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New Yorkers pride ourselves on knowing the difference between deadass and brick, what it means to be mad something and why “the city” refers to exactly one borough. But apparently, the internet has been busy inventing an entirely new vocabulary behind our backs.
A new analysis of Google searches has revealed the slang words New Yorkers are most desperately trying to decipher in 2026, and the No. 1 term is… “chud.” We regret to inform you that we’ve never heard of it either.
According to a study from word-game site Unscramble Words, “chud” was the most-searched slang term in New York, beating out “larping,” “bird,” “chopped” and “unc.” The term is generally used as an insult for a foolish, obnoxious or unpleasant person, particularly an online troll or someone otherwise behaving badly. Yes, you can now call the person watching TikToks at full volume on the subway a chud. Isn't language beautiful?
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The rest of the top five requires varying degrees of internet fluency. “Larping” may be familiar as the acronym for live-action role-playing, but online it’s also used to accuse someone of pretending to be something they’re not or faking a particular persona or lifestyle. (Think of the guy who posts one blurry photo from Soho House and then spends six months larping as a member.)
“Bird,” meanwhile, can refer to someone behaving foolishly in a romantic relationship, while “chopped” is an unflattering way of calling someone unattractive. It has, sadly, nothing to do with chopped cheese. And then there’s “unc,” short for uncle, which is used to tease someone perceived as old or out of touch.
Of course, slang has always changed quickly and New York has contributed more than its fair share of words and phrases to the American vocabulary. What’s different now is the speed at which internet language can jump from a niche corner of TikTok or social media into everyday conversation—and then disappear just as quickly.
For now, at least, you can consider yourself caught up. And if you already knew what “chud” meant before reading this, please enjoy your youth while it lasts. “Unc” comes for us all eventually.