If I remember correctly, “cool” first had its current meaning in the late fifties or early sixties. By the late seventies and eighties, it fell out of favor. I was very glad to see it back. I don’t think it should even be considered slang anymore.
“Peachy keen,” however, can remain at rest.
“Hip” is another word that fell out of favor at the time and is making a comeback.
Is having a “blast” still used? That was late fifties.
Next to “cool,” by favorite expression was “far out!” Nothing has quite replaced that one.
When my mother gets the blues, she calls them the “mugwumps.” What a great word!
Can any of you Brits tell me what “gobsmacked” means? I love the sound of it!
My Dad likes to describe hot summer weather as, “hotter than the hubs of Hades.”
I miss calling people a dope, and I don’t mean in the context of “Straight Dope.” I also liked it when people had a swell time, even if they had to take the air. But some people could be rotten and slip their pally a Mickey.
And when I think of more, I’ll be back in two shakes of a lamb’s tail.
Things are swell, nifty, and keen around here. Your new suit likes right smart on you. Are you hep to that, cat? (Only certain people are cats, in my world. It takes a certain je ne sais quois.) If you crack wise to me I will snuff you in your grill, your peeper, your sniffer, or your bean, so you’d best take a powder.
Hey, Kalhoun, ixnay on the ang-slay. 86 that stuff, see? Cause strictly on the QT, you’re crampin’ my style.
Now the rest of you mugs and lounge lizards, amscray. Cheese it. I gotta see a man about a horse.
I’m trying to revive 19th century slang,here goes-
-“plug ugly” (a 19th century NY gang)
-“dogwilly” (southern USA expression of amazement)
-“by the jimjams!”
-“tarnation”
-“by all that’s holy!”
-“humbug I say!”
Man, I use solidly 30% of these things in my everday lingo. Same with my friends.
One of my teachers uses “drop a dime [on someone]” or “dimed [someone] off” quite a bit, and we’ve all decided that’s a great term.
This is as good a place as any to include one of the greatest puns ever: (from the “Most Intellectual Jokes” thread quite some time ago)
What did MacBeth say when he saw Birnham Wood advancing on Dunsinnane?
Cheezit! It’s the copse!