1970s Slang: Welcome to the Disco Era!
The 1970s brought us disco, bell-bottoms, and a whole new set of slang that reflected the groovy, laid-back, and sometimes rebellious spirit of the decade. From the dance floor to the skate park, the 70s slang is as cool as the music that defined the era.
This decade’s slang is like the perfect mix tape—full of funky, fresh words that are still fun to throw around today! But how do you know your boogie from your brick house?
Let’s boogie on down and check out 70 Slang Words for the 70s that will make your vocabulary solid as a rock!
70 Slang Words for the 70s:
-
Ape – To go crazy or get overly excited.
“He went ape when he heard he won the contest!” -
Bad – Good or awesome (yes, this one means the opposite of what it sounds like).
“That car is bad, man!” -
Boogie – To dance, especially to disco music.
“Let’s hit the floor and boogie all night!” -
Brick House – A curvy, well-built woman.
“She’s a real brick house, no doubt about it.” -
Bummer – A bad situation or experience.
“Missing out on the concert is such a bummer.” -
Burnout – Someone who’s exhausted or disillusioned, often due to overwork or drugs.
“That guy looks like a total burnout.” -
Catch You on the Flipside – I’ll see you later.
“I gotta split, but I’ll catch you on the flipside!” -
Chillin’ – Relaxing or taking it easy.
“I’m just chillin’ with some tunes.” -
Clownin’ – Acting silly or joking around.
“Stop clownin’, we’ve got work to do!” -
Copacetic – Everything’s fine or in good order.
“Don’t worry, everything’s copacetic.” -
Crash – To go to bed or fall asleep.
“I’m beat, I’m gonna crash early tonight.” -
Crib – Your home or apartment.
“Let’s head back to my crib and hang out.” -
Decked Out – Fully dressed up or accessorized.
“She was decked out in glitter for the disco party.” -
Dig It – To understand or appreciate something.
“You dig it? That’s the way it goes around here.” -
Do Me a Solid – Do me a favor.
“Can you do me a solid and grab me a soda?” -
Don’t Bogart – Don’t hog something, especially when sharing.
“Hey, don’t bogart all the chips!” -
Drag – Something disappointing or boring.
“This weather is such a drag.” -
Foxy – Attractive or stylish, typically used for women.
“That girl is so foxy, she’s got everyone’s attention.” -
Freaky Deaky – Strange or weird, but in a cool way.
“That band’s music is totally freaky deaky.” -
Funky – Cool, stylish, or full of attitude.
“Check out those funky shoes she’s wearing!” -
Get Down – To party or have a good time.
“Let’s get down and boogie!” -
Gig – A job, especially a short-term one or performance.
“I’ve got a gig at the club this weekend.” -
Gnarly – Something cool or awesome.
“That trick you pulled off was gnarly, dude!” -
Good Vibes – Positive feelings or energy.
“I’m all about the good vibes tonight.” -
Groove – To get into a rhythm or feel good.
“I’m really starting to groove with this new job.” -
Hang Loose – Take it easy or relax.
“Just hang loose, man. It’s all good.” -
Head Trip – Something mind-boggling or confusing.
“That movie was such a head trip.” -
Heavy – Serious, intense, or emotionally deep.
“That conversation was really heavy, man.” -
Hella – Really or very.
“That was a hella good concert last night.” -
Hustle – To work hard or move fast, often used with dancing.
“You’ve gotta hustle if you want to make it in this business.” -
Jive Turkey – Someone who talks nonsense or lies.
“Don’t be a jive turkey, just tell the truth.” -
Juiced – Excited or pumped up about something.
“I’m so juiced for the concert tonight!” -
Keep On Truckin’ – Keep going or persevering through tough times.
“Things are tough, but I’ll keep on truckin’.” -
Killer – Amazing or awesome.
“That guitar solo was killer, dude.” -
Lay Low – Stay out of trouble or avoid attention.
“You’d better lay low until things cool down.” -
Let’s Roll – Let’s go or get started.
