# Terms with different meanings depending on your age **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 28, 2012, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-with-different-meanings-depending-on-your-age/617060 "2012-03-28T17:01:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Jasper\_Kent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9a28c/32.png) [@Jasper\_Kent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasper_Kent)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-with-different-meanings-depending-on-your-age/617060/61 "2012-03-30T19:18:48Z")
**FREAK** Over 70: A person with a physical deformity. 50-70: A dopehead/hippie circa 1967-1977. Under 50: A person who likes kinky sex. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-with-different-meanings-depending-on-your-age/617060/62 "2012-03-30T20:49:43Z")
> [@Sandra\_Battye](#): > > This is a combination of extreme regionalism and age. To me (San Francisco Bay Area, 40+) LOL means Little Old Lady, thanks to Herb Caen’s columns. He was using that abbreviation long before texting/messaging. I can attest that it was at least occasionally use in that sense in Louisiana in the early 80s. It probably arose independently. ---
**Author:** ![Jasper\_Kent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9a28c/32.png) [@Jasper\_Kent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasper_Kent)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-with-different-meanings-depending-on-your-age/617060/63 "2012-03-30T21:48:13Z")
> [@Jasper\_Kent](#): > > **FREAK** > > Over 70: A person with a physical deformity. > 50-70: A dopehead/hippie circa 1967-1977. > Under 50: A person who likes kinky sex. **PS:** In high school('73-'77), my nickname was “Freak.” ---
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-with-different-meanings-depending-on-your-age/617060/64 "2012-03-30T23:37:55Z")
Here’s one from the UK 30-70: Liberal Democrat = The more left-wing socialist alternative to the Labour party. Under 30:Liberal Democrat= The ultrarightwing baby-eating spawn of Thatcher ---
**Author:** ![kirk1168](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@kirk1168](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kirk1168)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-with-different-meanings-depending-on-your-age/617060/65 "2012-03-30T23:45:42Z")
> [@cjepson](#): > > And for people of a certain age and geographic region, TMI means [Three Mile Island](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Mile_Island_accident). 43, southwestern PA. TMI means Three Mile Island. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-with-different-meanings-depending-on-your-age/617060/66 "2012-03-31T04:48:10Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > Are you sure he’s not just coming on to you? _ **GODDAMMIT!** _ That is funny! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-with-different-meanings-depending-on-your-age/617060/67 "2012-03-31T09:47:45Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > **Bitchin’** > > If you have ever used this term as a positive description, you are probably over 60. Are you sure? I thought that term (re?)gained widespread popularity as a positive expression circa 1985, when the Valley Girl book (and then song) hit the stands. So, for forty-ish folks today (like me), it’s a good thing (though very rarely used at all, and when used, usually as a knowing 80s reference.) ---
**Author:** ![runcible\_spoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9fc29f/32.png) [@runcible\_spoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/runcible_spoon)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-with-different-meanings-depending-on-your-age/617060/68 "2012-03-31T10:12:34Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Shag: > > 80-100: A dance. > 60-80: A type of carpet. > 40-60: A hairstyle. > Under 40: Fuck. > > I’m sure I have the numbers wrong. Actually, collegiate shag is making a comeback (at least in the San Francisco swing dance world), to the great amusement of us all. So for some under-40s, it’s a dance. I’ll throw in ‘ticked him off’ - I don’t know where the age line is, but to me that means ‘annoyed him’, while to PG Wodehouse it apparently means ‘yelled at him’. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terms-with-different-meanings-depending-on-your-age/617060.md?page=3)