Old-School Word Meanings: Do You Remember These?

Question 1

What Did Someone Mean By Calling Music "Groovy"?

Question 1

If A Friend Said "Far Out!", What Were They Expressing?

Question 1

What Did It Mean To Say Someone Was "Hip"?

Question 1

Who Was A "Hippie" In Classic 1960s Terms?

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What Did Calling Someone A "Square" Suggest?

Question 1

In The 1970s, "Disco" Most Directly Referred To What?

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If Someone Was Your "Dude," Who Were They?

Question 1

What Was A "Bummer"?

Question 1

In 1980s-90s Speech, "Totally" Usually Meant What?

Question 1

What Did Saying "Awesome" Usually Convey?

Question 1

In Casual 1980s-90s Talk, "Like" Often Functioned As What?

Question 1

What Did "Chill Out" Tell Someone To Do?

Question 1

What Did 1980s Slang "Rad" Mean?

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What Did It Mean To "Hang Out"?

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If You "Crashed" At Someone’s Place, What Did You Do?

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What Was "The Man" In 1960s-70s Counterculture Talk?

Question 1

What Was Someone Signaling By Saying "Peace Out"?

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If Something Was "Out Of Sight," What Did It Mean?

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What Did "Right On" Commonly Express?

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What Did "Flower Power" Represent?

Question 1

If People Were "Boogieing," What Were They Doing?

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What Did It Mean If Something Was "Funky" In A Positive Way?

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What Was A "Nerd" Traditionally?

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In 1980s-90s Usage, What Was A "Bodacious" Thing?

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When Someone Said "Whatever," What Attitude Were They Showing?

Question 1

What Did The 1990s Catchphrase "As If!" Mean?

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If Someone Shouted "No Way!", What Were They Saying?

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What Did "Psych!" Mean After A Statement?

Question 1

What Did "My Bad" Mean In 1990s Speech?

Question 1

What Did It Mean If Something Was "Cool"?

Question 1

If Someone Told You To "Split," What Did They Want?

Question 1

What Did It Mean To "Dig" Something?

Question 1

In Slang, What Was "Bread" Most Often?

Question 1

What Were "Threads" In 1970s-80s Slang?

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If Someone Asked About Your "Wheels," What Were They Asking About?

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What Was A "Pad" In Casual Slang?

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What Did It Mean To "Bogart" Something?

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In 1970s Slang, Calling Someone "Foxxy/Foxy" Meant They Were What?

Question 1

What Did "Mellow" Usually Describe?

Question 1

If Something Was "Bitchin’" In 1980s Slang, It Was What?

Question 1

What Did "Gnarly" Often Mean In 1980s-90s Slang?

Question 1

If A Person Was Called A "Poser," What Was The Accusation?

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What Did "Preppy" Describe In The 1980s?

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What Did "Valley Girl" Speech Stereotypically Include?

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What Did "Gag Me With A Spoon" Mean?

Question 1

In 1990s Slang, If Something Was "Phat," It Was What?

Question 1

If An Outfit Looked "Fly," What Did That Mean?

Question 1

What Did It Mean If A Song Was "Dope" In 1990s Talk?

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If Something Was "Tight," What Was Being Said?

Question 1

When Someone Said "Word," What Were They Signaling?

Question 1

What Does It Mean To Give Someone "Props"?

Question 1

If You "Dissed" Someone, What Did You Do?

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What Was A "Homie"?

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If Someone Invited You To Their "Crib," Where Were You Going?

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In 1990s Slang, Your "Ride" Was Usually What?

Question 1

What Did "Bling" Refer To?

Question 1

What Did It Mean If Something Was "Off The Hook"?

Question 1

If Someone Was A "Buzzkill," What Were They Doing?

Question 1

What Did "Sellout" Imply About A Person?

Question 1

If A Person Was A "Burnout," What Did That Suggest?

Question 1

In 1970s-80s Talk, What Did It Mean To "Freak Out"?

Question 1

What Did "Jive" Often Mean In 1970s Slang?

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What Was A "Jive Turkey" In 1970s Slang?

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If Someone Said You Were "On A Trip," What Might They Mean Figuratively?

