Old School Terms from the 1950s That Should Make A Comeback
Some Expressions Should Live On Forever
The 1950s is the era we associate with greasers playing rock n' roll on the jukebox in the diner. Not only did the young and hip have a certain look, they had a certain vocabulary as well. Some of the terms they coined we still use today while others have been lost in time. Here are 20 old school expressions from the 50s we think should make a comeback.
1. Cool Cat
It's no surprise that the animal synonymous with cool is a cat. Being called a cool cat would've been one of the greatest compliments you could receive in the 50s.
2. Daddy-O
Judging by the number of terms there were to identify them, there must have been a lot of cool guys in the 50s. Daddy-o was something you'd say to address a friend.
3. Necking
Necking is another word for making out or kissing very intensely. It's most likely because the majority of the movement comes from the neck and above.
4. Bread
Bread was slang for money back in the day, likely because it was one of main food staples. If you had money, you could put bread on the table.
5. Burn Rubber
To burn rubber just means to drive very fast. It's literally what happens when you hit the gas, making it a very descriptive term.
6. Wet Rag
We all know what a limp, ugly, damp rag looks like. Well, in the 50s it was used to describe someone who was really boring. Not very nice but a pretty apt comparison!
7. Wig Chop
Maybe a lot of people in the 50s had wigs or maybe it was said ironically, whatever the case, wig chop means haircut.
8. Hip to the Jive
Hip to the jive was a term used to describe a cool person who's aware of the trends. Jive talk refers to Black slang which we all know is where the coolest English terms come from, so if you're hip to it, you must be cool.
9. Cop A Breeze
Cop a breeze means to leave quickly. We can only guess it's because when you walk quickly you feel a breeze in your face.
10. Bobby Soxer
A bobby soxer is a teenage girl who's really into rock n' roll. The term was first used in a Time magazine article describing the girls who swooned over Frank Sinatra in their bobby socks (socks with ruffles.)
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11. Hen Fruit
Perhaps our favorite on this list, hen fruit means egg. This is definitely one to try and work into sentences.
12. Peachy Keen
Peachy keen meaning something really awesome is a 1950s classic. We can just picture a young Buddy Holly-looking figure uttering it nervously to his crush, a bobby soxer no doubt.
13. Tanked
Tanked; just when you thought there couldn't be any more euphemisms for drunk. It was perhaps taken from "drunk tank," the holding cell where police kept intoxicated people.
14. Made in the Shade
Having it made in the shade means having it easy. It likely came from a children's poem "ice-cold lemonade, made in the shade."
15. Chrome-Dome
Another clever one, chrome-dome means someone who's bald. It often refers to a bald intellectual, perhaps because chrome is associated with scientific, futuristic things.
16. Knuckle Sandwich
"I outta give you a knuckle sandwich" is a sentence you've more likely heard in Popeye than in real life. It's probably the cutest way to threaten someone with violence.
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17. Threads
Threads means clothes, usually stylish ones. Seeing as clothes are made from threads, the origin is pretty obvious but we like it for its simplicity.
18. Ankle-Biter
Ankle-biter is what they called children. With a term like this we can only guess people in the 50s thought little kids were a nuisance.
19. Cruisin' For A Bruisin'
Cruisin' for a bruisin' meant looking for trouble. The expression was famously used in the 50s hit movie Grease as well as at the end of the Pink Floyd song "Money."
20. Flip Your Wig
Flip your wig meant to freak out or get really excited. It's probably the result of too many cartoons where characters explode, their hair flying into the air.
