Posted on 11/22/2024 7:28:35 PM PST by SeekAndFind
There are a few easy ways to determine someone’s age. You can ask them how old they are, look at their driver’s license, or, to make it more fun, toss out an educated guess based on the slang terms they use. Many slang words and phrases are pretty indicative of a certain time period. That’s because new terms are coined each generation, while older slang eventually falls out of fashion. Generational divides can be spotted by the popular slang terms that came about during each time period.
The Silent Generation encompasses people born between 1928 and 1945, when slang wasn’t as popular as it is today. Watching movies or reading books written during these years will reveal language that seems formal to modern ears. That said, by the 1950s, members of the Silent Generation had coined a few slang terms that were embraced by the youth. “Daddy-o” referred to someone cool, and a person was “cruising for a bruising” if they were looking for trouble. It was the following generation, however, that introduced several slang words that are still used today.
Baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) embraced slang on a wider scale, coining sayings such as “boob tube” (“television”), “threads” (“clothing”), and “ticked off” (“annoyed”), to name just a few. Boomers also came up with “dig it” for when you’re really into something, or saying you have to “split” when it’s time to leave. Other slang words from this time include “groovy” (“cool”), “square” (“uncool”), and “moo juice,” to describe a fresh glass of milk.
Generation X includes anyone born from 1965 through 1980. Gen Xers are known for living a somewhat grungier lifestyle than their predecessors, as evidenced by the music that became popular in the late 1980s and early ’90s. This generation popularized terms such as “gnarly” and “phat.” “This rocks” describes something that’s amazing, and slang terms including “dude” and “homeslice” became positive terms of address. A Gen Xer would also tell someone to take a “chill pill” to calm down, invite someone back to watch TV at their “crib,” or call something “bogus” if it’s false.
Millennials, the more popular term for Gen Y, are people born from 1981 to 1996. The rise of this generation coincided with the rise of the internet, so many slang terms are the initialisms that developed out of internet culture: “BRB” (“be right back”), “OMG” (“oh my god”), “TBH” (“to be honest”), among others. Millennials are also responsible for coining words such as “bae” (to talk about their significant other) and “slay” (to praise someone doing something exceptionally well). You may also hear a millennial use “adulting” when behaving responsibly, “keeping it 100” when being real and truthful, or “getting swole” when lifting weights at the gym. This generation may also feel serious “FOMO,” which means a “fear of missing out.”
Gen Zers, also known as “zoomers,” came into the world between 1997 and 2012. For many older adults today, Gen Z slang is enough to make your head spin. But terms such as “cheugy” (“outdated”) and “sus” (“questionable” or “dishonest”) are part of a coded language that these young people share. Another popular series of terms coined by this generation are “cap” (“false”), “no cap” (“true”), and “capping” (“lying”).
Generation Alpha generally includes anyone born since 2010. If you’re a member of the Silent Generation — or even a millennial — then some of the most popular Gen Alpha slang may sound like an alien language. Take, for example, the slang term “skibidi,” which can refer to something that’s either cool or bad, or even be used as complete gibberish. Its origin is a meme called the “Skibidi Toilet,” and there’s an associated viral dance trend. If this still doesn’t make sense to you, you’re not in Gen Alpha. It’s enough to know that “skibidi” is often used as an exclamation in bizarre situations. For something that does make more sense, try “rizz,” an abbreviation of “charisma,” used to describe someone with the trait. Gen Alpha also uses the Greek letters “sigma” and “beta” to describe something that’s good or weak, respectively.
Your mother was correct.
It would have been a stretch. The last US combat troops left South Vietnam in August 1972. A 1954 kid would have had to enlist well before 18 and make it through basic training in order to find himself over there.
https://www.army.mil/vietnamwar/history.html
Thanx
Extreme stretch no question. Depends on duty.
Supposedly, last 2 killed in VN in April 1975 were Marines - Embassy Security.
One born in 53 one born in 56
Marines could enlist with parents permission @ 17
“Officially” The last American troops, not assigned to the Embassy(or snake eaters... SEAL teams etc..) departed on 28 Mar 1973.
“Officially” The last ground combat unit (air and air cav among others, were there longer) left in August of 1972.
I couldn’t find when the last troops were sent to VN.
fascinating anecdotal read here of who and when they left.
http://armchairgeneral.com/last-us-combat-troops-in-vietnam.htm
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.