Question 1

What Did "Sock It To Me" Signal In Late-1960s Pop Culture?

Question 1

If Something Was "Heavy" In 1960s-70s Slang, It Was What?

Question 1

What Did It Mean If A Comment Was "Outta Left Field"?

Question 1

If Someone Told You "Don’t Have A Cow," What Were They Saying?

Question 1

What Did "Talk To The Hand" Communicate?

Question 1

What Did "All That And A Bag Of Chips" Mean?

Question 1

If Something "Bites" In 1990s Slang, What Does That Mean?

Question 1

What Did "Not!" Add At The End Of A Sentence In Early-1990s Talk?

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If Someone Said "Da Bomb," What Did They Mean?

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What Did It Mean To Say A Plan Was "Sketchy" In 1990s Slang?

Question 1

What Did "Airhead" Mean?

Question 1

In Slang, What Did "Fuzz" Refer To?

Question 1

If Someone Said "Scram," What Were They Telling You?

Question 1

What Did It Mean To "Hit The Road"?

Question 1

In 1970s-80s Slang, A "Babe" Was Usually What?

Question 1

What Did "Cat" Mean In 1960s Jargon Like "He’s A Cool Cat"?

Question 1

What Did It Mean To "Make A Pass" At Someone?

Question 1

What Was The 1980s Insult "Weenie" Suggesting?

Question 1

If Someone Was "Wicked" Good, What Did That Mean?

Question 1

What Did "Take A Chill Pill" Mean?

Question 1

What Did "Kick Back" Mean In 1970s-90s Speech?

Question 1

If Someone Said You Were "Stoked," What Did That Mean?

Question 1

What Did "Dweeb" Mean?

Question 1

If A 1990s Teen Said Something Was "Random," What Did They Mean?

Question 1

What Did "D’oh!" Typically Express?

Question 1

If Someone Called You A "Yuppie," What Were They Implying?

1

Loud And Annoying

2

Slow And Sleepy

3

Fake Or Unoriginal

4

Excellent Or Very Enjoyable

In 1960s slang, groovy praised something as excellent, enjoyable, and very much in style then, too.

1

Anger Or Disgust

2

Amazement Or Approval

3

Confusion Or Doubt

4

Boredom Or Tiredness

Far out was a 1960s–70s exclamation meaning “wow,” showing surprise, admiration, or strong approval.

1

Quiet And Shy

2

Trendy And In-The-Know

3

Strict And Old-Fashioned

4

Rich And Spoiled

Hip described someone fashionable and aware of trends, the opposite of being clueless or behind.

1

A Police Officer On Patrol

2

A Professional Athlete

3

A Counterculture Youth Favoring Peace And Freedom

4

A Corporate Executive In A Suit

Hippie referred to 1960s counterculture youth associated with peace, communal living, and antiwar attitudes.

1

Uncool Or Conventional

2

Extremely Funny

3

Highly Athletic

4

Secretly Famous

Square was slang for someone conventional and uncool, especially compared with trendier counterculture friends.

1

A Style Of Painting

2

A Type Of Breakfast Food

3

A Kind Of Sports Equipment

4

Dance Music And The Club Scene

Disco named a 1970s dance-music style and club culture built around dancing, DJs, and glittery fashion.

1

Your Boss At Work

2

A Guy Or Friend

3

A Stranger You Distrust

4

A Police Detective

Dude was a casual term for a guy, often used for a friend, from 1970s onward.

1

A Disappointing Situation

2

A Delicious Dessert

3

A Lucky Surprise

4

A New Pair Of Shoes

Bummer described something disappointing or unpleasant, like bad news, canceled plans, or an unlucky outcome.

1

Never; Not At All

2

Completely; Strongly Agreeing

3

Slightly; Barely

4

Confusing; Unclear

Totally was an emphasis word meaning “completely,” often used to strongly agree or intensify a statement.

1

Very Expensive

2

Mildly Annoying

3

Secretly Dangerous

4

Extremely Impressive Or Great

Awesome became common praise meaning something extremely impressive or great, not literally awe-inspiring.

1

A Warning Signal

2

A Filler Word Or Softener

3

A Math Term

4

A Formal Greeting

Like was often used as a conversational filler, softening statements or introducing an example or quote.

1

Argue More

2

Hurry Up Faster

3

Relax And Calm Down

4

Speak Louder

Chill out meant relax and calm down, especially if someone seemed stressed, angry, or overexcited.

1

Really Cool

2

Extremely Boring

3

Hard To Understand

4

Very Sick

Rad, short for “radical,” praised something as really cool, exciting, or impressive in 1980s slang.

1

Spend Time Socially

2

Finish A Homework Assignment

3

Practice A Musical Scale

4

Sleep For Twelve Hours

Hang out meant spending time together casually, without a formal plan or special event.

1

Stayed Overnight Informally

2

Cleaned Their Kitchen

3

Broke Their Furniture

4

Started A Loud Party

To crash meant to stay over somewhere informally, often last-minute, without planning a proper visit.

1

A New Car Model

2

Authority Or The Establishment

3

Your Favorite Singer

4

Your Best Friend

The man referred to authority figures or the establishment, especially police, bosses, or government institutions.

1

A Request For Money

2

A Warning About Weather

3

A Demand To Fight

4

A Friendly Goodbye

Peace out was a friendly goodbye tied to peace-and-love culture, meaning “I’m leaving—be well.”

1

Excellent Or Amazing

2

Hidden From View

3

Illegal Or Risky

4

Broken Beyond Repair

Out of sight was praise meaning excellent or amazing, not literally invisible or missing.

1

Confusion Or Doubt

2

Hunger Or Thirst

3

Agreement Or Approval

4

Fear Or Panic

Right on was a supportive response meaning “I agree” or “good point,” especially common in the 1960s–70s.

1

A Peaceful Counterculture Idea

2

A TV Repair Method

3

A Car Engine Upgrade

4

A Gardening Competition

Flower power symbolized 1960s peace activism and nonviolence, using flowers as a cheerful protest image.

1

Dancing Energetically

2

Studying For Exams

3

Whispering Secrets

4

Cooking Dinner

Boogie meant dancing, especially in 1970s party culture, and it often implied high-energy movement.

1

Completely Silent

2

Stylish Or Cool In An Unusual Way

3

Dirty And Unwashed

4

Extremely Fragile

Funky could mean stylish, cool, or distinctive, especially with music, clothes, or an unconventional vibe.

1

A Fast Driver

2

A Famous Actor

3

A Socially Awkward, Bookish Person

4

A Professional Dancer

Nerd described a bookish or socially awkward person, often smart, and sometimes teased for being uncool.

1

Scary And Dangerous

2

Quiet And Ordinary

3

Cheap And Low-Quality

4

Remarkably Bold Or Impressive

Bodacious meant boldly impressive or excellent, popular in 1980s slang, especially in surf and teen talk.

1

Strong Apology

2

Deep Gratitude

3

Indifference Or Dismissal

4

Serious Curiosity

Whatever often signaled indifference, dismissal, or refusal to argue further, especially in teen conversations.

1

"Thank You Very Much"

2

"I Completely Agree"

3

"Please Explain More"

4

"Yeah Right" Or "No Way"

As if was a sarcastic comeback meaning “yeah right,” dismissing a claim as ridiculous or impossible.

1

That They Are Late

2

That They Feel Sleepy

3

That They Need Help

4

That They Don’t Believe It Or Refuse

No way expressed disbelief or refusal, like “I can’t believe it” or “absolutely not.”

1

"I’m Serious"

2

"I’m Leaving Now"

3

"I’m Feeling Sick"

4

"Just Kidding" Or "I Fooled You"

Psych was said after tricking someone, meaning “just kidding,” undoing the statement as a playful prank.

1

"I’m Excited"

2

"I Don’t Care"

3

"That Was My Mistake"

4

"That Was Your Fault"

My bad was a casual apology meaning “my mistake,” often used to quickly admit fault without drama.

1

Frozen Solid

2

Good, Acceptable, Or Impressive

3

Loud And Harsh

4

Confusing And Messy

Cool became a universal compliment meaning good or impressive, and it also signaled calm, relaxed approval.

