QUIZ: Remember ‘50s Slang Terms

This phrase is used to refer to small children, usually ones that are only about as tall as your knees. Used in a sentence, “How old are your little ankle biters?”

If you’re crusin’ for a brusin’ you better watch out cause you might be getting into some trouble. Used in a sentence, “Don’t say that to me again or you’ll be crusin’ for a brusin’.”

It would be very uncool to call your actual father daddy-o. Used in a sentence, “I love your jacket daddy-o!”

This term might sound strange, but it was used to show ultimate excitement in the ‘50s. Used in a sentence, “That new Beatles song really razzes my berries!”

Maybe referencing the fact that frogs live on lily pads, calling your house your pad was a totally cool thing to do in the 1950s. Used in a sentence, “Come over to my pad later, I just got a new record player.”

This term came about because the cool young people who wore leather jackets and rode motorcycles also wore a lot of hair grease. Used in a sentence, “Don’t mess with those guys, they’re greasers.”

Just like laying underneath a palm tree on a sunny beach, to be in the shade means that things are going well. Used in a sentence, “I just got my paycheck, I’ve got it made in the shade.”

This fanciful way of saying haircut added a little pizzaz to people’s lives before emojis. Used in a sentence, “Boy, I sure could use a wig chop.”

If something was absolutely hilarious, it can be referred to as a big tickle. Used in a sentence, “I just loved the movie, it was a big tickle!”

It may sound strange, but if someone in the ‘50s called you ginchy, they were probably sweet for you. Used in a sentence, “I love you so much, you’re the ginchiest!”

If you do something slick, you’ll probably catch everyone’s attention with your effortless skills. Used in a sentence, “Did you see the way he caught that ball? He’s so slick.”

If your face is a car, your mouth must be the gas pedal. Used in a sentence, “Cut the gas, I can’t hear the television.”

This phrase was used as a compliment for a woman’s body and may or may not sound creepy if said today. Used in a sentence, “I don’t say this to everyone, but you’ve got a classy chassis.”

If someone is telling you the truth, they’ll use this phrase so you can be sure you’re getting the real deal. Used in a sentence, “I swear it happened, word from the bird.”

Drive-in theaters and other places where teenagers might go on a date are referred to as passion pits. Used in a sentence, “I’m seeing a movie with Katie tonight down at the passion pit.”

If you’ve got a sports car and you want to show your friends just how fast it can accelerate, you should burn rubber. Used in a sentence, “I just saw my mom in the other lane, let’s burn rubber!”

It wasn’t uncommon to find to teens in the back of their cars at the drive-in theatre playing back seat bingo, if you know what I mean. Used in a sentence, “I saw Sally and Jim playing back seat bingo at the drive in last night.”

First starting from groups of artists and musicians, the phrase cool cat soon became a compliment for anyone who was hip and trendy. Used in a sentence, “That guitarist is such a cool cat.”

Another word used to compliment the coolest people of the bunch, hip no longer meant just the body part in the ‘50s. Used in a sentence, “Thanks for the music recommendation, that album is so hip.”

Calling someone a wet rag was a total diss in the ‘50s. Used in a sentence, “Don’t be such a wet rag, I want to have some fun!”

This phrase means that you’ve gotta get out of here, and fast. Used in a sentence, “I hear sirens, let’s beat feet!”

If someone offers you a knuckle sandwich, you better watch out because they could be looking for a fight. Used in a sentence, “Get out of my way or I’ll give you a knuckle sandwich!”

If you’re having trouble remembering something, its fun to just blame it on smog in the noggin. Used in a sentence, “I did poorly on that test, I must have smog in the noggin.”

Anything that is going successfully or that is exciting, from a career to a date can be described as gangbusters. Used in a sentence, “He rocked the semester like gangbusters.”

If someone goes absolutely wild in a positive or negative sense, they’ve probably flipped their lid. Used in a sentence, “If I’m out after curfew my dad will flip his lid!”