1970s

/jyv TUR-kee/

Person full of nonsense

Origin: African American slang, mainstream mid-70s

"Don't listen to that jive turkey."

/ryt on/

I agree; expression of approval

Origin: Civil rights era

"Right on, brother!"

/BOO-gee/

Dance; have a good time

Origin: 1929 jazz, disco revival

"Let's boogie down at the club."

/kach yoo on thuh flip syd/

See you later

Origin: DJ/radio slang for B-side of records

"Gotta split — catch you on the flip side."

/FOK-see/

Attractive

Origin: African American slang, 70s mainstream

"She's one foxy lady."

/DY-no-myt/

Excellent! (catchphrase)

Origin: Popularized by 'Good Times' TV show

"Dy-no-mite! Look at those threads!"

/keep on TRUK-in/

Persevere

Origin: R. Crumb comic 1968, mainstream 70s

"Tough week, but keep on truckin'."

/shag/

A dance; or a haircut

Origin: 1970s

"I'm getting a shag at the salon."

/WAHTS yer HAND-uhl/

An inquiry or statement about one's current occupation, situation, or state of mind.

Origin: African American Vernacular English (AAVE) popularized in 1970s soul and funk culture.

"Are you still working that retail job, or is that over?"

/TAYK uh POW-der/

To leave quickly or depart a location, often to avoid trouble or responsibility.

Origin: Mid-20th century slang that saw a resurgence in 1970s detective and street culture.

"I'm going to take a powder before the boss catches me sitting around."

/DEK/

A person who is perceived as a loser, socially inept, or uncool.

Origin: Shortened version of 'deckwood' or 'deck-hand,' commonly used in 1970s high school subcultures.

"I can't believe he wore those polyester pants; what a total deck."

/CHOYS/

Highly desirable, high quality, or excellent.

Origin: Surfer and skater culture of Southern California, spreading nationally by the mid-70s.

"That gold chain is choice, man, where did you get it?"

/BRIK/

An incredibly boring, dull, or socially awkward person.

Origin: College campus slang referring to someone as dense or unmoving as a piece of masonry.

"Don't let that guy in, he's a real brick."

/koh-pah-SET-ik/

Excellent, in good order, or satisfactory.

Origin: Early 20th century AAVE that saw a massive mainstream revival in 1970s jazz and funk circles.

"Everything is copacetic now that the band started playing."

/HEH-vee HIT-er/

An important, influential, or wealthy person.

Origin: Corporate and street slang referring to someone who makes a large impact.

"He thinks he's a real heavy hitter because he bought a Porsche."

/SIT on IT/

A dismissive or rude way to tell someone to be quiet or go away.

Origin: Popularized heavily by the 1970s television show 'Happy Days.'

"Sit on it, Potsie!"

/THREDS/

Clothing or an outfit, usually referring to stylish or expensive garments.

Origin: Jazz era slang that remained a staple of 1970s disco and urban culture.

"Check out those threads on the dance floor!"

/CHIL owt/

To relax, calm down, or spend time doing nothing in particular.

Origin: African American Vernacular English that crossed over into mainstream youth culture in the mid-70s.

"I'm just going to chill out at home tonight and listen to records."

/HEH-vee/

Profound, serious, or emotionally weighted.

Origin: Counterculture slang from the late 60s that peaked in 1_970s stoner and hippy circles.

"Man, that's heavy, I never thought about life that way."

/SPLIT/

To depart or leave a place immediately.

Origin: 1950s beatnik slang that became a standard part of the 1970s vernacular.

"I gotta split before the cops show up."

/BRED麻/

Money.

Origin: Rhyming slang ('bread and honey') used in jazz culture and popularized in the 1970s.

"Man, that's some serious bread you're spending on that car."

/SKUFF滋/

To move fast, hurry, or dance energetically.

Origin: A term originating in the northern soul and ballroom scenes of the early 1970s.

"You better scuff if you want to make it to the club before midnight."

/TUR-kee/

An inept, foolish, or unstylish person.

