Over the decades, every generation has had their own weird sayings that parents just don’t understand. My dad asks me every day to explain “shook” and “extra” to him but I don’t think he will ever get his head wrapped around those terms. The slang terms are a way for us to communicate in our own way and its always interesting to see what other generations used to say to each other! Let’s look back at some of the slang our grandparents and parents used, and see which ones we need to bring back in trend.
1. “Can you dig it??”
This was a phrase that was made popular due to a classic 70’s film called The Warriors. It was very popular with the hippies and it was a way to ask your friend if they liked something. We could use this today by saying something like, “Wow that new Drake song! Can you dig it?”
2. “Right On”
This became trendy after Isaac Hayes used the expression in his song, “Shaft.” It’s a way to make a positive remark in response to something a friend tells you.
Friend: “I didn’t fall down the million-dollar staircase today!”
You: “Right on!”
3. “Groovy”
This came about in the 1960’s. It was a way to say something was awesome or cool.
Friend: “I made an A on my O-Chem test!”
You: “Groovy!”
4. “Bad”
This one really had to be a doozy for parents in the early 2000’s. Instead of using bad in its normal context, it actually means good.
Friend: “Those insomnia cookies are baaaaaddd.”
Sorry parents.
5. “That’s Wack”
This was used to say that something absolutely sucks. I think we could find numerous ways to say this again!
Example 1: “My professor won’t give me extra credit!” “That’s wack.”
Example 2: “Bolton doesn’t have any chocolate chip cookies!” “That’s wack, man.”
6. The Bee’s Knees
This was very popular in the 1950’s. It was used to describe something that was cool or nice.
Example: “Those feta fries sure are the bee’s knees!”
7. “Cool your jets”
This was a way to tell someone to calm the heck down. When your friend is screaming in a dining hall or having a weekly mental breakdown, just tell him/her to cool their jets!
8. Radical
This was a way to describe something super impressive.
Example: “Man, that dude made my burrito in three minutes, that’s radical.”
9. Nifty/Swell
This yet again is another term that is used in the same way as cool. Cool just wasn’t enough.
Example: “Those new Terry buildings sure do look nifty.”
10. “Whazzzzzzzaaaaaaaap”
This is just a weird way to say what’s up. I don’t really get it but I can see the Frat guys enjoying this. You see a bud in Tate plaza? Annoy everyone on a Monday morning by yelling, “Whazzzzzzzappppp!” It’s a nice wake-up jolt.
Next time you are searching for a cool new term to surprise your friends with I hope you think of pulling one of these old gems out of the vault. I am ready to confuse my friends, what about you?
Thumbnail Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash