes to Substack under its privacy policy. You may need to finish signup there. Subscribe directly on Substack.
Want more? Go paid: $9/month or $75/year.