How well do you know 60’s slang? Come & find out!

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In the swinging 60’s, you had to beat feet at the first sign of trouble, cool your chops if words got heated and head to the flicks on a Saturday night. While some of the 60’s slang remains in use today, others have left our current vocabulary to be replaced by others. However, we love 60’s slang and we’re certain you do too. Let us test your memory and see if you dig it too!

How Does Slang Come About?

Slang consists of the words and phrases which were created during a specific time period. It shows the type of society, the people who lived in it and the culture at that time. Slang can be made up of existing words, a new word or a change of meaning for existing words.

Looking Back: Do You Remember this 60’s Slang?

The 1960’s were a time of political and social unrest. The Vietnam War, increased use of drugs, civil rights abuses and the rise of the hippie all helped contribute to the common words used during that decade. While it’s fun to look back and remember the past, it’s also interesting to see the slang which has survived time and is still used today. Here are a few of our favourite examples of 1960’s slang and what they mean.

  • Dullsville – boring
  • Don’t flip your wig – don’t get upset
  • Chrome dome – bald man
  • Ankle biters – little children
  • Hairy – difficult or out of control
  • Kicks – something done for pleasure
  • Neato – awesome
  • Rays – sunshine
  • Slug bug – Volkswagen beetle
  • It’s snowing down south – a woman’s slip is showing
  • Truckn’ – moving quickly
  • What’s your bag, man – what is your problem?
  • Bag – to steal
  • Birth control seats – bucket seats
  • Cut out – to leave without ceremony
  • Easy – another way to say goodbye
  • Jesus boots – sandals
  • Kibosh – to put a stop to something
  • Moon – to drop your pants, bend over and show your naked bottom
  • Paper shaker – pom pom girl
  • Real gone cat – someone who marches to their own drum
  • Shine it on – just forget about it
  • Tooling – to cruise around in a car without

What is your favourite piece of 60’s slang? Do you still use it today? We’d love to know, so tell us in the comment section below!