Why kids are starting to 'yap' like their grandparents

Keeping up with Gen Z slang can feel like decoding a secret language. But some of the buzziest words right now aren't new at all.

The American Dialect Society has named its words of the year for 2025 and it appears that old-school gems like 'yap', 'skedaddle', even 'diabolical' are making a comeback.

So why are old words suddenly cool again? What makes slang cycle back around? And what does that say about the way language – and generations – reinvent themselves?