The Most Popular Slang the Year You Were Born

No sign of the times is quite as loud as a slang term. You can be fluent in any language, but knowing a specific era's lingo provides cultural context that just can't be translated any other way.

From Prohibition-age insults like "wet blanket" to '90s rap-derived descriptors like "da bomb," slang takes on many forms depending on who's saying it. But slang is far from a digital-age phenomenon: your parents and even your great-grandparents helped popularize the everyday sayings we still use today. That's right—"brewski" and "kegger" were born in the 1960s, long before you ever stepped foot on a college campus. And if you've ever called a celebrity crush a "dreamboat," you can thank someone further up your family tree, who probably helped coin that very compliment while swooning over midcentury Hollywood men.

From the first "nerd" to the last "whale-tail," here's a nostalgic look back at the most popular slang term from the year you were born (according to Good Housekeeping).

1920

Ritzy: Fancy, elegant, or high-class.

1921

Blind Date: A social setup between two strangers.

1922

Plastered: Intoxicated or drunk.

1923

Mad Money: Emergency cab fare carried by a woman on a date.

1924

Wet Blanket: A buzzkill or party-pooper.

1925

Atta-Girl: An exclamation of encouragement for a woman.

1926

Gold-Digger: Someone interested in a partner solely for money.

1927

Hollywood star Clara Bow, the original 1920s "It Girl," posing in a silent film still. | John Kobal Foundation/GettyImages

It Girl: A charming, alluring young woman.

1928

Baloney: Nonsense or something fake.

1929

It Boy: A handsome young man or male Hollywood heartthrob.

1930

Booksy: Studious or fond of reading.

1931

Snazzy: Stylish, elegant, or eye-catching.

1932

Burp: To belch.

1933

Beered Up: Intoxicated on beer.

1934

Boffo: A funny joke or a wildly successful show.

1935

Gramps: A nickname for a grandfather, or a cheeky insult for an old person.

1936

Bingo Games On The Beach 1930-1935 — Women playing beach bingo games in France, circa 1930–1935. | Keystone-France/GettyImages

Bingo: A popular game played in halls.

1937

Gunky: Sticky, slimy, or gross.

1938

Fave: Short for favorite.

1939

Bad-Mouthing: Speaking ill or trash-talking someone.

1940

Baby Blues: Mild sadness or mood shifts experienced by a mother after giving birth.

1941

Dreamboat: An extremely attractive man.

1942

Hyper: Short for hyperactive or overly energetic.

1943

Duh: A sarcastic response to something obvious, popularized by Merrie Melodies cartoons.

1944

Tag-Along: An uninvited guest who joins in.

1945

Doh!: An exclamation reacting to a silly mistake.

1946

Cheesed Off: Angry or annoyed.

1947

Young Woman Being Drawn by Street Artist — An artist at the 1945 Washington Square Art Exhibit in Greenwich Village sketches a portrait for a visitor. | Bettmann/GettyImages

Artsy: A pretentious person trying too hard to appear artistic or creative.

1948

Fannie Mae: Financial shorthand for the Federal National Mortgage Association.

1949

Jet Set: Young, wealthy people who travel frequently by plane.

1950

Beautiful People: A term coined by Hollywood for the rich, glamorous, and famous.

1951

Nerd: An uncool, "square," or overly studious person.

1952

Divey: Low-class, simple, or seedy.

1953

Hippie: A variation of hipster, used to describe a beatnik or member of youth subculture.

1954

Boonies: The country or middle of nowhere.

1955

Cool: Effortlessly stylish or hip.

1956

Office Work — A male manager leaning over a secretary's desk to review paperwork in 1956. | John Pratt/GettyImages

Nit-Picker: A pedantic boss or manager who obsesses over petty, minor details.

1957

Endsville: The ultimate cool destination, or a term describing something exceptionally hip.

1958

Nuke: To bomb, blast, or destroy.

1959

Hot-Dog: Surf culture slang meaning to perform stunts or show off recklessly.

1960

Dullsville: A boring place or town.