1

Sit Down Quietly

2

Leave Quickly

3

Share Food Equally

4

Start Singing

Split meant leave or depart, often quickly, like “let’s get out of here” in casual slang.

1

Understand Or Really Like It

2

Borrow It Temporarily

3

Forget About It

4

Physically Excavate Dirt

Dig meant understand or appreciate something, like “I dig that song,” popular in 1960s–70s talk.

1

A Hat

2

A Bus Ticket

3

Money

4

A Telephone

Bread was slang for money, implying cash you need to live, used widely in mid-to-late twentieth century.

1

Clothes Or An Outfit

2

Musical Instruments

3

Car Tires

4

Homework Notes

Threads referred to clothing, especially a stylish outfit, and people might compliment you on your “new threads.”

1

Your Shoes

2

Your Car

3

Your Bicycle Helmet

4

Your Job

Wheels commonly meant a car, focusing on your ride, especially in teen and young-adult slang.

1

A Pair Of Gloves

2

A Notebook Page

3

A Train Station

4

Someone’s Home Or Apartment

Pad meant a home or apartment, like “come to my pad,” used from the 1960s onward.

1

Hog It Without Sharing

2

Fix It Carefully

3

Throw It Away

4

Sell It Cheaply

To bogart meant selfishly hogging something, like a joint or snack, without passing it along.

1

Stingy

2

Attractive

3

Confused

4

Angry

Foxy was a compliment meaning attractive or sexy, especially common in 1970s pop culture and music.

1

Sick And Feverish

2

Competitive And Harsh

3

Loud And Chaotic

4

Relaxed And Easygoing

Mellow described a relaxed, easygoing mood or person, often linked to laid-back 1970s vibes.

1

Broken And Useless

2

Quiet And Boring

3

Mean And Cruel

4

Excellent Or Really Cool

Bitchin’ was 1980s praise meaning excellent or really cool, often used in surf and teen slang.

1

Tiny And Cute

2

Slow And Predictable

3

Intense, Extreme, Or Impressive

4

Formal And Polite

Gnarly described something intense or extreme—sometimes impressive, sometimes rough—popular in surf and skate culture.

1

Being Too Generous

2

Working Too Hard

3

Acting Too Quiet

4

Pretending To Be Part Of A Scene

Poser meant someone faking a style or subculture, pretending to belong without genuine interest or authenticity.

1

A Punk Rock Hairstyle

2

A Heavy Metal Band

3

A Type Of Fast Food

4

A Neat, Upper-Class-Inspired Style

Preppy described a clean-cut, upper-class-inspired look associated with private schools, polos, and tidy fashion.

1

Extremely Formal Grammar

2

Military Jargon

3

Scientific Vocabulary

4

Lots Of "Like" And Upspeak

Valley girl speech was stereotyped by heavy “like,” vocal fry, and rising intonation, popularized in 1980s media.

1

"That’s Very Funny"

2

"I’m Truly Sorry"

3

"I’m Very Hungry"

4

"That’s So Gross Or Lame"

Gag me with a spoon expressed disgust or annoyance, a dramatic way to say something was gross or lame.

1

Overweight

2

Illegal

3

Excellent Or Cool

4

Dangerous

Phat was 1990s praise meaning excellent or cool, especially in music and street culture contexts.

1

Dirty And Wrinkled

2

Cheap And Fake

3

Stylish And Impressive

4

Too Small To Wear

Fly meant stylish and impressive, often describing clothing, hair, or overall appearance in late 1980s–90s slang.

1

Not Released Yet

2

Really Good

3

Too Slow

4

Out Of Tune

Dope became slang for “really good,” especially for music, moves, or ideas, separate from drug meanings.

1

It Was Dangerous

2

It Was Boring

3

It Was Great Or Well Done

4

It Was Broken

Tight was praise meaning great, well-done, or impressive, common in 1990s slang for skills and style.

1

Agreement Or Confirmation

2

Anger

3

Fear

4

Confusion

Word was a quick agreement meaning “true” or “I feel you,” widely used in hip-hop-influenced 1990s speech.

