28 Words That Have A Totally Different Meaning When You're A Twentysomething

Young, beautiful, and broke.

1. "Single"

Fox / Via s3.amazonaws.com

What it normally means: You're not in a relationship.

What it means when you're a twentysomething: You're not in a relationship AND you're constantly reminded of that fact by your friends and family, especially your mother.

2. "Grocery Shopping"

Film District

What it normally means: Going to the food store to buy food aka sustenance for the week.

What it means when you're a twentysomething: Getting a box of mac n' cheese, Oreos, and a bottle of wine because you're "broke."

3. "Apartment"

Paramount Pictures / Via s3.amazonaws.com

What it normally means: A singular living unit in a larger building complex.

What it means when you're a twentysomething: It's probably the size of a closet and where most of your money that you make goes.

4. "Netflix"

Netflix / Via oitnb.tumblr.com

What it normally means: A streaming service where you can watch your favorite TV shows online.

What it means when you're a twentysomething: Your excuse for every time you don't want to go out on a Friday night.

5. "Broke"

NBC / Via twodumbgirls.tumblr.com

What it normally means: Having NO money.

What it means when you're a twentysomething: You have just enough money to pay for rent, your Netflix, pizza, and booze.

6. "College"

Comedy Central / Via sandandglass.tumblr.com

What it normally means: Four years of higher education, with some fun, friends, and debauchery mixed in.

What it means when you're a twentysomething: THE BEST YEARS OF YOUR LIFE but also the source of your student loans.

7. "IKEA"

BBC / Via huffingtonpost.com

What it normally means: A Swedish furniture company.

What it means when you're a twentysomething: Literally how you decorate your entire house BECAUSE YOU'RE ON A BUDGET.

8. "Work"

my.englishclub.com

What it normally means: What you do for a living, often an office job, normally 9-5, where you spend your weekdays so you can earn money.

What it means when you're a twentysomething: Your miserable introduction to the real world and adulthood, where you probably spend eight soul-sucking hours typing away in a cubicle. And hopefully your Gmail signature looks LEGIT.

9. "Relationship"

E4 / Via s3.amazonaws.com

What it normally means: To be steadily seeing someone you may be developing strong romantic feelings for, if you do not have them already. A sort of amorous commitment, if you will.

What it means when you are a twentysomething: Friends with benefits, at best.

10. "Friends"

HBO / Via s3.amazonaws.com

What it normally means: The people who GET you and you hang out with in a social context.

What it means when you're a twentysomething: The people you have to make a HUGE effort to hang out with and never get to see enough, but when you do, you make it count.

11. "Dating"

TBS / Via s3.amazonaws.com

What it normally means: Seeing attractive people socially with the goal of possibly ending up in a relationship.

What it means when you're a twentysomething: Swiping left on Tinder a lot, with a few booty calls mixed in.

12. "Happy Hour"

Bravo / Via s3.amazonaws.com

What it normally means: A period in the day where you can get drinks at a discount at your local bar.

What it means when you're a twentysomething. Literally the highlight of your day and what gets you through your eight hours of misery at the office.

13. "Brunch"

Sony Pictures Classics / Via s3.amazonaws.com

What it normally means: A meal (hybrid between breakfast and lunch), usually in the late morning or early afternoon, where you can enjoy drinks and food with friends.

What it means when you're a twentysomething: You stave off your hangover for a few more hours and get hammered on mimosas every Sunday with your friends.

14. "Going Out"

MTV / Via s3.amazonaws.com

What it normally means: Grabbing a few drinks with friends.

What it means when you're a twentysomething: Getting tanked on Fridays and Saturdays, pretending you can drink like you're still in college, and getting over your long-ass week.

15. "The News"

TLC / Via s3.amazonaws.com

What it normally means: Staying up-to-date on current events by watching TV like the evening news or CNN, or reading the newspaper.

What it means when you're a twentysomething: Checking Twitter.

16. "Caffeine"

Walt Disney Pictures / Via s3.amazonaws.com

What it normally means: A chemical usually found in beverages like coffee that helps you stay awake.

What it means when you're a twentysomething: What keeps you alive during the work week.

17. "Early"

Showtime / Via s3.amazonaws.com

What it normally means: Happening before a usual or expected time.

What it means when you are a twentysomething: Any time before 10 a.m.

18. "Roommate"

Touchstone / Via s3.amazonaws.com

What it normally means: A person you live with.

What it means when you're a twentysomething: Either your best friend or the cause of 90% of your daily stress, or both.

19. "Laundry"

Australian Broadcasting Corporation / Via s3.amazonaws.com

What it normally means: The physical act of washing and cleaning your clothing.

What it means when you're a twentysomething: You've run out of clean underwear, so it's time to head to the washing machine!

20. "Nap"

BBC / Via brooklynbookgirl.tumblr.com

What it normally means: A short period of sleep meant to refresh and recharge your batteries, often taken in the afternoon.

What it means when you're a twentysomething: Well, you can't take one at work, so it's that time period (like 4 p.m.) when your face is vacant and you can LITERALLY get nothing done because you are so tired.

21. "Lunch"

HBO / Via lifeinhk.tumblr.com

What it normally means: The middle, second meal of the day, normally taken around noon-1 p.m.

What it means when you're a twentysomething: An excuse to get out of the office for around half an hour and spend $10 on an overpriced sandwich.

22. "Wine"

ABC / Via s3.amazonaws.com

What it normally means: An alcoholic beverage made from grapes that you drink socially or with a meal.

What it means when you're a twentysomething: The bottle of two-buck Chuck you drink after work while watching Netflix.

23. "Dinner Party"

HBO / Via s3.amazonaws.com

What it normally means: A social gathering of friends over a meal, sometimes fancy, always fun.

What it means when you're a twentysomething: An attempt to cook food and act like "adults" for the evening, but you'll probably just make mac n' cheese and get wasted.

24. "Cable"

HBO / Via s3.amazonaws.com

What it normally means: Television channels that you have to pay extra for. Like a lot extra for. But hey, you HAVE to have them, right?

What it means when you're a twentysomething: A "borrowed" HBO Go password.

25. "Cleaning"

Walt Disney / Via s3.amazonaws.com

What it normally means: The physical act of making something less messy, removing dirt and clutter, and is usually considered a chore. Involves wiping, washing, and scrubbing.

What it means when you're a twentysomething: Throwing all your dirty dishes in the sink, and spraying a little Windex and wiping down your counter with a paper towel.

26. "Flirting"

CW / Via s3.amazonaws.com

What it normally means: To make your attraction known to someone through talking or physical indicators, in a social context.

What it means when you're a twentysomething: Swiping right on Tinder, then sexting.

27. "Instagram"

20th Century Fox / Via s3.amazonaws.com

What it normally means: A visual social media app where you can apply filters to your photos and then share them with friends.

What it means when you're a twentysomething: It's how you let everyone know that your life is WAY more awesome than it actually is.

28. "Twentysomething"

HBO / Via s3.amazonaws.com

What it normally means: A generation of lazy, entitled young adults who have always been give a "participation ribbon" who now are struggling to make it in the real world.

What it means when you're a twentysomething: It's you and your friends. It's not always easy, but you're a survivor for making it through your twenties — and face it, you're kind of having a blast along the way.