Origin: Urban slang used to describe someone who lacks 'cool.'

"Look at that turkey trying to do the Hustle."

/FLAYK滋/

An unreliable person who frequently cancels plans or is eccentric.

Origin: Derived from the idea of someone being 'flaky' or falling apart like a croissant.

"Don't be such a flake, show up to the party on time."

/OWT uv SYT滋/

Incredible, amazing, or visually stunning.

Origin: 1960s soul music culture that remained highly popular through the disco era.

"That new disco track is really out of sight!"

/KEE-pin on KEE-pin on滋/

To persevere or continue doing what one is doing despite difficulties.

Origin: Popularized by the 1971 Curtis Mayfield song of the same name.

"Don't let him get you down, just keep on keepin' on."

/DIG it滋/

To understand, appreciate, or enjoy something.

Origin: Early 20th century AAVE that became a dominant catchphrase in 70s cinema and music.

"Hey man, can you dig it?"

/DRAG滋/

Something that is tedious, disappointing, or annoying.

Origin: 1950s bohemian slang that stayed common throughout the 1970s.

"That movie was so boring, it was a total drag."

/BOO-gee DOWN/

To dance enthusiastically, especially to disco or funk music

Origin: African American vernacular, popularized by disco culture c.1973

"Come on girl, lets boogie down before the DJ switches records!"

/LAY sum RUB-er/

To accelerate a car so hard the tires screech and leave marks

Origin: American street racing slang, widespread by early 1970s

"Watch me lay some rubber at this light and leave those cats in the dust."

/GOOD BUD-ee/

A friendly form of address used among CB radio operators

Origin: CB radio culture jargon, peaked c.1975-1978

"Hey good buddy, you got a smokey sittin at mile marker forty."

/SMOH-kee/

A police officer, especially a highway patrol trooper

Origin: CB radio slang referencing Smokey Bear hat worn by state troopers

"Breaker breaker, got a Smokey on the overpass with a radar gun."

/HAM-er DOWN/

To accelerate fully; to press the gas pedal to the floor

Origin: Trucker and CB radio slang derived from hammer as throttle metaphor

"Clear skies ahead good buddy, put the hammer down and make that delivery."

/RAP-ing/

Talking candidly and at length; holding a serious conversation

Origin: African American vernacular of the 1960s, mainstream by early 1970s

"We were just rapping about the whole Watergate mess down at the diner."

/DIG it/

To understand or appreciate something deeply

Origin: Jazz and beatnik slang of the 1950s, still heavy currency through early 1970s

"They want us to believe the tapes just erased themselves? I do not dig it, man."

/RYT ON/

An exclamation of enthusiastic agreement or affirmation

Origin: African American political speech, adopted broadly by counterculture c.1968-1975

"Right on, sister, we march tomorrow and we do not stop till they listen."

/JYV TUR-kee/

A foolish, dishonest, or generally worthless person

Origin: African American vernacular blaxploitation era, popularized c.1973

"Do not listen to that jive turkey, he has been running his mouth all week."

/STON KOLD FOKS/

An exceptionally attractive person, usually a woman

Origin: American slang amplified by blaxploitation film dialogue c.1972-1976

"That lady who just walked in is a stone cold fox, I am telling you."

/SOL-id/

An expression of approval; excellent, dependable, or cool

Origin: African American vernacular jazz roots, mainstream slang by early 1970s

"You covered my shift last week? Solid, man, I owe you one."

/BRED/

Money

Origin: Cockney rhyming slang bread and honey equals money, adopted by US counterculture

"I need to hustle up some bread before rent comes due Friday."

/SPLIT/

To leave a place quickly

Origin: American slang, jazz origins, common in youth culture throughout the 1970s

"This party is a drag, lets split and find something real to do."

/HEV-ee/

Serious, profound, or emotionally intense

Origin: Counterculture slang of the late 1960s carried strongly into the 1970s

"Man, that documentary about Vietnam was really heavy, I could not sleep."