1

Respect Or Credit

2

An Expensive Gift

3

A Warning

4

A Phone Number

Props means proper respect or credit, praising someone’s effort, talent, or achievement in 1990s slang.

1

Invited Them Over

2

Copied Their Notes

3

Insulted Or Disrespected Them

4

Helped Them Succeed

Diss means insult or show disrespect, often publicly, and it spread through music culture into everyday 1990s speech.

1

A Math Teacher

2

A Stranger

3

A Security Guard

4

A Close Friend

Homie meant a close friend from your neighborhood or circle, popularized in 1990s hip-hop and youth slang.

1

Their Home

2

Their Car

3

Their Workplace

4

Their School

Crib was 1990s slang for someone’s home, often implying their personal space and comfort zone.

1

Your Jacket

2

Your Job

3

Your Car

4

Your Sandwich

Ride usually meant your car, emphasizing what you drive, especially in 1990s youth and music slang.

1

A Weather Forecast

2

A Computer Program

3

Flashy Jewelry Or Displays Of Wealth

4

A Type Of Candy

Bling referred to flashy jewelry and showy wealth, especially popular in late-1990s hip-hop culture.

1

Extremely Good Or Exciting

2

Quiet And Calm

3

Old And Outdated

4

Expensive And Rare

Off the hook meant extremely good, exciting, or impressive, especially used about parties, music, and events.

1

Making A Joke

2

Ruining The Fun

3

Starting A Party

4

Winning A Game

Buzzkill described someone who dampens excitement, spoiling the mood with negativity, rules, or awkward behavior.

1

They Were Extremely Lucky

2

They Worked Very Hard

3

They Were Very Shy

4

They Betrayed Their Values For Money

Sellout accused someone of abandoning principles or authenticity to gain money, fame, or mainstream approval.

1

They Were Very Athletic

2

They Were A Great Singer

3

They Were Unmotivated And Worn-Out

4

They Were A Top Student

Burnout described someone seen as unmotivated or exhausted, often associated with skipping responsibilities and drifting.

1

Finish Quickly

2

Fall Asleep

3

Laugh Quietly

4

Panic Or Overreact

Freak out meant panic or react intensely, sometimes from fear, shock, or excitement, in everyday 1970s slang.

1

Nonsense Or Insincere Talk

2

A Type Of Sandwich

3

A Formal Apology

4

A Math Shortcut

Jive could mean insincere talk or nonsense, and it also linked to dance and music culture of the era.

1

A Skilled Musician

2

A New TV Show

3

A Phony Or Untrustworthy Person

4

A Helpful Neighbor

Jive turkey was a humorous insult for a phony person, popularized in 1970s slang and comedy.

1

Traveling By Plane

2

Eating Too Much

3

Acting Weird Or Obsessive

4

Studying Hard

Being “on a trip” could mean acting strangely or fixated, not necessarily literally traveling somewhere.

1

"I’m Going Home"

2

"Please Be Quiet"

3

"Bring It On" Or "Hit Me With It"

4

"That’s Too Expensive"

Sock it to me meant “bring it on,” a playful demand for something bold, popularized by 1960s TV.

1

Serious Or Intense

2

Delicious

3

Cheap

4

Lightweight

Heavy described something serious or intense, like deep emotions or meaningful talk, not physical weight.

1

Perfectly Normal

2

Scientifically Proven

3

Very Polite

4

Unexpected Or Strange

Outta left field meant unexpectedly strange or surprising, borrowed from baseball to describe random or odd remarks.

1

Don’t Eat Meat

2

Don’t Overreact

3

Don’t Go Outside

4

Don’t Tell Anyone

Don’t have a cow meant “don’t overreact,” popularized in late-1980s/early-1990s pop culture catchphrases.

1

"Let’s Be Friends"

2

"I’m Not Listening"

3

"Please Speak Up"

4

"I Agree Completely"

Talk to the hand was a dismissive 1990s phrase meaning “stop talking,” implying the listener won’t engage.

1

Quiet And Shy

2

Very Small And Simple

3

Angry And Rude

4

Extremely Impressive Plus Extra

All that and a bag of chips meant someone was impressive—plus extra—used as playful 1990s praise.

