# What fads in history can you name? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 26, 2026, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399 "2026-09-26T12:22:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399/41 "2026-09-26T15:48:44Z")
You know, for kids. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399/42 "2026-09-26T15:53:35Z")
Mood Rings were very popular when I was in college. They’re popular now under a different name. I can’t think of it off hand. But it does the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399/43 "2026-09-26T17:24:34Z")
Seeing how many people could fit in a Volkswagen, 1960s. Pegged pants, early 60s. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399/44 "2026-09-26T18:18:55Z")
Zoot suits. ---
**Author:** ![Petek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/petek/32/1590_2.png) [@Petek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Petek)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399/45 "2026-09-26T19:23:12Z")
Kilroy was here ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399/46 "2026-09-26T19:24:19Z")
[Rolfing - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolfing) ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399/47 "2026-09-26T19:32:31Z")
> [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](#): > > “What a shocking bad hat!” I was going to mention this also. There was also the fad in NYC in the 20s to ridicule, destroy, or forcibly remove straw hats from people you chance upon in the street who were still wearing them after early September. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399/48 "2026-09-26T20:06:20Z")
Zubaz pants Fanny packs ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399/49 "2026-09-26T23:01:28Z")
Planking. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399/50 "2026-09-26T23:42:31Z")
There was this weird medieval English fad of giving animals first names, so you could address them politely. Cats were called “Tom”, goats were called “Billy”, rabbits and asses were called “Jack”, redbreasts were called “Robin”… as you may have noticed, some of the names stuck. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399/51 "2026-09-27T02:21:43Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > People actually sat on top of a pole for days?? How did they I never got how they sat. Did they just sit on the ball on top? Sounds unstable. And painful. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399/52 "2026-09-27T02:47:34Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > I never got how they sat. Did they just sit on the ball on top? Sounds unstable. And painful. AIUI there was usually a small platform built on top of the pole. Now I hate to go all Howard Stern, but the bathroom thing seems an awkward thing to deal with in that prudish era. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399/53 "2026-09-27T02:49:49Z")
> [@Ellecram](#): > > > [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > > > > [@Thumper668](#): > > > > > > > [@Ellecram](#): > > > > > > > > Clackers in the early 1970s. > > > > > > They were called kerbangers when I was a kid. Quickly turned into weapons. > > > > I remember them from my childhood, but I have forgotten how they were meant to work. How did you play with them properly? > > I’m not sure there was any safe way to play with those lol 😂! My mother confiscated and disposed of them before someone had a major accident. I was a frequent flyer at the ER so she was wise. I remember them from the late 80s. We called them kerknockers. The way I remember it, one grabs the middle of the string and moves it back and forth rapidly, to get the balls to bounce off each other rapidly. The faster you could make the balls bounce off each other, the better. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399/54 "2026-09-27T03:37:33Z")
Bongo boards in the 60s Frisbees in the 50s (and later as well with ultimate and Frisbee golf) ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399/55 "2026-09-27T03:48:15Z")
Were/are bell bottoms a fad? Toga parties . ---
**Author:** ![Tj54](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tj54/32/17945_2.png) [@Tj54](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tj54)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399/56 "2026-09-27T04:52:35Z")
Pet Rocks, Streaking. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399/57 "2026-09-27T05:11:33Z")
Wearable pet snails. ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399/58 "2026-09-27T06:32:16Z")
“No Bozo” (a picture of the clown with the circle-and-slash superimposed) Urban cowboy look Down vests (think Marty McFly in _Back to the Future._ It **does** look like a life preserver.) ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399/59 "2026-09-27T07:00:22Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Wearable pet snails. Wait, what? Nearly everything else mentioned so far is familiar to me, but this one is … new … ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399/60 "2026-09-27T08:04:59Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > Ruff collars. > Thus leading to the Sumpuary Laws. Sumptuary laws of one kind or another have been around since Ancient Greece. The Elizabethan Statutes of Apparel and similar laws were just another round of a favourite royal pastime. Case in point (pun intended): Edward IV’s 1436 sumptuary law [included regulations about the length of shoe points](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poulaine#History) - because _that_ was the outrageous fashion fad at the time. > [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > There have been dozens of dances that were hip for one or two seasons, like the Twist or the Lambada, so it’s a field that maybe had the most fads of all. I doubt any modern dance fads were as dangerous as the[St. Vitus Dance](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_mania#Outbreaks)…definitely none lasted as long. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fads-in-history-can-you-name/1033399.md?page=4)