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).1920Ritzy: Fancy, elegant, or high-class. 1921Blind Date: A social setup between two strangers. 1922Plastered: Intoxicated or drunk. 1923Mad Money: Emergency cab fare carried by a woman on a date. 1924Wet Blanket: A buzzkill or party-pooper. 1925Atta-Girl: An exclamation of encouragement for a woman. 1926Gold-Digger: Someone interested in a partner solely for money. 1927Hollywood star Clara Bow, the original 1920s "It Girl," posing in a silent film still. | John Kobal Foundation/GettyImagesIt Girl: A charming, alluring young woman. 1928Baloney: Nonsense or something fake. 1929It Boy: A handsome young man or male Hollywood heartthrob.1930Booksy: Studious or fond of reading. 1931Snazzy: Stylish, elegant, or eye-catching. 1932Burp: To belch. 1933Beered Up: Intoxicated on beer. 1934Boffo: A funny joke or a wildly successful show. 1935Gramps: A nickname for a grandfather, or a cheeky insult for an old person. 1936Women playing beach bingo games in France, circa 1930–1935. | Keystone-France/GettyImagesBingo: A popular game played in halls. 1937Gunky: Sticky, slimy, or gross. 1938Fave: Short for favorite. 1939Bad-Mouthing: Speaking ill or trash-talking someone. 1940Baby Blues: Mild sadness or mood shifts experienced by a mother after giving birth. 1941Dreamboat: An extremely attractive man. 1942Hyper: Short for hyperactive or overly energetic. 1943Duh: A sarcastic response to something obvious, popularized by Merrie Melodies cartoons. 1944Tag-Along: An uninvited guest who joins in. 1945Doh!: An exclamation reacting to a silly mistake. 1946Cheesed Off: Angry or annoyed. 1947An artist at the 1945 Washington Square Art Exhibit in Greenwich Village sketches a portrait for a visitor. | Bettmann/GettyImagesArtsy: A pretentious person trying too hard to appear artistic or creative.1948Fannie Mae: Financial shorthand for the Federal National Mortgage Association.1949Jet Set: Young, wealthy people who travel frequently by plane. 1950Beautiful People: A term coined by Hollywood for the rich, glamorous, and famous. 1951Nerd: An uncool, "square," or overly studious person. 1952Divey: Low-class, simple, or seedy. 1953Hippie: A variation of hipster, used to describe a beatnik or member of youth subculture. 1954Boonies: The country or middle of nowhere. 1955Cool: Effortlessly stylish or hip. 1956A male manager leaning over a secretary's desk to review paperwork in 1956. | John Pratt/GettyImagesNit-Picker: A pedantic boss or manager who obsesses over petty, minor details.1957Endsville: The ultimate cool destination, or a term describing something exceptionally hip.1958Nuke: To bomb, blast, or destroy. 1959Hot-Dog: Surf culture slang meaning to perform stunts or show off recklessly.1960Dullsville: A boring place or town. 1961Bratty: Spoiled or misbehaving. 1962Drop-Dead: Fashion industry slang for anything gorgeous, fabulous, or show-stopping.1963Mickey Mouse: Fooling around or amateurish work. 1964Aw-Shucks: Popularized by writer Tom Wolfe for feigning innocence or fake humility.1965Grody: Gross or disgusting. 1966Fraternity members fill cups from beer kegs at a college gathering in 1969. | Ted Streshinsky Photographic Archive/GettyImagesKegger: Campus slang for a college party centered around a draft beer keg.1967Freak Flag: Coined by Jimi Hendrix to describe letting your weird, unconventional, or true self show without shame. 1968Bippy: Slang for one's backside. 1969Out of Sight: Slang meaning mind-blowing, incredible, or simply "beyond belief."1970Dorky: Nerdy or socially awkward. 1971Deadhead: A fan of the Grateful Dead. 1972Guilt Trip: Manipulating someone using guilt. 1973Carbo: Shorthand for carbohydrates, popularized as low-carb diets made their way into mainstream culture.1974Motorhead: Someone obsessed with cars or motorcycles. 1975Detox: Short for detoxify. 1976Hardball: Ruthless or aggressive negotiation tactics. 1977A high school student poses in his bedroom surrounded by his extensive beer can collection in 1977. | Heinz Kluetmeier/GettyImagesBrewski: Slang for beer. 1978Pig Out: To overeat or gorge on food. 1979Nostalgia-Fest: A nostalgic event or conversation driven by Boomers romanticizing the past as they got older.1980Frizzy: Unruly, tightly curled, or perm-styled hair. 1981Chill Pill: A casual reminder to relax or calm down.1982Buff: Describing a muscular, physically fit physique, fueled by bodybuilding culture and stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger.1983Beatbox: Making vocal drum beats with one's mouth. 1984Major: A word used for extra emphasis. 1985Radness: The state of being awesome or cool, stemming from "radical."1986Studmuffin: A cheeky term for a handsome, exceptionally attractive man. 19871987 "Couch Potato" winner John Silveira and runner-up Dean Houghton demonstrate two distinct approaches to watching TV. | John Storey/GettyImagesCouch Surfing: Sitting around and watching television all day—the late-'80s precursor to modern binge-watching.1988F-Bomb: Euphemistic slang for the ultimate four-letter expletive, named for its ability to shock. 1989Bogus: Unfair, uncool, or bad. 1990Kewl: A stylized, alternative spelling of "cool" used by teens that emerged in 1990.1991Tighty-Whiteys: Slang for traditional white men's brief underwear.1992Not: A sarcastic modifier negating a statement. 1993Da Bomb: Something super-cool or top-tier. 1994Benjamins: Nickname for $100 bills, referring to Benjamin Franklin's portrait on the note and popularized by '90s hip-hop.1995Alicia Silverstone as Cher Horowitz in 'Clueless' (1995). | CBS Photo Archive/GettyImagesAs If: An exclamation of disbelief or refusal, famously immortalized by Cher Horowitz in 1995's Clueless.1996Whatever: A dismissive or indifferent response. 1997Jiggy: Stylish or a skilled dancer. 1998Phat: A variant of "fat" rooted in urban slang, used to describe something awesome or attractive.1999Bling: Flashy, expensive jewelry or accessories.2000Whassup?: A catchphrase greeting popularized by Budweiser commercials.2001Whale-tail: The visible waistband of a thong sticking out above low-rise jeans.2002Hella: Very, extremely, or a lot of.2003Peeps: Short for people; one's friends or crew.2004Britney Spears rocking Y2K low-rise style. | Steve Granitz/GettyImagesMuffin Top: Overhanging body fat over the tight waistband of low-rise pants.2005Fo Shizzle: Slang for "for sure" popularized by Snoop Dogg.More Like This: