1970’s Slang & Baby Boomer Phrases

“Up Your Nose With A Rubber Hose…” & Other Cool 70’s Slang Phrases

Remembering those 1970’s slang phrases is so much fun! Being sort of at the end of the baby boomer group (ha!), sometimes I forget that the phrases of the 1970’s aren’t more current than they are. Well, I tell myself, they’re not as old as the 60’s “groovy” or “far out”, or as passe’ as the 1980’s “tubular”, or “rad”, for instance. The slang phrases from the 1970’s phrases have weight…they’re classic, right? Yet alas…they are definitely not as commonly understood by my young peers as I might like to think. Although they should be…they were definitely the coolest.

There are thousands of slang phrases from all generations that have made their way into our everyday discourse…most of the time we use them without even thinking about it. When you drill down into not only what they mean, but their origins, it’s super interesting.

There are lots of other ’70’s era phrases you may be aware of.

• Book it
• Catch my drift
• Catch you on the flip
• Chillaxin
• Don’t spaz out
• Dream on
• Grody
• Keep on truckin’
• Let’s blow this taco stand
• Out to lunch
• Psyche!
• Stoked

But wait – what’s the skinny on these phrases? Doesn’t everybody know where “Good night, John Boy…” came from? or “Up your nose with a rubber hose?” “Meathead?“ The next time you find yourself in a social setting with a younger crowd, don’t be a wet rag…flip your wig, just try it. Just for fun. See what happens.

There’s actually a lot to be learned from slang! This list from umass.edu has a number of popular phrases, and this grammar guide of 1970’s slang phrases can provide further insight on slang and it’s role in our society.

How am I doin’, ‘pard?