/BUM-er/

A disappointing or unpleasant experience or situation

Origin: Hippie slang derived from German bummerant, popularized c.1967-1975

"Your van broke down on the way to the concert? What a total bummer."

/FREEK OWT/

To panic, lose composure, or become wildly excited

Origin: Counterculture slang, Frank Zappa album title 1966, peak usage 1970s

"Do not freak out but I think that is actually Peter Frampton over there."

/MEL-oh OWT/

To calm down, relax, and stop being tense or angry

Origin: Hippie culture slang tied to laid-back California ethos, c.1970-1976

"Hey brother, just mellow out, the music is starting any minute now."

/KEEP on TRUK-in/

To persist through difficulties; to keep going no matter what

Origin: R. Crumb underground comics 1968, massive cultural phrase by early 1970s

"Lost my job at the factory but you know me, just keep on truckin."

/KACH sum ZEEZ/

To sleep, especially a nap or short period of rest

Origin: American slang derived from the visual representation of snoring, c.1960s-70s

"I am going to catch some zs in the back of the van before my shift."

/STRUNG OWT/

Heavily addicted to drugs; in a depleted state from drug use

Origin: American narcotics culture slang, widespread by early 1970s

"He used to be a talented cat but now he is completely strung out."

/thuh MAN/

Established authority, especially police or the government

Origin: African American vernacular mid-1960s, counterculture mainstream by 1970s

"They busted the whole block, man. The Man does not want us organizing."

/BAD TRIP/

A frightening or distressing experience, originally from psychedelics

Origin: Psychedelic drug culture slang, widespread by early 1970s

"That whole press conference was a bad trip, Nixon looked totally guilty."

/GROOV/

A pleasurable rhythm or state of ease and flow; to enjoy something

Origin: Jazz terminology absorbed into broader slang, peak mainstream use 1970s

"Once the band locked in, everybody found the groove and the floor packed up."

/funk-ah-DEL-ik/

Exceptionally funky; relating to a deeply soulful, rhythmic style

Origin: Coined by George Clinton for his band, became generic descriptor c.1971

"That bass line is completely funkadelic, I have never heard anything like it."

/GET DOWN/

To dance freely and expressively; to party with full energy

Origin: African American vernacular funk and soul culture, peak use c.1972-1979

"Clear the floor y all, because these folks are about to get down."

/HUS-ul/

A popular disco dance style; also to work energetically for money

Origin: Popularized as dance term by Van McCoy song The Hustle 1975

"Everybody do the hustle! Get out on that floor right now!"

/BOO-gee WUN-der-land/

An ideal place for dancing; a perfect disco environment

Origin: Popularized by Earth Wind and Fire song 1979, used as general expression

"Saturday night at Studio 54 was an absolute boogie wonderland."

/KACH my DRIFT/

To understand what someone is implying without it being stated plainly

Origin: American colloquial expression, widespread use through 1970s

"I am just saying the boss has been counting the register twice. Catch my drift?"

/FOK-see/

Sexually attractive; having a sharp and alluring appearance

Origin: African American vernacular, heavily used in blaxploitation era c.1972-1977

"Foxy Brown is the most foxy woman I have ever seen on the silver screen."

/ON thuh KAYS/

Actively dealing with a situation; alert and handling business

Origin: African American vernacular popularized by blaxploitation detective films

"Do not even worry about it, I am already on the case and have a lead."

/TUR-kee/

A stupid, inept, or worthless person; a loser

Origin: American slang with mid-20th century roots, peak casual use in the 1970s

"That turkey drove right past me without stopping and I was soaking wet."

/koh-pah-SET-ik/

Completely satisfactory; in excellent order

Origin: African American vernacular possibly dating to early 20th century, 1970s peak

"Everything is copasetic on this end, the shipment arrived on schedule."

/KACH yoo on thuh FLIP SYD/

Goodbye; I will see you later

Origin: CB radio slang referring to the return trip, adopted into general use c.1975

"Got to roll, catch you on the flip side, good buddy."

