News & Trends Are You a Cheugy Mom? 8 Things Gen Z Says Makes You a Cheug The latest term to come out of TikTok is used to describe anything "non-trendy." And if you're a millennial or Gen X parent, chances are you have some wardrobe and lifestyle choices that have earned you the label. By Maressa Brown Maressa Brown Instagram Twitter Maressa Brown is a seasoned lifestyle journalist, writer, and astrologer. In addition to being a regular contributor to Parents.com, her bylines appear on InStyle, Shape, What to Expect, Cosmopolitan, et al. She is the author of a forthcoming parenting title to be published by Artisan Books in early 2023. A graduate of Emerson College, she's based in Los Angeles. our editorial guidelines Published on May 7, 2021 Share Tweet Pin Email First, Gen Z reportedly deemed millennial-beloved skinny jeans and side parts passé. Now, a whole slew of wardrobe, decor, and behaviors, often beloved by millennial parents, fall under a trending term that's popping up everywhere: cheugy, pronounced "chew-gee." According to Urban Dictionary, cheugy applies to anything that was (for the youth) "stylish in middle school and high school but is no longer in style." Getty Images. Art: Jillian Sellers. But the term has also been traced back to a 24-year-old named Hallie Cain who posted a video about it to TikTok on March 30, according to the New York Times. She explains that it's not quite "basic"—aka conformist or generic—or "uncool." Cheugy doesn't even have to be something to be ashamed of. And while a lot of things that are cheugy also happen to be things that millennial moms might love, anyone, regardless of gender or age, can be cheugy. That said, here are eight things that might mean you should definitely accept, and even embrace, the label. 1. You Love Wooden Signs or Rae Dunn Pottery If your home is brimming with "Live Laugh Love" signs, wooden signs that say things like, "But First Coffee," and other tchotchkes featuring cutesy sayings in Papyrus font, let's face it: You're probably a cheug. 2. You're Just as Infatuated With Disney as Your Kids If you get as excited as your kids to rewatch Moana or Frozen and you're already planning your whole family's outfits for your 2022 trip to Orlando, you're definitely a cheug, according to TikToker Rod. Your Complete Guide to All the TikTok Personas 3. You Think of Yourself as a "Girlboss" Of course you're driven, ambitious, and hardworking. But if you use the hashtag #girlboss, have a mug that says it, or have just used it to describe how you're hitting all your professional goals with a vengeance, you could be cheugy. 4. You're a Big Fan of Cruises That Stop at Atlantis Apparently, the only thing cheugier than a cruise is one that stops at Atlantis in the Bahamas, but hey, who could blame you for just trying to plan a solid winter vacation for your fam? 5. You Love Your 'The Office' and 'Friends' Merch Sorry to say, but your go-to coffee cup that sports the logo from a '90s or '00s sitcom like Friends or The Office is all kinds of cheugy. In fact, as if seeing your favorite shows end up on TV Land didn't already make you feel like an old, apparently, anything related to these dated shows is cheugy. This Mom on TikTok Is Normalizing Science-Based 'Body Talk' With Kids—From Safe Sex to How Periods Work 6. You Use Herbal Essences Shampoo Cain apparently categorizes love for the shampoo line we all loved in the '90s as "cheugy," but how can anyone resist that classic rose hips scent? 7. You Wear Uggs and Giant Scarves Remember when your favorite pair of boots and that wrap scarf were just "basic"? Now, they're "cheugy." 8. You're All About Cheesy Social Media Expressions and Hashtags If you have no shame using Arianna Grande lyrics ("thank u next") or "I did a thing" in your Instagram captions, you can fully embrace your cheuginess right now. But remember what's old is always new again, so if you're intent on loving all things pumpkin spice latte and those supposedly super-cheugy jeans, you're likely just ahead of everyone else embracing its eventual, next eventual wave of popularity. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit