Critically acclaimed Buffy the Vampire Slayer is just as well known for its unique slang used throughout the series as it for its well-written characters and storylines. A post-modern take on the ever popular vampire mythos, Buffy the Vampire Slayer‘s slang resonated with its primarily teenage audience by having its characters makes reference to or say things that members of its target demographic would. This not only made the characters feel more believable, but it also ensured the series’ longevity.
Even though Buffy the Vampire Slayer ended twenty years ago, it has since influenced many similar Buffy-inspired shows to continue in a similar lane to it. Moreover, the slang is so unique and specific that it’s hard to think of anything but the show whenever someone makes an offhanded or unintentional reference to the late ’90s sensation. Slang is something that’s ever-evolving, but Buffy the VampireSlayer did such a good job at it that it inspires discussions well after its conclusion.
10 Scully
Referencing X-Files, another popular show based around the occult and other supernatural mysteries, Buffy and co. often refer to being Scullied whenever a running theory about a mission is met with skepticism and heavy resistance. The reference sticks because the Dana Scully character in X-Files is a skeptic, often opting for science and data to explain things over complex theories and beliefs. Being Scullied in Buffy the Vampire Slayer is hilarious because the show seemingly goes out of its way to prove to the characters – and audience, that pretty much anything can happen and that it’s best to keep an open mind.
9 Overshare
Despite not being coined by Buffy the Vampire Slayer, oversharing was a regularly occurring thing in the series as it relates to the idea of sharing too much information. While this might seem fairly innocuous, it actually matters a lot in that many of the phenomena experienced in Buffy the Vampire Slayer requires a bit of discretion so as not to compromise any missions or other sensitive info. In the season 2, episode 6 “Halloween,” beloved character Angel is referred to as someone who is “not exactly one to overshare.” Angel’s strict sharing policy is also one of the reasons the character was so well-received by audiences.
8 Wiggins
“Wiggins” – or in this case, “having the wiggins,” simply refers to any instance of one of the members of the Scooby Gang feeling uncertain or unsafe about a specific location or being. The equivalent to someone getting the heebie geebies, wiggins is also referred to as someone wigging out, catching a case of the wig, or being wigged. The ninth episode of the first season features a moment in which Buffy admits that dolls wig her out by stating, “They give me the wig. Ever since I was little.”
7 Five By Five
With each season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the show continued its trend of adding more diverse slang, thus contributing to the show’s popularity. Sounding like something more suitable for a military drama, characters often used the slang “five by five” as a means of confirming a neutral state of mind or well-being. Rather than saying “we’re good” or “we’re even,” characters would confirm their status with each other by saying “we’re five by five.” A particularly hilarious example occurred in “Faith, Hope & Trick” when Faith warns a human-werewolf that they’ll be five by five so long as he doesn’t hump her leg.
6 Slayage
Always a trailblazer when creating new slang, Buffy the Vampire Slayer‘s characters referring to the dispatching of foes as slayage rather than killed was unique and a great way to get past censors. However, the suffix -age didn’t just pertain to the slaying of demons and werewolves, it was also used when describing a kiss or even a person’s personality – in this case, savage. Known as Buffyspeak throughout the show slayage resonated strongly among viewers and even still exists in the series’ canon today.
5 What’s The Sitch?
Also known simply as “sitch,” a character would often ask “What’s the sitch?” when trying to ascertain the details of a particular situation – hence the name. Another way characters have phrased the slang is “sitch me,” meaning the same thing. Audiences likely guessed the slang would be heard prominently throughout the series as it was heard in the very first episode of the show when Xander asked a classmate what the sitch is regarding Buffy’s arrival at their school. It was an organic way for Buffy the Vampire Slayer to introduce the audience to the slang, and it stuck around well into the series’ final seasons.
4 Scooby Gang
A hard reference to the Hanna-Barbera cartoon Scooby-Doo, Buffy and the rest of the principal cast of characters is referred to as the Scooby Gang. Moreover, referring to the main cast as the Scooby Gang was a great way to establish the different factions that viewers would eventually get to know throughout the series. Despite the members rotating throughout the series, the group’s core values remained the same. This reference would be taken up a notch when star Sarah Michelle Geller would be cast as Daphne in the 2002 live-action Scooby-Doo movie.
3 Pointy
“Pointy” referred to any situation in the show that carried significant meaning and/or purpose. If a character felt like something was pointless, Buffy or another member of the Scooby Gang would insist that it was pointy. This seemingly silly joke actually did a lot of subtle work for Buffy as it displayed how determined and optimistic she was about slaying vampires, and it helped make her a more relatable protagonist. Additionally, she referred to her favorite vamp-slying stake as Mr. Pointy throughout the series.
2 Edge Girl
“Edge Girl” is a play on the It Girl archetype, in other words, it describes someone who has all the textbook qualities and attributes necessary to survive in a horror situation. Not to be confused with the Final Girl tropes symbiotic to most horror movies and shows, the Edge Girl is different in that she still retains her girl-next-door vibes and traits in spite of the dangerous sitchs she often finds herself in. While there have been other protagonists who fit the Edge Girl aesthetic, Buffy Summers arguably is its most famous example of one.
1 Buffy
The name Buffy itself is slang as it likely is a reference to Buffy Sainte-Marie, a prominent Native Canadian folk singer during the ’60s and ’70s whose subjects often touched on the macabre. In the 1992 movie, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Buffy is a stereotypical valley-girl cheerleader before discovering that she’s the chosen one and destined for greatness. While this isn’t touched on much in the show, the 2000 teen comedy Bring It Own sees a group of ditzy cheerleaders referred to as “a bunch of Buffys.” This seems to imply that Buffy could be slang for an airhead in other media, but in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, it means strong Vampire slayer.
