50 Slang Phrases from the 1980s

Every decade has it’s own sub-language composed of the slang that (primarily) kids used. Below are what we consider to be the most distinctive slang phrases of the 1980s.

#50 – gnarly

Meaning: adj – amazing or disgusting

Origin / Notes: classic surfer slang that went mainstream

Used in Context: The surfer rode a gnarly wave all the way to shore

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#49 – radical (or just rad)

Meaning: adj – extreme or outrageous

Used in Context: The movie Tron was totally rad.

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#48 – ralph

Meaning: v – vomit

Used in Context: I ate so much pizza that I wanted to ralph.

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#47 – What’s your damage?

Meaning: phrase – What is the matter with you?

Origin / Notes: Notably used in the 1988 film Heathers.

Used in Context: Why do you keep staring at me? What’s your damage?

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#46 – amped

Meaning: adj – excited

Origin / Notes: a shortened version of the word “amplified” ; borrowed from rock and roll music which was amplified with an electronic device called an amplifier.

Used in Context: I’m all amped up about going to the Def Leppard concert this weekend.

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#45 – for sure

Meaning: adv – definitely or totally

Origin / Notes: classic surfer slang that went mainstream

Used in Context:

Person 1: Do you want to hang this weekend?

Person 2: For sure.

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#44 – Jonesing

Meaning: v – wanting or craving

Origin / Notes: African American slang for heroin addiction

Used in Context: I am so Jonesing for a Dr. Pepper.

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#43 – homey (or homeboy / homegirl)

Meaning: n – someone who grew up in the same hometown as you

Used in Context: This weekend I’m gonna hang with my homies.

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#42 – Psych!

Meaning: exclamation – letting someone know that you just tricked them by making them believe something that wasn’t true.

Origin / Notes: originated from the word “psyche-out,” which was used in military jargon to describe a tactic of intimidating or disorienting the enemy.

Used in Context:

Person 1: [leans in like they are going to punch you.]

Person 2: [flinches)

Person 1: Psych!

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#41 – big whoop

Meaning: expression of derision or definace

Origin / Notes: a shortened and ironic form of the phrase “big whoopee,” which was a popular expression in the early 20th century meaning a great celebration or party.

Used in Context:

Person 1: I am going to New York next week.

Person 2: Big whoop!

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#40 – grossed out

Meaning: adv – nauseated or disgusted

Used in Context: I am grossed out by the amount grease on that slice of pizza.

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#39 – cheesy

Meaning: adj – inauthentic or corny

Origin / Notes: related to the use of the word “cheese” to describe something of low quality or inferior value. This usage of “cheese” dates back to the early 1900s and was often used to describe low-quality goods, such as “cheese cloth” which was a type of cheap, loosely woven fabric.

Used in Context: That shirt is so cheesy.

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#38 – Bite me!

Meaning: an expression of defiance.

Origin / Notes: Bite me originated as a slang term among soldiers during World War II. In this context, it may have been used to challenge or insult someone, as a way of saying “come at me” or “take a bite out of me if you dare.”

Used in Context:

Person 1: Hurry up! We’re late for school.

Person 2: Bite me!

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#37 – narc

Meaning: v – to tell on pr expose

Origin / Notes: “narc” as a slang term for informing can be traced back to the mid-20th century in the United States. During this time, law enforcement agencies were cracking down on drug use and trafficking, and the term “narc” was commonly used to refer to undercover police officers who were investigating drug-related crimes.

Used in Context: Put out the cigarette or I’m gonna narc on you.

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#36 – veg out

Meaning: v – relax

Origin / Notes: “veg out” is thought to be related to the cultural shift toward more leisure time and the rise of television as a popular form of entertainment in the mid-20th century. The phrase is believed to have originated as a way to describe the act of sitting in front of the television and watching it for extended periods of time, often in a state of relaxation or mental numbness.

Used in Context: I am gonna veg out and watch some TV.

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#35 – buttload

Meaning: n- a large quantity

Origin / Notes: buttload originated as a nautical term to describe a certain size of barrel used to transport goods on ships. According to this theory, a “butt” was a type of barrel that could hold a certain amount of liquid, such as wine or oil. Over time, the term “buttload” came to be used more broadly to describe any large quantity or amount of something.