/TEN FOR/

Acknowledged; message received and understood

Origin: APCO ten-code police radio, popularized by CB radio culture mid-1970s

"10-4 good buddy, I see that Smokey and I am already slowing down."

/SKEE-vee/

Disgusting, sleazy, or morally questionable in appearance or behavior

Origin: American slang possibly from Italian schifo meaning disgust, c.1970s

"That guy in the leisure suit keeps winking at me, he is totally skeevy."

/PLAS-tik/

Fake, shallow, or conformist; lacking genuine character

Origin: Counterculture critique of consumerism, peak use early 1970s

"The whole suburb feels so plastic, everybody has the same lawn and the same smile."

/ZONKT/

Extremely tired or intoxicated; mentally wiped out

Origin: British and American slang, widespread use in counterculture by early 1970s

"After three days at the festival I was completely zonked."

/SKUNKED/

To be completely beaten or outmaneuvered; to lose badly

Origin: American card game slang applied broadly, common 1970s usage

"We got skunked by that team, they did not even break a sweat."

/STOKT/

Highly excited or enthusiastic about something

Origin: Surfer slang from California coast, spreading nationally through the 1970s

"I am so stoked for the Zeppelin concert, I have been waiting two years."

/NAR-lee/

Dangerously impressive; difficult but exciting, originally surf term

Origin: California surfer slang, documented from early 1970s

"Did you see that wave he dropped into? Absolutely gnarly, man."

/PUNK/

A raw, rebellious attitude or style rejecting mainstream culture

Origin: Music and cultural movement term crystalized in New York and London c.1975-1977

"That band does not care about any of it, they are pure punk through and through."

/poh-ZUR/

Someone who pretends to belong to a subculture without genuine commitment

Origin: French origin, adopted into punk and rock subculture vocabulary c.1977

"He bought a leather jacket last week and now he is talking anarchy, total poseur."

/AN-ar-kee/

Used as an exclamation expressing rejection of all social rules

Origin: Political philosophy term weaponized as slogan by punk movement c.1976-1978

"Anarchy! We do not want your rules, your wars, or your boring music."

/NARK/

A narcotics officer; to inform on someone to the authorities

Origin: Shortened from narcotics agent, widespread slang by early 1970s

"Do not say anything around him, word is he narced on the whole uptown crew."

/LID/

One ounce of marijuana

Origin: Drug culture slang referring to the amount that fills a bag lid, c.1960s-70s

"He paid fifteen dollars for a lid and that is just highway robbery."

/FAR OWT/

Excellent, unconventional, or wonderfully strange

Origin: Jazz slang absorbed into hippie vocabulary, peak mainstream use early 1970s

"They projected lights on the whole building while the band played. Far out, man."

/THREDZ/

Clothing, especially a stylish outfit

Origin: American slang with 1940s roots, still common in 1970s black and youth culture

"Check out his threads, he must have spent a whole paycheck at that boutique."

/STON GROOV/

An exceptionally enjoyable experience or piece of music

Origin: African American vernacular combining stone intensifier with groove, c.1970s

"That James Brown set last night was a stone groove from start to finish."

/RAP SHEET/

A criminal record; a list of past offenses on file with police

Origin: American police jargon absorbed into street slang by the 1970s

"The detective threw the rap sheet on the table and lit a cigarette."

/HANG LOOS/

Stay relaxed; do not worry about things; take it easy

Origin: Hawaiian surfer culture, spread to mainland California slang by early 1970s

"Just hang loose, the promoter said the doors open at eight."

/BURN RUB-er/

To drive away very fast; to leave in a hurry by car

Origin: American street culture and drag racing slang, common 1970s usage

"The second the principal came out we burned rubber out of that parking lot."

/BENT owt uv SHAYP/

Extremely upset, offended, or agitated over something

Origin: American idiom, widespread colloquial use through the 1970s

"Do not get bent out of shape, it was just a joke and nobody got hurt."

/MAYK thuh SEEN/

To arrive and be present at a social event or gathering

Origin: Beatnik and jazz slang carried into 1970s youth culture

"Everybody who is anybody is going to make the scene at the loft tonight."