1961

Bratty: Spoiled or misbehaving.

1962

Drop-Dead: Fashion industry slang for anything gorgeous, fabulous, or show-stopping.

1963

Mickey Mouse: Fooling around or amateurish work.

1964

Aw-Shucks: Popularized by writer Tom Wolfe for feigning innocence or fake humility.

1965

Grody: Gross or disgusting.

1966

Fraternity Members at Beer Kegs — Fraternity members fill cups from beer kegs at a college gathering in 1969. | Ted Streshinsky Photographic Archive/GettyImages

Kegger: Campus slang for a college party centered around a draft beer keg.

1967

Freak Flag: Coined by Jimi Hendrix to describe letting your weird, unconventional, or true self show without shame.

1968

Bippy: Slang for one's backside.

1969

Out of Sight: Slang meaning mind-blowing, incredible, or simply "beyond belief."

1970

Dorky: Nerdy or socially awkward.

1971

Deadhead: A fan of the Grateful Dead.

1972

Guilt Trip: Manipulating someone using guilt.

1973

Carbo: Shorthand for carbohydrates, popularized as low-carb diets made their way into mainstream culture.

1974

Motorhead: Someone obsessed with cars or motorcycles.

1975

Detox: Short for detoxify.

1976

Hardball: Ruthless or aggressive negotiation tactics.

1977

Freshman's Beer Can Collection — A high school student poses in his bedroom surrounded by his extensive beer can collection in 1977. | Heinz Kluetmeier/GettyImages

Brewski: Slang for beer.

1978

Pig Out: To overeat or gorge on food.

1979

Nostalgia-Fest: A nostalgic event or conversation driven by Boomers romanticizing the past as they got older.

1980

Frizzy: Unruly, tightly curled, or perm-styled hair.

1981

Chill Pill: A casual reminder to relax or calm down.

1982

Buff: Describing a muscular, physically fit physique, fueled by bodybuilding culture and stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger.

1983

Beatbox: Making vocal drum beats with one's mouth.

1984

Major: A word used for extra emphasis.

1985

Radness: The state of being awesome or cool, stemming from "radical."

1986

Studmuffin: A cheeky term for a handsome, exceptionally attractive man.

1987

Dean Houghton, John Silveira — 1987 "Couch Potato" winner John Silveira and runner-up Dean Houghton demonstrate two distinct approaches to watching TV. | John Storey/GettyImages

Couch Surfing: Sitting around and watching television all day—the late-'80s precursor to modern binge-watching.

1988

F-Bomb: Euphemistic slang for the ultimate four-letter expletive, named for its ability to shock.

1989

Bogus: Unfair, uncool, or bad.

1990

Kewl: A stylized, alternative spelling of "cool" used by teens that emerged in 1990.

1991

Tighty-Whiteys: Slang for traditional white men's brief underwear.

1992

Not: A sarcastic modifier negating a statement.

1993

Da Bomb: Something super-cool or top-tier.

1994

Benjamins: Nickname for $100 bills, referring to Benjamin Franklin's portrait on the note and popularized by '90s hip-hop.

1995

As If: An exclamation of disbelief or refusal, famously immortalized by Cher Horowitz in 1995's Clueless.

1996

Whatever: A dismissive or indifferent response.

1997

Jiggy: Stylish or a skilled dancer.

1998

Phat: A variant of "fat" rooted in urban slang, used to describe something awesome or attractive.

1999

Bling: Flashy, expensive jewelry or accessories.

2000

Whassup?: A catchphrase greeting popularized by Budweiser commercials.

2001

Whale-tail: The visible waistband of a thong sticking out above low-rise jeans.

2002

Hella: Very, extremely, or a lot of.

2003

Peeps: Short for people; one's friends or crew.

2004

Britney Spears rocking Y2K low-rise style. | Steve Granitz/GettyImages

Muffin Top: Overhanging body fat over the tight waistband of low-rise pants.

2005

Fo Shizzle: Slang for "for sure" popularized by Snoop Dogg.