“We’re all set—let’s roll!” -
Lotsa Luck – Sarcastic way of wishing good luck.
“You’re gonna ask for a raise? Lotsa luck with that!” -
Mellow – Calm, relaxed, or laid-back.
“She’s so mellow, nothing gets her riled up.” -
Mondo – Huge or impressive.
“That wave was mondo, dude!” -
Movin’ and Groovin’ – Being active or having a good time.
“We’re just movin’ and groovin’ at the party.” -
Outta Sight – Fantastic or amazing.
“That band was outta sight tonight!” -
Pass the Buck – Avoid taking responsibility.
“Don’t pass the buck, man—own up to your mistakes.” -
Peachy – Perfect or wonderful.
“Everything’s just peachy today.” -
Poser – Someone pretending to be something they’re not.
“He’s such a poser, acting like he knows everything about disco.” -
Pump Iron – To lift weights or work out.
“I’m heading to the gym to pump some iron.” -
Psyche – A way to trick someone or pretend to change your mind.
“I’m going to give you this—psyche! Just kidding!” -
Rad – Short for radical, meaning cool or impressive.
“That trick you pulled off was rad!” -
Righteous – Morally right or amazing.
“That was a righteous speech, man.” -
Right On – Agreement or approval.
“You’re fighting for a good cause—right on!” -
Rip Off – A scam or something unfairly overpriced.
“Paying fifty bucks for that shirt is a total rip-off.” -
Scarf – To eat quickly.
“I’m starving, let’s scarf down some pizza.” -
Schwing – A word of approval or excitement.
“That car is schwing!” -
Scrub – Someone who is seen as useless or beneath others.
“Why are you hanging out with that scrub?” -
Shag – To dance or a certain kind of haircut.
“Check out that dude’s shag—it’s so retro.” -
Skinny – The real truth or information.
“What’s the skinny on the new boss?” -
Solid – Dependable or cool.
“That guy is solid; you can always count on him.” -
Space Cadet – Someone who seems out of touch with reality.
“That guy is a total space cadet, always zoning out.” -
Stud Muffin – An attractive man.
“He’s such a stud muffin—no wonder everyone likes him.” -
Stoked – Excited or thrilled.
“I’m so stoked for the concert this weekend!” -
Stud – A confident, attractive man.
“He’s such a stud, all the girls are after him.” -
Take a Chill Pill – Calm down or relax.
“Dude, take a chill pill. It’s not a big deal.” -
Threads – Clothes, especially cool or stylish ones.
“I need some fresh threads for the party.” -
Tight – Cool or close in terms of friendship.
“We’ve been tight ever since we were kids.” -
Tough Cookies – Someone who is resilient or difficult to deal with.
“Don’t mess with her, she’s a tough cookie.” -
Up Your Nose with a Rubber Hose – A playful insult.
“You can’t tell me what to do—up your nose with a rubber hose!” -
Veg Out – To relax or do nothing.
“I’m just gonna veg out in front of the TV tonight.” -
What’s Your Bag? – What’s your problem?
“What’s your bag, man? You’ve been acting weird all day.” -
Workin’ It – Putting in effort or showing off.
“She’s really workin’ it on the dance floor!” -
Yanked – To be tricked or deceived.
“He totally yanked you on that deal!” -
Zowie – Used to express amazement or surprise.
“Zowie! That was one impressive stunt!”
70s Slang that Lives On:
-
Bad – Still used to mean good or awesome.
“That song is so bad!” -
Stoked – Used to describe being excited.
“I’m stoked for the game tomorrow!” -
Crash – To sleep or rest.
“I’m gonna crash at my place tonight.” -
Gnarly – Still used to describe something intense or impressive.
“That wave was gnarly!” -
Do Me a Solid – Still means to do a favor.
“Can you do me a solid and grab lunch for me?”
OK, so you’ve got the skinny on 70s slang – you must be stoked! Just don’t be a poser, man.