Used in Context: I’ve got a buttload of comics from when I was a kid.

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#34 – take a chill pill

Meaning: verb phrase – to calm down or to relax

Origin / Notes: the phrase may have been influenced by the use of recreational drugs, such as marijuana or LSD, which were often associated with a relaxed and mellow state of mind.

Used in Context:

Person 1: Hurry Up!

Person 2: Dude, take a chill pill.

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#33 – spaz

Meaning: n – someone who won’t calm down

Origin / Notes: shortened form of the word spastic.

Used in Context: Stop moving around. Don’t be a spaz!

#32 – dweeb

Meaning: n – nerd or dork

Origin / Notes: believed to have derived from the word “dwine,” which means to waste away or decline. A great use of the phrase occurred in The Breakfast Club when one of the characters admonished another character to not be a neo-max-zoom-dweebie

Used in Context: That guy is such a dweeb.

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#31 – motor

Meaning: v – go (someplace in a car)

Origin / Notes: derived from the a motorized vehicle. Used frequently in the 1988 movie, Heathers.

Used in Context: We’re late. Let’s motor.

#30 – wannabe

Meaning: adj – someone pretending to be something their not

Origin / Notes: shortened form of the to words “wants to be”

Used in Context: That guy is such a wannabe surfer

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#29 – to the max

Meaning: expression – agreeing with what someone said

Origin / Notes: it is believed to have emerged as part of the larger cultural trend of using the word “max” as a slang term to indicate the highest or most intense level of something.

Used in Context:

Person 1: That girl is so hot.

Person 2: To the max!

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#28 – bodacious

Meaning: adj – excellent or wonderful

Origin / Notes: blending of the words “bold” and “audacious”

Used in Context: That girl has got a bodacious ass.

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#27 – cool beans

Meaning: explanation of agreement or excitement

Origin / Notes: The phrase originated in the military, where the term “beans” was used as slang for bullets. In this context, “cool beans” could have been a way of expressing relief that the bullets were not flying in one’s direction.

Used in Context: Cool beans?

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#26 – gag me with a spoon

Meaning: that’s disgusting

Origin / Notes: came out of Valley Girl slang

Used in Context: The surfer rode a gnarly wave all the way to shore.

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#25 – duh (or no duh)

Meaning: expression implying that the last thing said was stupid or obvious

Origin / Notes: originated as a shortened version of the word “duh-rivative,” which was a term used by jazz musicians in the 1940s and 1950s to describe a musical idea that was unoriginal or derivative. Over time, the term “duh-rivative” was shortened to “duh” and become a general expression of obviousness.

Used in Context:

Person 1: It looks like it will rain today

Person 2: Duh

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#24 – buff

Meaning: adj – having a muscular body

Origin / Notes: “buff” originally referred to the color of skin that was darkened and toughened from working outdoors, particularly in occupations such as farming or ranching. Over time, this term may have been applied to individuals who had well-developed muscles from physical labor.

Used in Context: The runner was surprisingly buff.

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#23 – hella

Meaning: adv – very or really

Origin / Notes: shortened form of “hell of”

Used in Context: That basketball player was hella tall.

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#22 – bitchin

Meaning: adj – cool

Origin / Notes: derived from the word “bitchen,” which was a slang term used in the 1950s and 1960s to describe something that was stylish or fashionable.

Used in Context: That roller coaster ride was bitchin

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#21 – preppie

Meaning: n – a style of clothes that mimics the posh fashion of prep school

Origin / Notes: derived from “preparatory” or prep schools

Used in Context: See that guy with the popped collars. That’s so preppie.

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#20 – grody

Meaning: adj – disgusting

Origin / Notes: is believed to be a shortened version of “grotesque.” “Grotesque” is a term used to describe something that is comically or repulsively ugly or distorted.

Used in Context: That week old chicken salad was kind of grody

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#19 – choice

Meaning: adj – high quality

Used in Context: That is a choice sweater.

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#18 – big time

Meaning: emphasizing the last thing that was said

Origin / Notes: classic surfer slang that went mainstream

Used in Context: One theory is that the phrase comes from theater slang, where it was used to refer to the most important or prestigious roles in a production. Actors who landed these roles were said to have made it “big time” and were considered to have achieved great success.

