If you've been following along, you may remember my posts on 1980s slang and 1990s slang. My buddy John suggested I do one for the 1970s. I'll soon cover slang from the 1950s and 1960s just to be fair.
Fun & Funky Slang Words From The '70s
Bad: You don't often hear the term "bad" meaning "good" or "too cool" much anymore. If you use it, cool! It's fun to recycle fun old slang. I take pride in it.
The Boob Tube: I grew up hearing nuns use Boob Tube and always giggled thinking of, well, never mind. The phrase means television or TV as in a silly person watches the boob tube because back int eh 70s TVs had tubes in them. The Boob Tube was also the name of a 1975 movie.
Cat: A cat is just a fun way of referring to a dude, a person, a bro, etc. For example: "That cat better not be checking out my woman."
Cut The Cheese or Lay A Gasser: I'm sure you can figure out what these silly slang phrases mean. I take it tooting or farting in public was popular for a laugh in the 1970s.
Dynamite!: The slang term Dynamite! was made popular by J.J. Evans (Jimmie Walker) on the 1970s sitcom Good Times and means "GREAT" or "Awesome!"
Fox or Foxy: This was used to describe a fine looking guy or girl. One might think 70s teen idol Andy Gibb is a fox!
"Gimme Some Skin" or "Gimme Five": Slapping people “five” was a very popular way to greet your friend back in the 60s and 70s. Giving someone some skin or giving them five basically meant to open slap the palm of their hand in a friendly manner.
Keep on truckin': The encouraging phrase, "Keep on truckin'" is sometimes still heard now and again and means "hang in there", "stay on track" or "stay focused" ... The phrase most likely comes from the 1973 song recorded by Eddie Kendricks and a 60s comic Keep on Truckin'.
 |
| Spaz from Meatballs |
Spaz: A spaz is clumsy, awkward and basically a hot mess. I personally love this word and many of my friends call me Spaz, not just because of my last name, but well, because I am the perfect spaz. You may recall the nerdy character from the 1979 classic Bill Murray comedy Meatballs pictured above.
Threads: Just a fun way of saying clothes. For example, a young fox might say, “Hey, dig my new threads?”
What it is?: When someone asked "What it is?" they were simply asking "What's up?”
