Words eight year olds use to say something is great......

[Claire224]

Hi everyone!
I’m hoping you lovely ladies might be able to help me out with a query. I’m a writer and am currently writing a novel with an eight and a half year old girl as a central character. I don’t have children myself and am struggling to find some words of dialogue that sound authentic coming from a girl of that age. I need some words she would use to say something is great or good. The book is set in Manchester so any northern dialect terms that children use would also be appreciated. I probably say things like ‘that’s fab’ or ‘ace’ (that last one is the northerner in me!) but what do young school kids say these days?
Likewise, any terms for things they don’t like (a way to say ‘that’s awful’) would also be a huge help.
Thank you so much, I’d be really grateful for any advice!
Best wishes,
Claire

They say "lit" in this house.

Mine says ‘awesome’. We are not American.

'Sick' is a current one in my house as well as 'mind blown'
Also the word 'yeet' used for excitement and to throw something.

Just saw the second part of your post asking for words instead of ‘awful’. Mine says gross - see above disclaimer - and disgusting with the emphasis on the ‘g’ ie disGUSTing.

DS 8 has offered "cool", "epic" and "sicc". HTH.

Sick = good
Gross/rubbish/disgusting = bad

For awful "eurgh", "gross" and "nasty".

My 8 yr old DD says “what kind of thing?”...!

For something good, I think she says “that’s cool”. She never says “lit”, “ace” or “fab”.

For awful, I think she just says “oh no!” or “that’s bad”. Or “that’s awful”.

Might depend where your character lives. We’re SE England.

“Beast” or “sick”

She would say “gross” but only for things which are yucky (her sister’s half pulled out tooth, mould on the jam, that kind of thing).

We have 'sic' DD 8 and her friends also say great things are 'sassy'.
Awful things are simply 'rank' and people are 'noobs'.

(Sorry - just seen your character is in Manchester!)

‘Epic’ for the positive stuff here!

Londoner dd says soooo cool/amazing/awesome. And practically anything is sooooo hilarious....
Epic, she uses, but never heard her say ace, lit or fab.

Sick and epic here

My son is three but he says “primo!”

It made me feel really uncool and old

Cool is another one here too.

Not Manchester though.

Mine doesn't use any! I wouldn't mind cool or awesome.

I really wouldn't like "boss", "sick" or "gross"

We're Manchester south - awesome is popular, too much Netflix. DisGUSTing also popular here.

Awesome, cool or epic. Often with literally as a qualifier, meaning really - though he then saw the mighty DanTDM explain the actual meaning of literally, and since then he stopped using it :o

OP Just thought of something that might help you get in tune with 8 year olds....

......a few episodes of Horrid Henry?!

Oh but mine is a DS - don't have any girls so not sure if they say different words.

“Sick” , or “so cool” , 8 year old girl in the North West

Manchester you say? Well then it’s ‘mint!’

“Bloody brilliant”- but he was watching too much Harry Potter!!