Throughout the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s there was some pretty interesting lingo. Language and slang evolves with time but let’s not pass up on some of these “far out” (see #30) terms that will help you expand your vocabulary and transcend time itself.
1. Totally rad: Awesome, cool
“That movie was totally rad!”
2. Home skillet: A term of endearment for your close friend.
“What’s up, home skillet?”
3. Trippin’: Crazy, messed up
“My mom grounded me for no reason. She was totally trippin’"
4. As if: Ever seen Clueless? ‘nuff said.
“Want to go out on a date?”
“As if!”
5. Buggin’: Worried, nervous, freaking out
“She thought she heard something but she was just buggin’ out.”
6. Talk to the hand: Dismissing someone with attitude.
“You’re being whack homie, talk to the hand.”
7. Crib: Your home
“Welcome to my crib.”
8. Crunk: Having a good time.
“Let’s go out and get crunk tonight.”
9. Fly: Cool, fresh or awesome
“Her outfit was so fly”
10. Said the liar: A sentence to follow a false statement
“We totally hooked up last night.”
“…said the liar!”
11. Not!: Quite similar to said the liar, denies a statement
“I just finished all my homework… Not!”
12. PSYCH!: See Not! Perhaps delivered with more pizzaz.
“Yeah, you looked great today… PSYCH!”
13. Phat: Cool, excellent
“That band had a phat sound.”
14. Open up a can of whoop ass: About to start a fight
“I was so mad I was about to open up a can of whoop ass!”
15. Whack: Crazy
“That Michael Jackson impersonator was whack.”
16. Word to your motha’: Agreeing or understanding
“Let’s roll through that party”
“Word to your motha’”
17. What's the 411: What’s going on? What’s up?
“What’s the 411?”
“About to hit the club.”
18. Take a chill pill: Relax
“I’m so nervous, I forgot to study for my test!”
“Take a chill pill, dude”
19. Booyah: An exclamation of joy
“I just found 5 bucks on the ground, booyah!”
20. Eat my shorts: Kiss my ass, an insult
“Eat my shorts, scumbag.”
21. Get your mac on: Hooking up
“We were partying and then went upstairs to get our mac on.”
22. Going postal: Going crazy
“I told her I cheated and she went postal.”
23. All that and a bag of chips: Hot stuff, when you got it going on
“I love Jimmy. He’s all that and a bag of chips!”
24. Lets roll: Time to go, heading out
“It’s getting kind of late, lets roll homie.”
25. What’s crackalakin’?: What’s up? How’s it going?
“Hey man, what’s crackalakin’?”
26. Yo mama: A joke that intends to offend on the most personal level, coming for your Mom
“Yo mama is so ugly that when she tried to enter an ugly contest they said, ‘sorry, no professionals’”27. Da bomb: Awesome, fantastic or great
“This food is da bomb!”
28. Thats tight: Cool, sick, sweet or good
“That concert was tight.”
29. Cowabunga: see Booyah
*jumps off diving board* “Cowabunga!”
30. Far out: Very cool, out of this world, disbelief, excited
“Wow, that show was far out!”
31. Keepin' it real: true to yourself, chilling
“How goes it?”
“Just keepin’ it real.”
32. Raise the roof: Get pumped or excited, get it poppin
“Bump those jams, its time to raise the roof!”
33. Bitchin’: Cool, awesome, alright!
“Your car is totally bitchin’”
34. Gnarly: Extreme, grotesque
“I fell off my skateboard and got a gnarly gash.”
35. Righteous: Cool, all the best qualities, sweet, awesome
“That guitar solo was righteous.”
36. Tubular: Awesome, excellent
“Your perm is totally tubular!”
37. Wig out: Freak out
“I saw a snake and wigged out!”
38. Bogus: Crazy or no good
“My bag of chips was half air, totally bogus, man!”
39. Fresh: Cool, newest
“Those kicks are fresh.”
40. To the max: The best, good, cool
“That beautiful painting is to the max!”
41. Can you dig it: Do you like it? Do you agree?
“I’m about to buy Grateful Dead tickets, can you dig it?”
42. The man: Referring to paranoia of corporations, government, big brother type
“You got to watch out for ‘the man’”
43. Fo’ sho’: For sure, yes
“Want to grab some chinese food?”
“Fo sho!”
44. Fo-shizzle: A variation of fo’ sho’
“Want to grab some chipotle?”
“Fo-shizzle my izzle"
45. Bangin’: Good, great, awesome
“We had a bangin’ time at the club.”
46. Chillaxin’: Relax, hanging out
“What’s up?”
“Nothing much, just chillaxin’”
47. Get bent: Piss off, screw off
*cat whistle*
“Get bent, ass hole”
48. Goon: A goof-off, nerd, foolish
“Check out that goon with the high waters.”
49. Outtie: Leaving, heading out
"This party is lame, we outtie."
50. Gravy: Cool
“These tube socks are so gravy!”
51. 'Bout it, 'bout it: Absolutely, sure, why not?
"Want to go shopping?"
"'Bout it, 'bout it."
52. Catch you on the flip side: See you later
"I'm heading out, catch you on the flip side."
Enjoy your new found vocabulary and don't be scared to show off some of these fresh phrases to your friends and family. They will surely be impressed with your ability to throw it back to the old days. We outtie.