Quick one - do today's 10-year-olds say "yikes!"

[snowleopard]

Parents of 8-10yos.... I need to design a cartoon (for a children's book) in which someone is scared in a comedy kind of way. If they say "yikes" will that come across as ridiculously old-fashioned to the yoof of today (like "wizard" or "rather!" do to me), or will they get it?

Or would they say something else?

Thank you!

My ds of 9 says yikes but I think he gets it from the Beano, not from his peers.

But if it's in the beano (assuming this is the beanos of now, not old ones?) that's a good sign that it's current?

Mine would get 'Yikes.' But they don't often say it.

Just trying to think what else they would be more likely to say.

DS2 says 'Oh Man!' but I think that is idiosyncratic.

My 10-year-old does say Yikes. But she has a Beano fetish and is also a big fan of old-fashioned boarding school type books, so perhaps not a reliable guide.

my 4yo says yikes but he couldn't be described as yoof

Yes that would be current Beanos. My ds does say it for comic effect - i.e. self-consciously - rather than in seriousness ifswim.

I can't think what he would say if genuinely scared i.e. car approaching / about to fall in river - probably just a yell, not a word.

I think for comic effect, yikes is understood & ok. Whether it will date your piece or not I can't say, though. Perhaps similarly children never really did say "Rather!" etc but in books it was accepted?

I think yikess is still recognisable cartoon-speak. My 14 year old DS still uses it when being playful/ironic although he prefers "crap-aroony" - probably no help.

( I do like the half rude phrases they come up with at home to act as if they remain your sweet DC. Then at rugby I hear him calling another player a fing twt and his cover is blown)

I just asked my dd1 and she said she does say 'yikes', usually when she finds out something exciting apparently.

Thanks all - and your DCs - very useful!

Yikes! is from Scooby Doo isn't it? and that's always ' in'.