# Man, is this \*cool\* or what? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 26, 2003, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-is-this-cool-or-what/184490 "2003-06-26T11:30:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Isabelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5a626/32.png) [@Isabelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isabelle)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-is-this-cool-or-what/184490/21 "2003-06-27T15:49:43Z")
Least favorite is “bitchin” ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/22080_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-is-this-cool-or-what/184490/22 "2003-06-27T16:42:13Z")
My father-in-law is fond of _right on_ - and I want to run screaming from the room every time he says it. He’s a very dear, sweet man, and I know he uses that term thinking he’s very “with it” but I truly wish there was a way to get him to stop. I’ve always hated that phrase. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-is-this-cool-or-what/184490/23 "2003-06-27T17:32:55Z")
Todays word for “cool” is, in fact, **Zebra**. Try it. I just found 50 bucks! That is sooooo **Zebra!** I thought that movie was going to be lame but it turned out to be super **Zebra** man. You want to get mexican for lunch ? I’m **Zebra** with that plan. So remember, **Zebra** = cool. ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-is-this-cool-or-what/184490/24 "2003-06-27T17:39:04Z")
Another vote for “spiffy”! Hmmm … wonder why I like that one! \<----------------- Anyway, when I was in high school mumble mumbleyears ago, we used “choi” to mean cool. Why? Well, first the cool (there’s that word again!) kids started to use “choice” to mean “cool.” This caused the kids who wanted to be cooler than cool to adopt a shortened version of “choice” which was of course “choi.” We were weird … ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-is-this-cool-or-what/184490/25 "2003-06-27T22:35:22Z")
Zebra Your post makes me think of “Swingers” and how everything was “money.” Anybody use “money” in the sense of its usage in that flic? ---
**Author:** ![\_ceQueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/b9bd4f/32.png) [@\_ceQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_ceQueen)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-is-this-cool-or-what/184490/26 "2003-06-27T22:47:39Z")
There is a very good word for “cool” in Russian. It literally translates as “cunty.” Something with a cunt can not be that bad, can it? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-is-this-cool-or-what/184490/27 "2003-06-27T22:56:53Z")
For my fellow 20’s slang fan, I also use “aces” when describing something cool. I keep thinking that the Canadian version of “cool” should be “warm” - warm is the most complimentary word I can think of most of the year. ---
**Author:** ![Qwertyasdfg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/ecc23a/32.png) [@Qwertyasdfg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwertyasdfg)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-is-this-cool-or-what/184490/28 "2003-06-27T23:24:30Z")
Favorite: “the tops” Funniest: “boss” Dumbest: “da bomb (diggity)” I regularly use: “cool” and “awesome” Nostaligic: “tubular” “rad(ical)” and “mint” ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2003, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-is-this-cool-or-what/184490/29 "2003-06-28T00:03:05Z")
My favorite: “keen” Least favorite: “the shizznit” Most dated: “tubular” ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-is-this-cool-or-what/184490/30 "2003-06-29T14:55:14Z")
I propose a new expression for cool: **M.O.C.** It’s just “gangsta” enough to be cool, and of course everybody knows that _anything_ gangsta is cool;) . “Dude, that set o’ wheels is just M.O.C., yo?” What does M.O.C. stand for? Nothing, really. You could come up with: Most obviously cool or Made Outrageous Condition or Mighty obvious choice Dosen’t matter, though. M.O.C.!!! ---
**Author:** ![Standup\_Karmic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac91a4/32.png) [@Standup\_Karmic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Standup_Karmic)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-is-this-cool-or-what/184490/31 "2003-06-29T15:04:48Z")
Those currently in rotation to answer the question, “How are you?”: Smashing Jim Dandy Used to describe a pretty girl: Shiny (As in, “Man, that girl is some kinda shiny!” Alternatively in a plural noun form, “Whoa…check out all the shinies!”) Minty (same usage) Definitely most dated: Radical, Bodacious (not that I ever hear it, but if I did, it’d be dated), Gnarly, Way Cool (“way” is soooooo last decade) Most irritating is most definitely, “da bomb”. I have sometimes wondered whether hip, urban-speakers have been pulled aside and cavity-searched at the airport for having what was, to them, a rather innocuous conversation about something that tickles their fancy. ---
**Author:** ![Mariemarie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58f4c7/32.png) [@Mariemarie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mariemarie)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-is-this-cool-or-what/184490/32 "2003-06-29T16:41:38Z")
Go to the **Visual Thesaurus** mentioned in [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=194193) . It is truly frickin cool, smashing, keen, bang-up, corking… 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![MajorTom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@MajorTom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MajorTom)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-is-this-cool-or-what/184490/33 "2003-06-29T17:47:06Z")
Has everyone forgotten “slick” My version “slicker than owl shit” is my favorite. ---
**Author:** ![iaboy12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ccd318/32.png) [@iaboy12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iaboy12)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-is-this-cool-or-what/184490/34 "2003-06-29T19:03:23Z")
well, i’m kind of amazed that nobody has listed my favorite! i use “sweet” even more than cool! i swear i’ve heard plenty of other people use “sweet” in this type of context. i didn’t just make it up did i? ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-is-this-cool-or-what/184490/35 "2003-06-29T19:38:10Z")
Nah, I think Cartman from “South Park” started the whole “Sweet” thing. I say it too, didn’t even think about it though. ---
**Author:** ![iaboy12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ccd318/32.png) [@iaboy12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iaboy12)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-is-this-cool-or-what/184490/36 "2003-06-29T19:44:23Z")
that’s right!! thanks, GMR! I knew I wasn’t crazy…at least…not for that reason! ---
**Author:** ![TVGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/82dd89/32.png) [@TVGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-is-this-cool-or-what/184490/37 "2003-06-30T00:34:14Z")
I’m still enamoured of ‘cool’ and use it with regularity. ‘dude’ annoys the hell out of me - unless I’m using it. 😃 ‘bummer’ ‘bitchin’ or ‘BAD!’ seem to me to be the most outdated. Shortest shelf life? Well, a young man maybe no more than 17 or 18 wlked up to me and my motorcycle the other day and, with a big smile and great admiration said “Dude, that bike is SICK!!” I’m not completely out of the loop, working at a Fox station and all, but it took me a moment to remember that this was a complimentary phrase. So, for shortest shelf life, I nominate ‘Sick’ ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-is-this-cool-or-what/184490/38 "2003-06-30T07:32:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lizard \* > \*\*S.E. Hinton actually explained the precise meaning of “tuff” in one of her books (I think it was “Rumble Fish,” or perhaps “The Outsiders.”) I think “phat” has take over the meaning that “tuff” used to have, as far as I can tell. \*\* Arrrggghh, “Rumblefish”…GACK!! “The Outsiders”. I’ve truly dated myself now. But, but, I was just a LITTLE kid when those books came out, they must have still been using “tuff” in CA that’s it! ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-is-this-cool-or-what/184490/39 "2003-06-30T11:54:54Z")
I really disliked “keen”. I saw it used by a horrendous young actor on the TV show **Flipper** once: “Gee. Bud. That was. Really. Keen.” and I hated it ever since. I personal like to use “funky” as my synonym for ‘cool’. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-is-this-cool-or-what/184490/40 "2003-06-30T12:03:21Z")
The class of '68 Villa Rica High School sends the following synomym: **Tuff**! (tough) As in , “Man, that girl is tuff as nails!” Thanks Q [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-is-this-cool-or-what/184490.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-is-this-cool-or-what/184490.md?page=3)