Do You Know the Slang Word of the Year You Were Born?

Every generation has its own language. Not the kind you learn in school, the kind you picked up on the playground, at the soda fountain, or from a song on the radio. Slang is how a generation announces itself to the world.

And some of those words have been around a lot longer than you might think. Did you know “brewski” and “kegger” were already part of the language back in the 1960s? Or that someone called a handsome man a “dreamboat” long before you ever did?

According to Good Housekeeping, here is the slang word that defined the year you were born. Scroll through and see how many you remember, or still use today.

The 1920s: Jazz Age and Prohibition

 

• 1920 — Ritzy: Fancy, elegant, or high-class.
• 1921 — Blind Date: A social setup between two strangers.
• 1922 — Plastered: Intoxicated or drunk.
• 1923 — Mad Money: Emergency cab fare carried by a woman on a date.
• 1924 — Wet Blanket: A buzzkill or party-pooper.
• 1925 — Atta-Girl: An exclamation of encouragement for a woman.
• 1926 — Gold-Digger: Someone interested in a partner solely for money.
• 1927 — It Girl: A charming, alluring young woman.
• 1928 — Baloney: Nonsense or something fake.
• 1929 — It Boy: A handsome young man or male Hollywood heartthrob.

The 1930s: Hard Times and Big Laughs

• 1930 — Booksy: Studious or fond of reading.
• 1931 — Snazzy: Stylish, elegant, or eye-catching.
• 1932 — Burp: To belch.
• 1933 — Beered Up: Intoxicated on beer.
• 1934 — Boffo: A funny joke or a wildly successful show.
• 1935 — Gramps: A nickname for a grandfather, or a cheeky insult for an old person.
• 1936 — Bingo: A popular game played in halls.
• 1937 — Gunky: Sticky, slimy, or gross.
• 1938 — Fave: Short for favorite.
• 1939 — Bad-Mouthing: Speaking ill of or trash-talking someone.

The 1940s: Wartime and Postwar Wit

• 1940 — Baby Blues: Mild sadness or mood shifts experienced by a mother after giving birth.
• 1941 — Dreamboat: An extremely attractive man.
• 1942 — Hyper: Short for hyperactive or overly energetic.
• 1943 — Duh: A sarcastic response to something obvious, popularized by Merrie Melodies cartoons.
• 1944 — Tag-Along: An uninvited guest who joins in.
• 1945 — Doh!: An exclamation reacting to a silly mistake.
• 1946 — Cheesed Off: Angry or annoyed.
• 1947 — Artsy: A pretentious person trying too hard to appear artistic or creative.
• 1948 — Fannie Mae: Financial shorthand for the Federal National Mortgage Association.
• 1949 — Jet Set: Young, wealthy people who travel frequently by plane.

The 1950s: Cool Cats and Rock and Roll

 

• 1950 — Beautiful People: A term coined by Hollywood for the rich, glamorous, and famous.
• 1951 — Nerd: An uncool, “square,” or overly studious person.
• 1952 — Divey: Low-class, simple, or seedy.
• 1953 — Hippie: A variation of hipster, used to describe a beatnik or member of youth subculture.
• 1954 — Boonies: The country or middle of nowhere.
• 1955 — Cool: Effortlessly stylish or hip.
• 1956 — Nit-Picker: A pedantic boss or manager who obsesses over petty, minor details.
• 1957 — Endsville: The ultimate cool destination, or a term describing something exceptionally hip.
• 1958 — Nuke: To bomb, blast, or destroy.
• 1959 — Hot-Dog: Surf culture slang meaning to perform stunts or show off recklessly.

The 1960s: The Decade That Changed Everything

• 1960 — Dullsville: A boring place or town.
• 1961 — Bratty: Spoiled or misbehaving.
• 1962 — Drop-Dead: Fashion industry slang for anything gorgeous, fabulous, or show-stopping.
• 1963 — Mickey Mouse: Fooling around or amateurish work.
• 1964 — Aw-Shucks: Popularized by writer Tom Wolfe for feigning innocence or fake humility.
• 1965 — Grody: Gross or disgusting.
• 1966 — Kegger: Campus slang for a college party centered around a draft beer keg.
• 1967 — Freak Flag: Coined by Jimi Hendrix to describe letting your weird, unconventional, or true self show without shame.
• 1968 — Bippy: Slang for one’s backside.
• 1969 — Out of Sight: Slang meaning mind-blowing, incredible, or simply beyond belief.

The 1970s: Laid-Back and Far Out

• 1970 — Dorky: Nerdy or socially awkward.
• 1971 — Deadhead: A fan of the Grateful Dead.
• 1972 — Guilt Trip: Manipulating someone using guilt.
• 1973 — Carbo: Shorthand for carbohydrates, popularized as low-carb diets made their way into mainstream culture.
• 1974 — Motorhead: Someone obsessed with cars or motorcycles.
• 1975 — Detox: Short for detoxify.
• 1976 — Hardball: Ruthless or aggressive negotiation tactics.
• 1977 — Brewski: Slang for beer.
• 1978 — Pig Out: To overeat or gorge on food.
• 1979 — Nostalgia-Fest: A nostalgic event or conversation driven by Boomers romanticizing the past as they got older.

The 1980s: Big Hair, Big Words

 

• 1980 — Frizzy: Unruly, tightly curled, or perm-styled hair.
• 1981 — Chill Pill: A casual reminder to relax or calm down.
• 1982 — Buff: Describing a muscular, physically fit physique, fueled by bodybuilding culture and stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger.
• 1983 — Beatbox: Making vocal drum beats with one’s mouth.
• 1984 — Major: A word used for extra emphasis.
• 1985 — Radness: The state of being awesome or cool, stemming from “radical.”
• 1986 — Studmuffin: A cheeky term for a handsome, exceptionally attractive man.
• 1987 — Couch Surfing: Sitting around and watching television all day, the late-’80s precursor to modern binge-watching.
• 1988 — F-Bomb: Euphemistic slang for the ultimate four-letter expletive, named for its ability to shock.
• 1989 — Bogus: Unfair, uncool, or bad.

The 1990s and Beyond

• 1990 — Kewl: A stylized, alternative spelling of “cool” used by teens that emerged in 1990.
• 1991 — Tighty-Whiteys: Slang for traditional white men’s brief underwear.
• 1992 — Not: A sarcastic modifier negating a statement.
• 1993 — Da Bomb: Something super-cool or top-tier.
• 1994 — Benjamins: Nickname for $100 bills, referring to Benjamin Franklin’s portrait on the note and popularized by ’90s hip-hop.
• 1995 — As If: An exclamation of disbelief or refusal, famously immortalized by Cher Horowitz in the 1995 film Clueless.
• 1996 — Whatever: A dismissive or indifferent response.
• 1997 — Jiggy: Stylish or a skilled dancer.
• 1998 — Phat: A variant of “fat” rooted in urban slang, used to describe something awesome or attractive.
• 1999 — Bling: Flashy, expensive jewelry or accessories.
• 2000 — Whassup?: A catchphrase greeting popularized by Budweiser commercials.
• 2001 — Whale-tail: The visible waistband of a thong sticking out above low-rise jeans.
• 2002 — Hella: Very, extremely, or a lot of.
• 2003 — Peeps: Short for people; one’s friends or crew.
• 2004 — Muffin Top: Overhanging body fat over the tight waistband of low-rise pants.
• 2005 — Fo Shizzle: Slang for “for sure” popularized by Snoop Dogg.

Some of these words never really went away. “Cool” is still cool. “Fave” is all over social media. And somewhere out there, someone is still calling an attractive man a “dreamboat”, and honestly, good for them.