Beth’s daughter, Chloe (Jewel Milag), and Liezel’s (Mary Joy Apostol) son, Joshua (Lawrence dela Cruz), bring the fun factor to “What Lies Beneath” nonstop suspense, with their lively bickering, Chloe’s admirable social awareness, and Joshua’s adorable crush on Alice (Janella Salvador) all on full display.
Together, the besties also enlighten viewers on the generational language that different age groups use across the internet age.
Disclaimer: Before we dive in, it’s important to note that Gen Z and Gen Alpha slang are often used interchangeably, as many terms appear in both generation’s vocabularies. To keep things clear, each term is labelled with when it first became popular to show whether it’s more Gen Z or Gen Alpha.
NO CAP
In the early episodes, Chloe defends her mother, Beth (Charlie Dizon), to her gossiping classmates for staying friends with Mel (Sue Ramirez), despite Mel’s domestic abuse controversy, with Joshua backing her by saying “No cap.”
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the term “No cap” means that something is genuine or true. This has been made famous in Gen Z lingo and is one of several expressions heavily influenced by hip-hop.
There’s no definitive answer on its origins, but the language podcast “A Way With Words,” suggests it likely traces back to “capping,” a game in African American culture from the 1500s, where players recited lines from plays or poetry to outwit each other. Over time, this evolved into a playful contest of trading over-the-top jabs.
BRUH
“Bruh” is the duo’s nickname for each other. The Cambridge Dictionary notes it’s a Gen Alpha word used to casually refer to someone, especially a close friend. To add further context, it grew out of another casual vocabulary, “bro,” which was all the rage in the 2010s—especially in memes on the now-defunct app “Vine.”
Thanks to TikTok, the word has made a comeback in Gen Alpha vocabulary and is now used in almost any situation to express amazement, shock, or confusion, with its meaning shifting based on the conversation.
MID
During a conversation about the looming dangers Edong posed to Amurao, particularly toward her mother Beth and her friends, Chloe emphasized that Edong is just a “mid” who can be dealt with easily.
“Mid” is Gen Z language for something average or unimpressive—or, in Edong’s case, not much of a threat. The often-teasing expression comes from “middle,” implying that something sits squarely between good and bad.
GOAT
Upon watching Erica (Kaila Estrada) provoke Edong (Jake Cuenca) on live TV, Chloe was captivated by the attorney’s fearless attitude, which had earned her an indestructible reputation in the legal field. As Chloe learns more about the pasts of Erica, Louisa (Mutya Orquia), and Beth (Charlie Dizon), she notices the similarities between them—their refusal to let others belittle them—and dubs them as the GOATs.
“GOAT” is a Gen Z buzzword meaning “Greatest of All Time.” It originated in sports culture, initially used—sometimes ironically—to refer to athletes who missed a winning shot, as noted by Sports Illustrated.
Over time, however, the term has taken on a positive connotation beyond the sports scene, describing anyone who is exceptionally skilled. The New York Times even highlighted the origins of the term, starting with the legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, who famously called himself the greatest in the boxing world.
SLAY
In the same episode and clip where the “G.O.A.T.” origins were mentioned, Chloe excitedly repeated the term “Slay,” completely amused by the bravery and fighting spirit of Beth, along with Erica and Louisa, back when they were all young and the best of friends.
Among its definitions, The Cambridge Dictionary also lists “Slay” as a Gen Z term used to praise someone or something in a positive way, meaning extremely good or impressive.
For deeper context, The Daily Californian explained that “Slay” originated in the 1970s within Black and Latino LGBTQ+ ballroom culture as a shorthand for “you killed it,” praising remarkable attitude, style, and performance. Over the years, the term has crossed into mainstream usage, often as a compliment for eye-catching fashion, confidence, or excellence, as in: “Slay, queen!”
SHOOK
When Chloe sustained an injury and returned to Amurao High, she revealed an unexpected truth to Joshua, describing herself as “shook” upon realizing their pursuer was the notorious Edong Santiago.
This Gen Z vernacular means being “deeply surprised” by something unexpected. Though it emerged from Old English, according to Dictionary.com, the term is derived from the past tense of “shake” and became prominent in 1990s hip-hop culture, where it was used as a standalone adjective to describe intense, discombobulated emotions.
SKIBIDI
Probably the most perplexing of the bunch, Chloe, Joshua, and the other students often nicknamed the frightening Edong “Skibidi,” a phrase that is fairly new on the internet and even confuses some Gen Zers.
“Skibidi” is a Gen Alpha term that has no literal meaning and is often used humorously for its nonsensical nature. It originated from the popular 2023 YouTube series “Skibidi Toilet,” which depicts living toilets at war, and has since taken the internet by storm.
SUS
In one of the show’s rare comic relief scenes, Chloe declares that whatever Joshua says is “sus,” especially when he introduces himself as her best friend to his new crush, Alice.
This Gen Alpha term is a shortened form of “suspicious” and gained popularity through the game “Among Us,” where the players called “crewmates” would work together to identify the traitors, or impostors, among them. Because of this, netizens began using “sus” to call out anyone they found suspicious, inside and outside the internet.
CRINGE
On an eventful night, as Chloe and Joshua were walking down the street toward Alice’s house and discussing their plans to investigate Louisa’s death, Chloe used the Gen Z expression “cringe” to refer to Joshua’s outspoken crush on Alice.
In the words of Urban Dictionary, “cringe” refers to feelings of embarrassment and awkwardness, usually experienced by an observer upon witnessing someone they perceive as such. Internet and comedy culture have summed it up as the experience of secondhand embarrassment or even empathy, as noted by The Swaddle, with viewers relating to the awkward situations they witness.
Did we miss any on the list? Share your slang discoveries from each episode of “What Lies Beneath,” airing weeknights on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), A2Z, and iWant.