For a sister duo, a sunny day isn’t cold – it’s “Chilean sea bass.” And for a couple, they don’t get deliveries – they “I received a package.”
These phrases may be unusual to the average person, but for some couples they are common sayings.
Best friends, siblings, and couples are sharing their inside jokes and shared language on TikTok. Nicknamed “friend dictionaries” and sometimes couple or sister dictionaries, these words reveal the secret languages people have with those closest to them.
The trend features videos of duos testing their slang. Each person has to guess the term the other writes for them.
TikTok creator Chelsea Lefkowitz posted five videos with her sister Amanda Paige guessing the unique slang they share, racking up over 11 million total views.
Viewers commented which terms were their favorites, including “nosetta” for a nosy person or “committed projectile” for plans they can’t cancel.
“I feel like it’s a universal experience that most sisters, brothers, or best friend duos can relate to,” Lefkowitz said. “It’s kind of instinctual, especially for me and my sister. We have a shared history. It’s easy for us to develop inside jokes and references and we have a unique way of communicating.”
Nicole Holliday, assistant professor of linguistics at Pomona College, said the trend exemplifies how “any community of people who regularly interact with each other will present shorthand or references to past events.”
“It’s establishing your proximity or your role in the community,” Holliday said. “I’m in on the joke. You’re in on the joke.
Inside jokes and slang can also evoke feelings of nostalgia.
“It reminds you of past experiences you’ve had together, which also makes the relationship easier,” Holliday said.
It’s establishing your proximity or your role in the community.
Nicole Holliday, assistant professor of linguistics at Pomona College
People like the trend because it reminds them of how connected they are to their loved ones, according to Holliday.
Shared jokes and language require people to “know something about each other,” she said.
The reminders of connection and closeness are also likely to appeal to audiences given the ongoing epidemic of loneliness and feelings of isolation following Covid-19 lockdowns.
“It makes them feel like they belong with family or friends,” Holliday said.
Jedson Tavernier and Jade Smith, who make content for couples on TikTok, made two videos participating in the trend which received a total of over 19 million views. Viewers have noticed that they use funny voices and accents, as well as slang, which many relate to their own partners.
Tavernier said the videos are relatable and humanizing, which is refreshing on social media, where audiences often forget that creators are people too.
“These types of videos that break down that wall and break down that barrier, where people are like, ‘Wow, they’re literally just like us,’ are really good for everyone,” he said.
Smith said he thinks people like the trend because it shows how being silly with your loved ones is a universal experience.
“Everyone has their own shared language and I think that makes you see everyone [as] really human,” she said. “I love it. I just think it’s so fun to see everyone do what we do.”
This story originally appeared on NBCNews.com read the full story
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