/CHUMP CHAYNJ/

A trivially small amount of money; barely worth the effort

Origin: African American vernacular, widespread use in 1970s urban slang

"He offered me fifty dollars for two days of work. That is chump change."

/TRUK-in/

Moving along steadily; getting on with things despite obstacles

Origin: R. Crumb comics 1968 and Grateful Dead song 1970, mainstream phrase by 1972

"Lost two gigs this month but I am still truckin, what else can you do."

/KACH uh BUZ/

To become mildly intoxicated from alcohol or drugs

Origin: American colloquial slang, common in social contexts throughout the 1970s

"We split a six pack on the roof and caught a nice buzz watching the sunset."

/SPAYS kah-DET/

A daydreamer; someone who seems disconnected from reality

Origin: Derived from space age enthusiasm, used pejoratively in US slang c.1970s

"She forgot the meeting again, that space cadet does not know what day it is."

/BRED and BUT-er/

Something dependable and fundamental; the core of ones livelihood

Origin: English idiom long in use, reinforced as slang in working culture c.1970s

"Playing weddings is my bread and butter, the original music can wait."

/KOOL BEENZ/

An expression of pleased agreement or satisfaction

Origin: American slang of uncertain origin, documented in youth usage c.1970s

"You can get us backstage passes? Cool beans, I will bring everybody."

/ON thuh FRITZ/

Broken, malfunctioning, or not working properly

Origin: American slang possibly from German frisch, documented use rising in 1970s

"The eight-track player is on the fritz again and I just want to hear Bowie."

/SHAG/

To have sexual intercourse; British slang absorbed into wider youth culture

Origin: British slang adopted by American youth partly through Austin Powers precursors

"Those two have been flirting all night, I think they are going to shag."

/WAY-sted/

Heavily intoxicated on alcohol or drugs

Origin: American slang, widespread use in rock and counterculture circles by early 1970s

"By the third encore the whole crowd was completely wasted."

/GET it tuh-GETH-er/

To organize oneself; to become competent and focused

Origin: American counterculture slang, peak mainstream use c.1970-1976

"You have got to get it together before they fire you, and I mean this week."

/JYV/

Nonsense, deceptive talk, or something fake and untrustworthy

Origin: African American vernacular jazz era roots, still active in 1970s slang

"Do not give me that jive about overtime, I know they shorted my check."

/SOL BRUTH-er/

A term of solidarity between Black men; a fellow African American

Origin: African American vernacular, political resonance strengthened by civil rights era

"That soul brother over there saved my spot in line for two hours."

/GAYM/

Skillful strategy in social or romantic manipulation; street savvy

Origin: African American vernacular, blaxploitation era popularization c.1972-1978

"He has got serious game, every person in the room is listening to him."

/PUT OWT/

Willing to engage in sexual activity; accommodating in that way

Origin: American colloquial slang, widespread use by 1970s especially in teen culture

"The whole school was talking about whether she would put out at prom."

/HAS-ul/

Unnecessary difficulty, conflict, or annoying complication

Origin: American slang with roots possibly in hazel or hustle, common by 1970s

"Getting a permit for the festival was a total hassle, took three months."

/LAYD BAK/

Relaxed, unhurried, and easygoing in temperament or lifestyle

Origin: American counterculture slang, California connotation, peak use c.1973-1979

"He is so laid back I have never seen him raise his voice about anything."

/GIG/

A job or performance engagement, especially for a musician

Origin: Jazz musician slang from early 20th century, standard currency by 1970s

"We landed a gig at the new club on Fifth, pays forty bucks a night."

/KACH sum RAYZ/

To sunbathe; to spend time lying in the sun

Origin: American beach and youth culture slang, widespread use through the 1970s

"I am going down to the boardwalk this weekend to catch some rays."

/SLAM-in/

Extremely good, impressive, or attractive

Origin: African American vernacular used in funk and soul communities c.1975-1980

"That outfit is slammin, where did you find those boots?"