Top 10 Old School Slang We Loved to Say

Although Merriam-Webster's Dictionary lists 1943 as the first known use of the phrase "duh" in our common language, many folks probably remember first hearing it spoken in context back in the late eighties and nineties. "Duh" can be used either to refer to one's own mistakes, or address stupidity in others -specifically someone pointing out something obvious. But to be honest, you just don't hear it used as often anymore. Maybe it's because "duh" came to be seen as rather rude and childish, or because of the rise of the term/action “facepalm”, which at least partially serves a similar purpose. Either way, its usage as an insult or statement seems to have fallen by the wayside in the 21st century. Duhhhhh.

The word "bogus" may still be used today to describe something that is of either poor quality or unappealing, but the use of this word as a slang saying is probably more associated with Bill S. Preston, Esq. and Ted, "Theodore" Logan. And they’re not exactly representative of the modern day youth in the 2000s and beyond. The popularity of "bogus" was probably highest back in the nineties, and used as a cool way of expressing one's displeasure at their situation, or against someone else's totally heinous nature. The heyday of "bogus" may be over, but at least we'll always have "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" as a reminder of what once was. And who knows, maybe the long-awaited threequel will give it a new lease on life!

The next slang phrase on our list was so nice, they said it twice. "Bling Bling" rose to prominence during the early millennium as a means of expressing one's flashy sense of self-worth via the wearing of expensive, eye-catching and often gawdy jewelry. It wasn't all that uncommon to hear one person commenting how another was bringing out the "bling bling" for a night on the town, especially in the hip-hop community, where the term quickly gained acceptance and prominence. These days, however, the phrase has been shortened to just "bling," effectively putting to rest the former's spot as a once-popular form of slang.

Have you ever heard the phrase, "hell of a lot?" Have you ever wondered how to shorten down all those nagging words into one simple saying? Well, then look no further than "hella," a word which rose to prominence over on the West Coast, specifically the San Francisco Bay Area, back in the 1970s. Cool kids on the Eastern Seaboard could be forgiven for being ignorant of this once-popular slang phrase, which was used a modifying intensifier when referring to one's mood or status. Whether you were feelin' "hella good," "hella bad" or "hella hungry," it seemed as if nothing could stop this word from achieving supreme slang status, but these days, the frequency with which it’s used has dropped to "hella low”.

Here's a question: what's better than being "good?" The answer? "All that." What's even better? Being all that, and a bag of chips. If this slang phrase seems foreign to you, then you probably didn't grow up in the nineties, when this saying was all the rage amongst teens and young adults. Although referring to someone as being "all that" didn't always necessarily have to include said "bag of chips" to be used as a compliment, the full phrase was usually reserved for someone totally awesome, and at the top of the social food chain. These days, however, it doesn't matter whether being "all that" includes chips, drink or a soda: the phrase has seen its day come and go.

Searching for a much longer and more demonstrative way to tell someone who's annoying you to "shut up?" Well, then look no further than this very nineties slang phrase, "talk to the hand." Wordy as it is already, it’s actually a shortened version of the phrase, "talk to the hand, because the ears (or face) ain't listening," and is often accompanied by the physical gesture of holding a flattened palm towards the offending party. "Talk to the hand" arguably reached its pop culture zenith when action star Arnold Schwarzenegger used it in the second sequel to James Cameron's classic sci-fi film "The Terminator." Today, the phrase is very rarely used other than in certain nostalgic or satirical situations.

You have those heroes in a half shell, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, to thank for popularizing this radical catchphrase back in the late eighties and early nineties. Though the massive success of their first animated television show played a pivotal role in bringing the term to the masses, "Cowabunga" actually has a much longer history. Its first widespread introduction was on the 1950s show “Howdy Doody"; surfers from the West Coast then incorporated the word into their culture during the 1960s as an expression of excitement and approval. Who are we kidding, though? It's Donnie, Raph, Leo and Mikey who are probably the most famous purveyors of the almighty "Cowabunga," and that's the way it will most likely remain.

This slang term is another word whose meaning may have shifted over time, as younger people adopt the phrase for different meanings. Though the term "gnarly" first gained popularity during ‘70s surfer culture, it later gained again steam during, you guessed it, the 1990s, as a way of expressing the extent of another's technical skill or achievements. This was used primarily within the "extreme" sports styles of skate or snowboarding, while more recent years have seen "gnarly" used mainly to describe a wound or injury with an unappealing appearance. Still, those who were kick flipping and catching air in the oh-so radical nineties, remember what "gnarly" used to mean to an entire generation.

Ok, you may be forgiven for thinking that we're referring to a swollen part of the body when describing this next slang term, but we're thinking more of "swell" in its old school 1950s iteration; namely a peachy-keen way of saying something is "good." "Swell" may be rarely used today in this fashion, but at one time it was one of THE go-to words to offer up a compliment. The 21st century may have seen a sharp decline in the use of "swell" as anything other than a medical verb (or to describe waves when surfing), but this slang term had a nice, long life back in its day.

Before we name our most boss out of date slang saying (uh, people still say "boss," right?), here are a few honorable mentions!

Radical / Rad
Tubular
Mondo
Phat
YOLO

Is there any slang saying that is more indicative of the decade in which it was used? The word "groovy," for many, encapsulated the fashion, music and culture of the 1960s (give or take a bit of the late ‘50s and early ‘70s), to the point where it's often used right alongside the decade as a descriptive adjective. These days, "groovy" is primarily used to describe something or someone connected with 1960s culture, with very few people using it in their modern day vocabulary. Although, that being said, we can think of one famous horror movie character who has kept the word "groovy" alive and in the cultural lexicon over the years. Take a bow, Ash Williams: we love ya!