Slang terms have never been more popular with a wider audience of speakers. The omnipresence of social media is the most powerful vehicle behind this technological-linguistic trend. That’s why we have ideated Lingo Watch – a series of articles that discuss modern slang trends becoming viral thanks to social media and global users. Initially started within the Day Translations blog, it has been recently relocated to the Day Interpreting website. We have prepared some recent and relevant topics about the currently popular slang terms in online communication for the time ahead.
The center of our interest today is to explain the term bussin. Once we get the bussin meaning defined, we will discuss its pop-culture usage and its potential in the future.
Bussin Meaning Explained
The word bussin is closely related to exceeding expectations or surpassing the initial goal. It originally comes from African American slang and is closely related to the verb to bust, meaning to go beyond the expected. In simpler terms, bussin’ means achieving something extraordinary, amazing.
Also, bussin’ is one of the slang terms gone viral thanks to the increased popularity of TikTok and Instagram. Zoomers – members of Generation Z, born between 1997 and 2012 – have embraced the bussin meaning, and started using it in their everyday communication. Young people do that; just remember the very-mindful-very-demure trend that had a similar impact on the daily communication in social media.
However, the bussin slang didn’t stay within the boundaries of online communication. Many younger people now use bussin in everyday communication to address anything, from describing food and events to depicting objects with words.
How Much Do Older Generations Use Bussin?
In a nutshell: not too much. As a matter of fact, the parents belonging to Generation X – born between 1961 and 1980 – might first ask you to define bussin. Many of them don’t know what is bussin in the first place, so it’s not highly likely they’d use it. However, this doesn’t mean that Gen Xers don’t use TikTok and Instagram. Sprout Social reports that some 42% of people from Generation X use TikTok. So, it’s not the potential lack of exposure to social media that might prevent this generation from using this vernacular term. After all, many of them are highly likely to use the term vibe check, which has now become a general expression for various contexts throughout Generation X, Millennials, and Zoomers.
The thing with bussin – similarly to no cap – is that it’s also part of the modern hip hop culture. And while a Jane or John Doe born in 1972 used to jam to the sound of Public Enemy in the late 1980s, they probably don’t follow the present-day hip hop scene, at least not as far as adopting slang. This detachment from the music their children listen to is often the main reason why parents ask themselves, “What does bussin mean?”.
Kids and teenagers, on the other hand, quickly embrace colloquial terms and start using them. The main idea here is to differentiate from older, parental generations through the language they use and the music they listen to.
Bussin with the Boys
It’s interesting how viral words and slang terms spread across the Web and become household names. This sociolinguistic phenomenon is possible now more than ever before thanks to the use of technology in communication.
A similar thing happened with the term bussin, which started its new, separate life when the Bussin’ with the Boys podcast was launched in 2019. Hosted by two ex-NFL stars, Taylor Lewan and Will Compton, it has become a household name among podcasts when it comes to covering NFL topics. This podcast was a refreshing mixture of typically humorous discussions about the NFL affairs and other pop culture and life topics. Also, Bussin with the Boys is one of the first podcasts that became a well-known Internet program among a wider audience. But here’s the plot twist: the podcast was started in the back of a bus. This is where the pun related to the term bussin’ came from in the first place.
New Bussin with the Boys Contract
Since the hosts are former NFL players, it wasn’t hard for them to talk to some exclusive guests from the NFL. Also, they have changed their sponsors a few times, going for a better offer every time up to now. The recent Bussin with the Boys contract the hosts signed with the FanDuel company in January 2025 is a $30-million partnership. What’s more, this podcast will be broadcast on ESPN, starting in the fall of 2025, i.e., it’s already there as we speak. Those who want to take part in bussin’ with the boys can find them on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, as well.
Keep on Bussin in the Free World
Neil Young sang Rockin’ in the Free World in 1989. Little did he know how free the world would actually become by 2025 (at least in terms of global online communication). Like every other popular social media slang term, bussin is already used by millions of people worldwide. Thanks to its pop-culture references, such as the aforementioned podcast, the longevity of this phrase will be even longer. As new hot slang terms are being coined as we speak, we can say only this: keep on bussin’ in the free world, expanding the linguistic liberties with every new slang word.
Pavle has a decade and a half of linguistic experience, first as an ESL teacher, then as a translator and interpreter. In the last third of his career quest so far, he has turned to content marketing, as the most exciting branch of applied linguistics.
Having worked as a content specialist and editor while following the latest linguistic and tech trends, he has specialised in bringing the current affairs in the lingtech sector to the spotlight.
When he’s not crafting his briefs and drafts, and writing his stuff, he likes to pluck a chord or two on his old guitar, or just go to a pub quiz; a father of three, a husband of one.
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