These Expressions Are a Dead Giveaway
The 1980s was a weird and wonderful decade filled with new-age music, acid-washed jeans, and shoulder pads. It seems like everyone was in an experimental phase back then, pushing the boundaries of fashion, arts, and even vocabulary. Here are 20 expressions only people who were teens in the 80s use.
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1. "Radical"
Radical or rad was used in the 80s as a synonym for cool. We think it's a pretty great word and radical should make a comeback, not just as a way to describe someone with extreme political ideologies.
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2. "Word to Your Mother"
No, this is not a "yo momma" style insult. It means you agree wholeheartedly with something someone said. It's also sometimes used more literally as "give my regards to your mother," depending on the context.
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3. "Gag Me With A Spoon!"
This expression is one of our favorites. It's a very dramatic way of stating your disapproval of something. You're so disturbed you want to gag.
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4. "Bite Me"
"Bite me" is an aggressive way of telling someone to back off or go away when they're getting up in your face. In today's context it sounds like something a psycho would say, but back in the 80s it was a common expression.
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5. "Eat My Shorts"
If you've ever watched The Simpsons you probably know this expression thanks to Bart. You can use it as a perfect comeback in any argument.
6. "Bag Your Face"
This is valley girl slang for "shut up" when you really don't want to hear another word from someone. It can also be used more literally to mean someone is so ugly they should put a bag on their face.
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7. "What's Your Damage?"
If someone asks you this, don't answer. This phrase was coined by the 80s teen drama Heathers. It's an extreme way of saying "what's wrong with you?"
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8. "Zeek"
The whole movie trope of the nerd taking off his glasses to reveal he's super hot was very popular in the 80s so it makes sense that someone created a word like "zeek." It's a geek with sex appeal.
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9. "Let's Bounce"
"Let's bounce" is the equivalent to the millennial expression "let's dip." It means to leave or get out of here.
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10. "Gnarly"
Gnarly means something that's very thrilling or dangerous, but in 80s slang terms it was another synonym for extremely cool. It's safe to say there were a lot of cool things in this decade.
11. "Barf Out"
"Barf out" essentially means to freak out as in "your mom's going to barf out if you get home after curfew." "Barf me out" was another popular term meaning disgust.
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12. "Bad"
"Bad" in the 80s actually meant something good. If you wanted to compliment someone you'd say "you look bad today." Confusing, right?
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13. "Have A Cow"
To "have a cow" meant to make a big deal out of something like when someone is overly emotional, you'd say "don't have a cow!" It was made popular by the John Hughes movie Sixteen Candles.
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14. "Not Even"
"Not even" is how people would disagree with someone in the 80s. If you didn't feel like getting into a proper argument, you could just say these two words and the discussion would be closed.
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15. "No Duh"
This one may seem like an oxymoron: Is it "no" or is it "duh?" It was used when someone said something super obvious. Actually, just "duh" would've sufficed but that's the 80s for you.
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16. "Take A Chill Pill"
This one is still used today from time to time though it's rare. In the 80s it was a rather unsympathetic way of telling someone to relax.
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17. "Veg Out"
Referring to someone in a vegetative state, "veg out" means to spend time idly. It's not exactly politically correct, but rarely would people take offense to it back then.
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18. "Psych"
"Psych" is a pretty unnessecary word people would use to indicate that they were pulling your leg. If you had to say "psych" at the end of a gag, it probably wasn't a very good one.
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19. "Bodacious"
The term "bodacious" is used to describe a bold and gutsy woman. It's also used to describe someone as sexy and attractive. It's likely an amalgamation of bold and audacious.
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20. "Fantabulous"
Someone in the 60s realized you can put fantastic and fabulous together into one word and people in the 80s actually thought it was cool. We can't imagine this word being hugely popular in the general population but it certainly found its place among valley girls.
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