Teens can be brutal — and full of dark humor — so it’s not really a surprise that their latest slang term comes from a somewhat questionable place. Gen Z has co-opted a term inspired by Justin Bieber’s recent crashout with the paparazzi, and a middle school teacher predicts we’re going to hear the term a lot this summer.

The slang in question? “It’s not clocking to you” or “It’s not clocking to you that I’m standing on business.”

This trend started after Bieber had a confrontation with the paparazzi after leaving Soho House in Malibu on June 12. He told the paparazzi to leave him alone, per Page Six, saying, “I’m a dad, I’m a husband. You’re not getting it, it’s not clocking to you. It’s not clocking to you that I’m standing on business, is it?” He also yelled at them to “Get out of my f—king face” as he walked to his car.

According to Know Your Meme, this phrase was Bieber’s attempt at saying a popular AAVE slang term “clock it,” which means to notice or call out something. In the transgender and nonbinary communities, “clocking” also means detecting a person is trans, per Complex.

One person tweeted, per Know Your Meme, “Black folks really have other groups of people sounding crazy trying to keep up,” which speaks to the broader issue of people co-opting Black culture and not totally understanding what it means.

Other people think it’s funny that Bieber was having a crashout in front of cameras, with one TikToker lip-synching to the viral sound and saying, “I feel bad for Justin but this sent me.” 

Someone else wrote on X, per E! News, “Thanks to Justin Bieber,” one user wrote on X June 16. “I’ve said ‘It’s not clocking to you that I’m standing on business’ 10 times today.”

Whether teens and tweens who know this trendy term is just Bieber’s mangled up use of AAVE or they just think it’s funny that he was stressed out by the paparazzi, it’s impossible to say. One thing is for sure though: you’re probably going to hear the term a lot. In fact, TikToker and teen slang guru Mr. Lindsay says, “You’re gonna hear it a lot more in the next two weeks.”

The best way to stop your teens use of the term is to start using it yourself. Because it’s obviously not cool anymore once mom says it! Imagine telling your teen this summer, “It’s not clocking to you that the dishes need unloaded?” Or “It’s not clocking to you that I’m standing on business” after you asked them three times to put their phones away at the dinner table. Seeing their reaction will be priceless!  And if you need more help with teen slang, check out our handy guide.

Before you go, check out these celebrities who fight to keep paparazzi away from their families.