Re: Bitchin' adjectives

01/20/17 - posted by Paul Judge

As a kid in the ‘50s my early exposure to slang beyond hearing it from my older sisters and their records came via watching Steve Allen on TV.

My parents though, didn’t ‘truck’ to some slang. I remember they detested the term ‘daddy-o’
which eliminated at least one guy from contention who asked to date one of my sisters.

Here's a 'shard' I carry from a late ‘60s Anthropology course:

The appropriation of words and phrases reflect how language as a tool changes over time.
Members of a group communicate using terms and slang solidifying their identity and separation from others.
The is especially true for youth who seek separation from adults while transiting toward adulthood.
Language bonds specialization groups (athletic teams, military units, professional occupations, etc.)
as well as individuals and groups who are marginalized by society or who identify as outliers.

Other slang terms lingering from decades ago…

“He’s such a ‘dip’.
“What a ‘drag'.”
"Let’s 'cut out'.”
“Let’s 'boogie outta here’.”
“Let’s ’split’.”
“We had ‘dibs’ on that first.”
“Don’t have a ‘cow man'!”
"That was a ‘blast’.”
“What a ‘bummer’.”
"That’s ‘tough’.” meaning cool, good.