Search results
People also ask
Why were 80s slang words and phrases so popular?
What words were used in the 80s?
How many 80's slangs should we bring back?
How many radical 80's slangs should we bring back?
Feb 5, 2024 · Learn about the slang terms that defined the 80s, from "awesome" to "wannabe." Discover how to express "yes," "no," "cool," and more with these colorful and creative expressions.
Apr 27, 2018 · Learn the meaning and usage of popular 80s slang words and phrases from this comprehensive list. Find out how to say as if, bitchin, gnarly, rad and more in the 1980s lingo.
- Bodacious. According to Green’s Dictionary of Slang, this word—a blend of bold and audacious meaning “excellent, wonderful, very enjoyable”—was coined in the 19th century but found new life in the 1970s thanks to CB radio, where it was used to reference a strong incoming signal.
- Big Whoop. In the early 20th century, someone might have expressed their dismissiveness of something by using the phrase big deal. But in the 1980s, they went with big whoop, which was apparently formed by combining the word big with whoop, “A cry of ‘whoop’, or a shout or call resembling this, used to attract attention, as a summons, or to express derision, defiance, support or encouragement, etc.,” per the Oxford English Dictionary (OED).
- Hella. According to Green’s, this adverb can mean either “a lot of” or “very, extremely, really,” and it’s an abbreviation of helluva, as in, “he had one helluva headache.”
- Buff. The etymology of the word buff, meaning “a muscular body,” is uncertain; the OED posits that it might be related to the verb buff, as in “To impart the velvety surface usual in buff leather for belts, etc.”
- Rad & Radical. I thought this would be a great one to start with, since I used radical as a superlative in the title of this post HAHA! It’s clearly my favorite of these 80’s slang terms, and the one I say most commonly. ‘
- Gag Me With a Spoon. As long as your friends don’t take this one too literally, ‘Gag me with a spoon’ is a hilarious catchphrase that I’d love to see on a t-shirt.
- Betty. I love this one, especially with Taylor Swift’s song reminding me of it whenever I listen to her Folklore album. A Betty is someone you think is pretty, fabulous or a babe, usually a girl or a woman.
- Bad. Now, hold on! This one’s not as simple as it seems. Bad isn’t bad, it’s good. Really. Like saying ‘sick’. I know this is confusing but trust me, it’s really a phrase coined from the 80’s.
- Best Life Editors
- Not even. "Not even" is a quick way of saying, "I think you're wrong, but I'm too lazy to get into a whole thing where I list the reasons why." If the person you're talking to retorts with "even," then the argument is officially over.
- Gag me with a spoon. "Gag me with a spoon" is an expression you can use when you want to show disgust or disappointment and it's not enough just to say, "I disapprove."
- Have a cow. In the '80s, if you were getting overly emotional or upset about something, you were "having a cow." How exactly this cow was being had is open to interpretation—but really, there's no good literal or metaphorical way to have it.
- No duh. When someone utters something that is extremely obvious and apparent, there were a lot of "no duhs" in response in the '80s. Example: "Do you think growing a rat tail was maybe not the best look for me?"
Nov 8, 2017 · Learn the definitions and origins of popular 80s slang words like dude, bitchin', gnarly, tubular, and more. Find out how to use them in different contexts and expressions with examples and sources.
Apr 26, 2023 · Learn the most popular slang words and phrases from the 1980s, such as awesome, rad, gnarly, and cowabunga. Find out how they were used in different contexts and situations, and how they evolved over time.