Person 1: that test is gonna be hard

Person 2: big time

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#17 – bogus

Meaning: adj – bad or undesirable

Origin / Notes: it is believed to have been derived from the word “bogey,” which was a term used in the late 18th century to describe a ghost or phantom. Over time, the word “bogus” came to be used to describe anything that was fake.

Used in Context: That speeding ticket was bogus.

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#16 – hoser

Meaning: n – a loser

Origin / Notes: Derived from the Canadian comics Doug and Bob of the 1980s

Used in Context: Dude, stop being such a hoser.

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#15- tubular

Meaning: adj – the ultimate, perfect

Origin / Notes: classic surfer slang that went mainstream

Used in Context: That milkshake was totally tubular.

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#14 – word

Meaning: expression agreeing with the last thing said

Origin / Notes: The term “word” originally referred to “my word is my bond,” meaning “I promise” or “I agree to that.” Over time, the phrase was shortened to just “word” and came to be used as a form of agreement or affirmation.

Used in Context:

Person 1: that girl has a fat ass

Person 2: word

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#13 – burn

Meaning: expression when someone is proven wrong or disrespected

Origin / Notes: it comes from the idea of burning someone’s argument to ashes, or perhaps from the use of the word “burn” in the sense of revealing the truth or exposing a lie.

Used in Context: She totally got you – burn ….

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#12 – where’s the beef

Meaning: phrase meaning – where’s the thing that is important

Origin / Notes: Derived from the Wendy’s commercial where an old lady was trying to find the very small patty in a competitor’s hamburger

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#11 – not even

Meaning: phrase meaning – I think you’re wrong but I am too lazy to explain why

Used in Context:

Person 1: I bet Mrs. Tagara is going to have a pop quiz today

Person 2: Not even

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#10 – lame

Meaning: adj – bad or incorrect

Origin / Notes: deviating from the standard definition of lame which means suffering from the loss of a limb

Used in Context: Dude, you couldn’t open the jar of spaghetti sauce. You are so lame.

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#9 – wastoid

Meaning: n – a worthless of dimwitted person

Origin / Notes: typically used to describe someone who is wasted or a chronic user of drugs or alcohol

Used in Context: Jonah is a such a waistoid

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#8 – for sure

Meaning: adv – agreeing with what was just said

Origin / Notes: classic surfer slang that went mainstream

Used in Context:

Person 1: We are going to win the football game this weekend.

Person 2: For sure.

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#7 – wigging out

Meaning: adj – freaking out

Origin / Notes: Came out of drug culture and means behaving in a wild, erratic, or crazy manner, often as a result of drug use or other extreme experiences.

Used in Context: My mom lost her keys and is wigging out

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#6 – bad to the bone

Meaning: adj – trendy or cool

Origin / Notes: drawn from the George Thoroughgood song of the same name

Used in Context: That new TransAm was bad to the bone.

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#5 – heinous

Meaning: adj – gross or bad

Origin / Notes: The word “heinous” was originally used primarily in legal contexts to describe crimes that were considered to be particularly serious or egregious. However, over time, it has come to be used more broadly to describe any act or behavior that is considered to be morally reprehensible or abhorrent.

Used in Context: That gravy was heinous

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#4 – no can do

Meaning: expression that means someone is refusing a request

Origin / Notes: The phrase “no can do” is an idiomatic expression that means “it is not possible to do” or “I cannot do it.” It is believed to have originated in the United States in the early 20th century, and may have been popularized by Chinese immigrants who worked on the railroads and other manual labor jobs.

Used in Context:

Person 1: Can you drive me to school tomorrow Person

2: No can do

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#3 – wicked

Meaning: adj – cool

Origin / Notes: the word “wicked” began to take on a more playful or ironic meaning, particularly in British English. In this context, the word was used to describe something that was considered to be cool, hip, or edgy, often with a sense of rebelliousness or nonconformity.

Used in Context:

Person 1: I just made out with Janet

Person 2: wicked

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#2 – freaked out

Meaning: adj – worried or concerned

Origin / Notes: The phrase “freaked out” is believed to have originated in the United States in the 1960s, during the countercultural movement. The term “freak” was used in this context to describe someone who was unconventional, nonconformist, or “outside the norm” of mainstream society. To “freak out” meant to behave in an unconventional or extreme manner, often as a result of drug use or other intense experiences.