Yes, I remember that before hip came hep. And “pick up” meant in hippie or biker jargon, observe that, or woosh if you didn’t pick up. I can really only remember one word that stood the test of time from 1950 to now, and that,of course, is “cool”.
I remember hitch-hiking the 20 miles from my home town to the Akron armory AT NIGHT, when I was fifteen, to see anywhere from five to ten r&b acts, and watch the “Negro” cats and chicks do the “dirty boogie”. The whites were supposed to stay in the balcony, but my friends and I never did. Too far from the action. Never had any problems. Mmm…Ruth Brown, the Flamingos, Bo Diddley, and on and on.
Where was…oh, yeah,what is/was your favorite hip/cool word(s)?
No restrictions: new/old may apply.
Back in the 80s I liked to say “hep”. I knew it was way out of date, but that’s why I said it. “It’s a hep scene, man!”
In the late-80s/early-90s I liked to say “groovy”. Again, I said it because no one else was. I used to get the strangest looks from my co-workers who said “cool” and thought it was hep! But with the whole retro thing coming in, everyone is saying “groovy”; so I pretty much stopped. I do say things like, “Groove-O, man!” though.
One of my favourite words now is “sack”, as in “The freeway was sacked!”, “I got the sackin’ Blue Screen of Death.”, “You meatsack!” and “Sack!!!”
I can’t put the inflection on it, but “Right on” is fun to say. I think it’s sort of like if someone is telling you a story and you encourage him to continue by saying, “Go on.” That sort of inflection. Sort of matter-of-fact instead of enthusiastic. “I saw the new movie.” “Right on.”
This word doesn’t belong in this thread since it’s not a “hip/cool” word, but I like it anyway. “Plummet”. I just like the image and the sound. AudreyK said it’s an odd word for a helicopter pilot to like.
I use “neat” a lot, in a meaning-inverted, deadpan, soaked-in-sarcasm way:
Interlocutor: “Oh, man, a gasoline tanker turned over on I-285 and knocked out a bridge and several lanes – it’ll probably be two months before it’s all reopened.”
Me: “Neat”
I occasionally hear myself saying “copacetic”, but I never like myself much for it.
I use the word “clutch,” meaning good; it comes from a clutch hit in baseball. I dunno how common it was or is, but I dig it. I sounds kinda cute and '50s, and vaguely car-related.
cool
I’m hip
Actually did say, see ya later alligator.
at ease disease, there’s fungus among us.
crazy–then snap fingers like Brando did in The Wild One.
man!
say hey old bean
Like, crazy. Like, wow. (sometimes followed with “man”).
later!
bitchin
groovy
neato jet
far out (jokingly said farm out)
like—as in—like, do you ever exercise?
schazbot!
-----With the exception of bitchin and groovy (soooo 60s) all above are still used------
most excellent
so kewl—It’s even said differently today; and used far too casually in reference to things that aren’t really “cool”.
Groovy–likewise picked up directly from Evil Dead II. Often used as the alternate form, “groove”, which I sometimes use to indicate I’m listening with engaged interest and/or approval. A more personal “uh huh, go on”.
Dig it; I dig.
Grok–which should get into vogue, dammit.
Neat–used non-sarcastically. For sarcasm purposes, I use “wonderful.” I’m pretty sure I picked up that habit from Hudson ranting about being SOL in Aliens.
I was just taking a shower and this odd rememberance slipped into my last bunch of cells.
There was once a hip word for a car. It was called a “short”. Anybody remember that? Damned if I know why it was called that.
I know some of you wiseacres are wondering just how much of a coincidence it was that I was taking a shower and the word “short” came to me. Keep your insulting sarcasm to yourselves!
FYI—A “short” wasn’t just ANY car—it was a chopped hot-rod. To quote the song SHUT DOWN–“It happened on the strip where the road is wide. Two cool shorts standing side by side…Tach it up, Tach it up. Buddy gonna shut you down.”
Watched part of RALLY ROUND THE FLAG BOYS (1958) this afternoon–reminded me of several more from the 50s. Only one that I remember at the moment is “flake off”. Tuesday Weld ACTUALLY called someone “daddy-o”, Dwayne Hickman played a jerk who thought he was the afore mentioned Marlon Brando in “The Wild One”.