1

It’s Expensive

2

It’s Bad Or Unpleasant

3

It’s Rare

4

It’s Delicious

Bites meant something is bad, disappointing, or unpleasant, a blunt 1990s way to say it stinks.

1

A Question

2

A Compliment

3

Sarcastic Reversal

4

A Promise

Ending with “not!” sarcastically reversed the statement, making it a joke, popularized by early-1990s comedy.

1

Very Dangerous

2

Fake

3

Boring

4

The Best; Amazing

Da bomb was strong praise meaning the best or amazing, commonly used in 1990s teen and pop culture.

1

Carefully Organized

2

Very Cheap

3

Extremely Funny

4

Suspicious Or Risky

Sketchy described something suspicious or risky, implying it doesn’t feel safe, trustworthy, or well-planned.

1

A Computer Expert

2

A Person Seen As Very Ditzy

3

A Skilled Leader

4

A Fast Runner

Airhead insulted someone as ditzy or unintelligent, implying their head is filled with air instead of thoughts.

1

A Music Album

2

A Sweater

3

The Police

4

A Sports Team

Fuzz was slang for police, especially used by youth and counterculture speakers in the 1960s–70s.

1

Sit Down

2

Speak Slowly

3

Share Your Food

4

Go Away Quickly

Scram meant leave immediately, a blunt command to go away, used in mid-century and later casual speech.

1

Start A Fight

2

Leave Or Start Traveling

3

Buy A Car

4

Begin Studying

Hit the road meant leave or begin traveling, often used as a casual goodbye before departing.

1

An Attractive Person

2

A New Appliance

3

A Strict Teacher

4

A Small Child Only

Babe was a flirtatious term for an attractive person, widely used in 1970s–80s casual and romantic talk.

1

A Pet Animal Only

2

A Person, Often A Stylish One

3

A Type Of Food

4

A Police Officer

Cool cat used cat to mean a person, especially someone stylish, smooth, or admired in 1960s slang.

1

Offer A Job

2

Refuse To Speak

3

Flirt Or Make A Romantic Advance

4

Hand Them A Ticket

Make a pass meant flirt or make a romantic advance, often implying a bold attempt to attract someone.

1

Someone Is Funny

2

Someone Is Wimpy Or Weak

3

Someone Is Brilliant

4

Someone Is Rich

Weenie was a mild insult meaning someone is wimpy or cowardly, common in kid and teen talk.

1

Rarely

2

Slightly

3

Not At All

4

Very; Extremely

Wicked functioned as an intensifier meaning “very,” especially common in 1980s–90s regional and teen slang.

1

Drink More Coffee

2

Leave Immediately

3

Calm Down

4

Get Angry

Take a chill pill meant calm down, a humorous way to tell someone to relax and stop overreacting.

1

Exercise Hard

2

Work Overtime

3

Argue Loudly

4

Relax And Take It Easy

Kick back meant relax, unwind, and take it easy, often used about weekends, parties, or downtime.

1

Very Confused

2

Very Tired

3

Very Angry

4

Very Excited

Stoked meant very excited or enthusiastic, popular in surf/skate culture and widely used by the 1990s.

1

An Uncool Or Awkward Person

2

A Star Athlete

3

A Clever Trick

4

A Fashion Icon

Dweeb was a teasing term for an awkward, uncool person, similar to nerd but often more social-focused.

1

Carefully Planned

2

Expensive

3

Officially Approved

4

Unexpected Or Out Of Nowhere

Random often meant unexpected or out of nowhere, describing comments or events that didn’t seem connected.

1

Frustration After A Silly Mistake

2

Serious Threat

3

Pure Joy

4

Deep Respect

D’oh! is an exclamation of frustration after a blunder, popularized in 1990s TV and everyday speech.

1

A Punk Musician

2

A Rural Farmer

3

A Retired Grandparent

4

A Young Urban Professional

Yuppie meant “young urban professional,” often implying career-focused, consumerist, 1980s city lifestyle and ambition.

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Before memes and emojis, slang had its own rules—and the meanings weren’t always obvious. From the ’60s to the ’90s, these old-school words defined cool, cringe, and everything in between. Do you remember what they actually meant? Let’s find out!

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