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.
mark
Now I’m ticked off!
My gen-z child has some interesting slang…
“Lit” or “bet” = cool
“Fire” = awesome
“Sus” = suspicious
“cringe” = gross
Just to name a few
Odds bodkins!
And Bitchin’. For west coasters.
23 Skidoo!
This whole thread is so gay.
No cap
I always hated,”no dice”.
I always hated,”no dice”.
Thee war years had lots of slang (1940-45) Ever Hear of Klang Slang? “Your Cooking with Gas.” (means you got it all together). “Eggs” (means Bombs) Kites (War planes). Not to mention all sorts of negative dehumanizing names for the enemy (They had names for us as well) Giving negative nicknames for an enemy is as human as war itself. I am sure Ancient Egyptian soldiers had special names for their Hittite foes. We called Japanese “Slant eyes” and they returned the favor and call us “Round Eyes.” The oddest term the Japanese used for Americans was translated as “Canned food.” Some may still call us that.
This article is so skibidi
born in 54 could have served in VN...
Or as the younger generations write it; "ghey", so the auto-moderating software doesn't delete their post. There is an increasing amount of slang and acronyms that online posters use to get past censors. 304 may be the signature term for the online generation and Big Brother.
For those that don't know, a 304 is in reference to a "whore", shortened to "hoe" but inverted and reversed to read as "304", pronounced "three oh four", not "three hundred and four".
"304" in this use is not to be confused with the reference to the different 304 cubic inch V-8 engines made by International Harvester or AMC.
Take a look at the kids on the street
No, they never miss a beat
-'Never Miss A Beat' by the Kaiser Chiefs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dncVF5Xj4eU
L7 referred to the square formed by holding the left hand with the pointer finger extended straight up and the thumb to the right and the right hand with the pointer finger straight down and the thumb to the left.
One could silently call another a "square" using only the gesture. L7 was in contrast to someone who was "hip".
'Woolly Bully' by Sam The Sham and The Pharoahs
Hatty told Matty, "Let's don't take no chance
Let's not be L-seven, come and learn to dance"
Wooly Bully, Wooly Bully
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pv5cXss5cPg
Frogg’n...hittin’ the road
Fair upit for the rent....in a big hurry!
Time shortens as distance (cycles around the sun) increases??
Just kidding. Although perhaps it DOES have to do with technology and communication (and thus culture) increasing??
Born in 1960 - the only ones that I recall using are “cool” and “bogus”. Probably groovy back as a kid.
I was just reading about a new slang term the kids are using today. “Chat” But used as a term to mean a friend or anyone (singular or a group) in proximity. “Hey Chat - check this photo out!”
I imagine it is due to texting on the phone being called a chat. (Duh - no way! Hmm - I guess I use more than just two slang terms).
Popular music often contains slang references of the time, such as “L7”, a slang expression for a “square”; someone who’s conventional and old-fashioned.
Also the name of a chick band from the early 90s.
(Ooops I just gave myself away with “chick”)
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