# Words or phrases you used as a young person **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 22, 2007, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-you-used-as-a-young-person/388925 "2007-01-22T04:23:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2022, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-you-used-as-a-young-person/388925/21 "2022-07-03T13:02:41Z")
After all this time, I still occasionally refer to “starry decreps”. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2022, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-you-used-as-a-young-person/388925/22 "2022-07-03T13:38:53Z")
“Oh, horsefeathers!” (exclamation) "Mind your potatoes” (keep out of other people’s business) “Copacetic” (positive affirmation) “Get a wiggle on” (hurry up) “Heebie-jeebies” (scared) “Giggle water” (booze) “Iron my shoelaces” (go to the bathroom) “Jake” (cool). “To know your onions” (to be competent) Of course I used these archaic expressions ironically, primarily to aggravate the young’uns. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2022, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-you-used-as-a-young-person/388925/23 "2022-07-03T13:47:20Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > I still occasionally refer to “starry decreps”. It’s been too long since I’ve read it. > [@Tibby](#): > > “Oh, horsefeathers!” (exclamation) When I was very little, dad would say ‘Oh, horsefeathers!’ I was to reply, and did, ‘Goodie, goodie, gumdrops!’ Repeat until laughter makes it hard to breathe. I have no idea why I found that so funny. But then, when I was three or four I thought it was fun to say ‘Tokyo Tower! Tokyo Tower!’ (We did go there once.) ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2022, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-you-used-as-a-young-person/388925/24 "2022-07-03T14:12:39Z")
Age 11, when humans reach peak genius obnoxiousness, my brothers and my thing was archaic constructions: “Odious vermin!” “That is just and meet” when an agreement was made. “I invite you to leave, sir!” To kick someone out “Must my life be one of unrelenting toil?” When it was your turn to mow the lawn. ---
**Author:** ![BrickBat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@BrickBat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrickBat)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2022, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-you-used-as-a-young-person/388925/25 "2022-07-03T17:04:38Z")
A few come to mind commonly used among me and my peers as pre-adults: “_Suuurre Ed!_” - Bullshit, I don’t believe you “_Bogus_” - Substandard, sucky “_Dent neck_” - Someone that’s a jerk, a loser, a joke “_Scungy_” - Said of one’s appearance: dirty, sweaty, nasty, disheveled etc ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2022, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-you-used-as-a-young-person/388925/26 "2022-07-03T17:23:10Z")
> [@Slithy\_Tove](#): > > archaic constructions: Not really archaic, but a couple of friends and I would exclaim ‘Hellish obscenities and damnable crustaceans!’ (My best friend started it as a reference to Attack Of The Crab Monsters.) A friend who acted in community theatre would say he’s ‘feeling sketchy’ to indicate a state of excitedness and absentmindedness. Nowadays I only hear it as ‘disreputable’ or ‘shady’. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2022, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-you-used-as-a-young-person/388925/27 "2022-07-03T22:33:40Z")
“Hard guy”. Meaning … hard to define. Not so much “tough” but more like “manly” in an old-fashioned way. I felt uncomfortable using in some situations since it might be mistaken for something off-color. “BFD”. When a gal asked what it meant we replied “big fuzzy duck” with a smile. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2022, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-you-used-as-a-young-person/388925/28 "2022-07-03T22:42:11Z")
I can’t remember what show it was on, but one character got a haircut and someone suggested it was a gay man’s style. The other guy was like, ‘No, it’s a hard-man cut!’ ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2022, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-you-used-as-a-young-person/388925/29 "2022-07-05T17:16:55Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I can’t remember what show it was on, but one character got a haircut and someone suggested it was a gay man’s style. The other guy was like, ‘No, it’s a hard-man cut!’ That would be the excellent sitcom _Coupling_ from 20 years ago. Patrick asked for the hard man look. Confusion ensues. ---
**Author:** ![Limmin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f04885/32.png) [@Limmin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Limmin)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2022, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-you-used-as-a-young-person/388925/30 "2022-07-05T17:35:09Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I just thought of ‘Dai jobe?’ again. I want to say it sometimes, but I don’t know if anyone would understand. I take it that this is Japanese, from “dai-jobu,” meaning, are you all right? Similar usage of Japanese in English, like saying “just a skosh” from “sukoshi,” meaning, a little. I’ve heard “a skosh” used in CA, but hadn’t yet heard anyone use “Dai jobe.” But it fits. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2022, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-you-used-as-a-young-person/388925/31 "2022-07-05T17:47:29Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > That would be the excellent sitcom _Coupling_ from 20 years ago. That’s it! I’ll have to pull out the DVD set… if I can pry SWMBO away from the 800th viewing of The Avengers or Harry Potter or Star Wars. > [@Limmin](#): > > I’ve heard “a skosh” used in CA, but hadn’t yet heard anyone use “Dai jobe.” But it fits. Yeah, we used ‘skosh’ growing up in San Diego. ‘Dai jobe’ might be a Navy thing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-or-phrases-you-used-as-a-young-person/388925.md?page=1)