Rabu, 03 Agustus 2011

Early 20th Century slang

Early 20th Century slang
Slang through the decades
The bee's knees. Far out. Totally tubular. While some slang terms have come and gone over the decades , others have true staying power. We're taking a look back at some of the more memorable phrases to join the American lexicon  in the past 100 years.
Twenty-three skidoo
The decade: '20s

Meaning

Origins

One story alleges a famous New York building was responsible for the silly-sounding phrase . A British rock band and a short film later borrowed the moniker.
Bee's knees
The decade: '20s

Meaning

Origins

Some say the rhyme -- one of many nonsensical phrases used by nattily dressed party girls -- was popularized by a famous dancer. Bartenders are still serving up "bee's knees" drinks today.
Cat's pajamas
The decade: '20s

Meaning

Origins

"Cat's pajamas" was considered a compliment during the flapper decade. These days, it's a popular sleepwear line
Hepcat
The decade: '40s

Origins

Meaning

Jazz fans and musicians in the '40s were some of the first to use "hepcat" to describe a cool person (see pictures of their flashy suits). A California ska band took the name in the late '80s
Hipster
The decade: '40s

Meaning

Origins

Present-day hipsters seem to have inherited their particular music tastes from their bebop-loving forbears.
Far-out
The decade: '60s

Meaning

Origins

The spacey phrase first showed up in the '50s, but it was the next decade's hippies - with their penchant for psychedelic drugs - who made it their own.
Groovy
The decades: 1960s and '70s

Meaning

Origins

Popular in the '60s, this favorite word of a "Scooby-Doo"character was also an apt way to describe the funky '70s .
Gnarly
The decade: '70s

Meaning

Origins

Surfers first used the word to describe riding a particularly awesome wave. Today, you'll likely hear the word at skate parks and snowboarding competitions.
Awesome
The decade: '80s

Meaning

Origins

This ubiquitous adjective gained popularity in the '80s and enjoyed a recent renaissance thanks to a wacky Internet cartoon and an NBC sitcom
Tubular
The decade: '80s

Meaning

Origins

When a Valley Girl  called something "totally tubular," it was the height of cool (not to be confused with another definition). The phrase soon went the way of oversized hair and parachute pants.
Bogus
The decade: '80s

Meaning

Origins

A '70s mischievous subculture allegedly first popularized the word, which was later co-opted by everyone from Sarah Jessica Parker to Keanu Reeves.
Radical
The decade: '80s

Meaning

Origins

This synonym for "cool" reached its climax with a 1986 BMX movie . Now some self-described geeks are bringing it back.
Crunk
The decade: '90s

Meaning

Origins

The Southern term inspired a subgenre of hip-hop that rappers such as Lil John and Three 6 Mafia made popular in the mid-'90s. Learn the dance moves.
Fresh
The decade: '90s

Meaning

Origins

Showing up to school in a new pair of British Knights would merit the "fresh" tag, as would this critically acclaimed 1994 film.
Fly
The decade: '90s

Meaning

Origins

The cool-meaning word not to be confused with the 1986 sci-fi flick or a myriad other meanings) was a favorite of '90s rappers and is still kicking around in hip-hop today.
Phat
The decade: '90s

Meaning

Origins

This flattering term  went on to inspire a clothing line. Who started it?
Diss
The decade: '90s

Meaning

Origins

This cut-down word (short for another word) inspired a subgenre of hip-hop music. Check out the top rap feuds.
Crib
The decade: '00s

Meaning

Origins

The domestic noun was bandied about for years before a certain MTV reality show introduced it into the mainstream. Did you know there's a country version?
Cougar
The decade: '00s

Meaning

Origins

"The Graduate" and "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" featured the older woman-younger man hookup long before ABC and "Saturday Night Live" jumped on the bandwagon. Which famous women are real-life cougars?
Shawty
The decade: '00s

Meaning

Origins

Some think this compliment  originated in this Southern city. Which rapper had a song called "Shawty" .
Boo
The decade: '00s

Meaning

Origins
Beastly
The decade: '00s

Meaning

Origins

A 2007 book  and 2011 movie may have inspired teens to start using this favorable term.
The term of endearment inspired a 2002 hip-hop duet  and a 2004 R&B duet . Which 2001 Pixar movie featured a character named Boo?

Weird July holidays
Also on MSN:

* Celebrity food commercials: Before they were famous
* 10 relationship 'rules' you should break
Source

Tidak ada komentar:

Posting Komentar