# Okay, 'sick' is a good thing now? An etymology(ish) question. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 2, 2001, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-sick-is-a-good-thing-now-an-etymology-ish-question/67280 "2001-06-02T01:02:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Joe\_Cool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecb155/32.png) [@Joe\_Cool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Cool)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2001, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-sick-is-a-good-thing-now-an-etymology-ish-question/67280/21 "2001-06-07T21:28:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gwar \* > \*\*I first heard the word “sick” being used as slang on the 1987 skateboarding video put out by Powell and Peralta entitled “The Search for Animal Chin.” A skater did some cool trick or whatever, and a hardcore skateboarder onlooker said, “that’s sick”. We thought it was hilarious, and I have heard it used ever since, though mainly among skaters/surfers/snowboarders/druggies and the like. > > It is my observation that the word not so much means “cool”, but carries a connotation more extreme than just that. It is used to describe something that is unbelievable, unprecedented, or just plain mind-blowing. > > \*\* I think you nailed it here (both the connotation and the source). My friend, in addition to being the only mohawked weightlifer I knew, was also a hardcore skater. In fact, now that you mention it, I think he had that tape. I haven’t heard that name in about 10 years. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2001, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-sick-is-a-good-thing-now-an-etymology-ish-question/67280/22 "2001-06-08T00:10:43Z")
“Sick” is very popular with teenagers here in Sydney, especially Asian and Lebanese kids. A few people in their 20s and 30s use it too. If something is good, it’s “sick”, but if it’s really good, then it’s “fully sick”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-sick-is-a-good-thing-now-an-etymology-ish-question/67280.md?page=1)