This 'Very Demure' List Includes NJ's Most-Searched Slang Words

NEW JERSEY — Do your plans for the day involve something katz or will you spend it feeling schmaltz? Maybe you'll decide to watch skibidi videos with a sigma you know.

If you don't know what those words mean, New Jersey, you're not alone.

A new analysis of search data for 2024 by Unscrambeler.com revealed the most searched-for slang words in New Jersey. Researchers used Google Trends to determine which words sent Garden State residents straight to their search bar.

"The English language is ever-changing. Every year new slang words are created. Many slang words are born through trending topics and viral videos on social media," an Unscrambeler.com spokesperson said in a news release. "However, only few manage to stick around long enough to be added to the dictionary and remain in daily use."

According to the analysis, these are the top 10 most-searched slang words in New Jersey and what they mean:

1. Demure (260,000 searches): Reserved, modest or shy in manner or appearance.

"The TikTok user Jools Lebron made a series of viral videos using the phrase 'very demure,'" the analysis says. "This trend gave the word a playful slang meaning. She uses it to assess appropriate makeup and fashion choices in various settings."

2. Sigma (220,000 searches): Refers to an independent, self-reliant person who operates outside traditional social hierarchies, often described as a "lone wolf."

3. Skibidi (205,000 searches): Refers to a viral internet trend featuring surreal, animated videos of singing toilets and dancing heads, popularized on platforms like TikTok for its bizarre humor.

4. Hawk tuah (180,000 searches): Imitative of a spitting sound. The catchphrase originates from a viral street interview conducted in June 2024 with Haliey Welch, who offered an oral sex tip imitative of a spitting sound.

5. Sobriquet (105,000 searches): A nickname or descriptive name given to a person or thing. Borrowed from French sobriquet (nickname).

6. Schmaltz (65,000 searches): Refers to excessive sentimentality or melodrama. Often used for art, movies, music or storytelling if there is too much sappiness.

7. Sen (50,000 searches): Slang for self.

8. Katz (34,000 searches): A term for anything enjoyable, fun or pleasing. It can also mean "yes."

9. Oeuvre (25,000 searches): Refers to the complete works produced by an artist, writer or composer. A word used by literature professors to express superiority.

10. Preen (20,000 searches): Slang for a child who tries to act like a teenager by wearing teen clothes or makeup.

"Slang words are a normal and fun evolution of language," the Unscrambeler.com spokesperson said. "We encourage everyone to learn some new words and surprise their children by using them."