# Classic slang for "cool" **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 8, 2005, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-slang-for-cool/330101 "2005-11-08T20:50:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![False\_God](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ee7513/32.png) [@False\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/False_God)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-slang-for-cool/330101/21 "2005-11-08T23:32:08Z")
Shiny is a good one, as is “sudsy.” ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-slang-for-cool/330101/22 "2005-11-08T23:39:38Z")
[Copacetic](http://www.worldwidewords.org/weirdwords/ww-cop1.htm) (sometimes more “hunky-dory” than “cool”, but a – well – copacetic word) _fab and gear_ – height of Beatles popularity in the 1960’s [_gone_](http://www.smallsjazz.com/jazz_slang/) – one example of jazz slang on the linked page [_the bee’s knees_, _the cat’s pajamas_](http://www.yaelf.com/aueFAQ/mifbeesknees.shtml) – 1920’s coinages ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-slang-for-cool/330101/23 "2005-11-08T23:45:04Z")
And let us not forget: **DYN - O- MITE!!!** ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-slang-for-cool/330101/24 "2005-11-08T23:46:18Z")
> [@swampbear](#): > > And let us not forget: > > **DYN - O- MITE!!!** But I thought we wanted to forget it. Didn’t we want to forget it? Jim ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2005, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-slang-for-cool/330101/25 "2005-11-08T23:58:19Z")
“Da bomb” had a brief life, meaning “the best.” Jed Clampett had some folks saying “Hooooooooo, doggies!” for a while, when \*The Beverley Hillbillies was current. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-slang-for-cool/330101/26 "2005-11-09T00:32:10Z")
> [@Ogre](#): > > The advent of hip hop brought us …“the shit” Better yet, “the shizznit.” Whatever happened to “the bee’s knees” and “the cat’s pajamas”? ---
**Author:** ![UncaStuart](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncastuart/32/404_2.png) [@UncaStuart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncaStuart)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-slang-for-cool/330101/27 "2005-11-09T00:53:41Z")
I first heard “bitchin’” in the early 60s around the same time as “boss.” I heard “neato” and “keen” late 50s as well as the short-lived “zorchy” I’ve heard a recording of Symphony Sid use “gone” while talking to Charlie Parker in the 40s (“real gone music”) but don’t know if it’s from earlier. When radio DJs are trying to sound “hep,” that’s usually a sign that their slang is years out of date. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-slang-for-cool/330101/28 "2005-11-09T01:01:54Z")
also from the jazz era, “the most.” The most recent usage I can think of was by Jamie Foxx in “Ray,” when he said, “Is that Art Tatum? He’s the most!” ---
**Author:** ![Hung\_Mung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hung\_Mung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hung_Mung)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-slang-for-cool/330101/29 "2005-11-09T01:18:02Z")
I can remember my cousins saying “sweet” in the early 90’s. Things like that always seemed to migrate from north to south. Took several years. ---
**Author:** ![dare\_devil007](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@dare\_devil007](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dare_devil007)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-slang-for-cool/330101/30 "2005-11-09T01:21:18Z")
What about “awesome”? I’ve heard some of my peers say “sick” for “cool”. Personally, I just say “rad” and get weird looks. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-slang-for-cool/330101/31 "2005-11-09T01:27:42Z")
And fictionally speaking, Adams’s immortal “hoopy.” One hoopy frood, that Douglas Adams. ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-slang-for-cool/330101/32 "2005-11-09T01:44:35Z")
groovy decent ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-slang-for-cool/330101/33 "2005-11-09T02:34:46Z")
> [@ccwaterback](#): > > groovy > decent Or just “dece”. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-slang-for-cool/330101/34 "2005-11-09T02:56:33Z")
I had a friend in high school that like the word “hip”. If it was cool to you, it was hip to him. ---
**Author:** ![La\_Llorona](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@La\_Llorona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/La_Llorona)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-slang-for-cool/330101/35 "2005-11-09T03:00:15Z")
> [@Ogre](#): > > also from the jazz era, “the most.” The most recent usage I can think of was by Jamie Foxx in “Ray,” when he said, “Is that Art Tatum? He’s the most!” “Chill,” as the New Englanders say, but I’m not sure of the decade. And I love Art Tatum! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-slang-for-cool/330101/36 "2005-11-09T11:36:50Z")
> [@La Llorona](#): > > “Chill,” as the New Englanders say, but I’m not sure of the decade. > > And I love Art Tatum! 🙂 if you’re going there, might as well go for the superlative form “wicked chill” ---
**Author:** ![Catalyst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@Catalyst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catalyst)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-slang-for-cool/330101/37 "2005-11-09T11:40:09Z")
> [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](#): > > Or just “dece”. Hm, so _dece_ isn’t a local thing. It was popular among some guys I knew in high school, but I didn’t realize it extended beyond that group. ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-slang-for-cool/330101/38 "2005-11-09T12:44:15Z")
Let us also not forget: **Jake** “Jake” is a favorite term of our much beloved **Rue DeDay** and is also used a lot in MMP therads. I think it’s more of a 40’s term. ---
**Author:** ![Sanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sanders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sanders)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-slang-for-cool/330101/39 "2005-11-09T14:31:58Z")
These are all excellent - thank you so much! Does anybody know any equivalents that date from earlier centuries? In this case I suppose it wouldn’t even have to be slang, but perhaps just archaic. ---
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-slang-for-cool/330101/40 "2005-11-09T15:38:50Z")
> [@Sanders](#): > > These are all excellent - thank you so much! > > Does anybody know any equivalents that date from earlier centuries? In this case I suppose it wouldn’t even have to be slang, but perhaps just archaic. Probably ordinary suerlatives - as slang did not come into common use until “the Jazz age” of the 20’s But let’s go the other way - negative words? bogus square the pits [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-slang-for-cool/330101.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classic-slang-for-cool/330101.md?page=3)