1950s Slang: Welcome to the Nifty Fifties!

The 1950s were all about cool cats, cruisin’ in their hot rods, and throwin’ around some seriously snappy slang. Whether you were a greaser, a hep cat, or just someone trying to keep up with the scene, the lingo of the ’50s was full of flair and fun.

Curious to dive into this world of retro vibes and jive talk? Buckle up, because we’re about to take you on a ride through the swingin’ language of the era.

But how do you know your “ankle-biters” from your “knuckle sandwiches”? Let’s break it down and make sure you’re not left in the dust.

50 Slang Words for the 50s 

Here’s a nifty list of 50 popular 1950s slang terms that’ll have you talkin’ like a real cool cat in no time:

1. Ankle-biter
   Meaning: A small child.
   “Keep an eye on those ankle-biters runnin’ around the yard!”

2. Bent
   Meaning: Angry or upset.
   “He got all bent when I borrowed his wheels without askin’.”

3. Big Daddy
   Meaning: An important or influential person.
   “You don’t mess with Big Daddy, he’s got connections all over town.”

4. Blast
   Meaning: A good time or party.
   “Last night’s sock hop was a blast!”

5. Bread
   Meaning: Money.
   “If you want that jacket, you’re gonna need more bread, man.”

6. Burn rubber
   Meaning: To drive fast.
   “Let’s burn rubber and head to the drive-in!”

7. Cat
   Meaning: A cool guy.
   “He’s a real cool cat when it comes to swingin’ the dance floor.”

8. Chick
   Meaning: A girl.
   “That chick at the soda shop was really diggin’ your style.”

9. Cool beans
   Meaning: That’s great or awesome.
   “You aced the test? Cool beans, man!”

10. Cruisin’ for a bruisin’
    Meaning: Looking for trouble.
    “Watch out, you’re cruisin’ for a bruisin’ if you keep mouthing off.”

11. Daddy-O
    Meaning: A term of address for a guy, especially a cool one.
    “What’s the word, Daddy-O?”

12. Dipstick
    Meaning: A fool or idiot.
    “Don’t be a dipstick, use your head!”

13. Drag
    Meaning: A boring or disappointing event or person.
    “That movie was such a drag, man.”

14. Dreamboat
    Meaning: A very attractive person.
    “That new actor is a total dreamboat!”

15. Flip your lid
    Meaning: To go crazy or get really mad.
    “She flipped her lid when she saw the mess in the kitchen!”

16. Frosted
    Meaning: Angry or annoyed.
    “He was frosted when he found out someone scratched his car.”

17. Get bent
    Meaning: A dismissive phrase meaning go away or get lost.
    “You don’t like my music? Get bent!”

18. Gig
    Meaning: A job, performance, or event.
    “I’ve got a gig at the local diner this Friday.”

19. Going steady
    Meaning: Dating someone exclusively.
    “Are you guys going steady now?”

20. Goof
    Meaning: A silly or foolish person.
    “Quit being a goof and focus on the game!”

21. Greaser
    Meaning: A tough guy with a slicked-back hairstyle, often associated with working-class youth.
    “The greasers always hang out by the diner after school.”

22. Heat
    Meaning: The police.
    “We better scram, here comes the heat!”

23. Hip
    Meaning: Cool or trendy.
    “That new tune is really hip, man.”

24. Jacked up
    Meaning: Messed up or broken.
    “Your bike’s all jacked up, what happened?”

25. Jailhouse lawyer
    Meaning: Someone who thinks they know everything, especially about rules or laws.
    “Don’t be a jailhouse lawyer, you don’t know the half of it.”

26. Jazzed
    Meaning: Excited or enthusiastic.
    “I’m so jazzed about the new car show this weekend!”

27. Keen
    Meaning: Excellent or great.
    “That new record is really keen!”

28. Knuckle sandwich
    Meaning: A punch in the face.
    “If you keep talkin’, you’re gonna get a knuckle sandwich.”

29. Made in the shade
    Meaning: In an ideal situation or easy street.
    “With that promotion, you’ve got it made in the shade!”

30. No sweat
    Meaning: No problem or it’s easy.
    “I can fix that for you, no sweat.”

31. Nosebleed seat
    Meaning: The highest or worst seat at a venue.
    “We had nosebleed seats, but it was still a killer show.”

32. Pad
    Meaning: Home or apartment.
    “You wanna come hang out at my pad later?”

33. Peepers
    Meaning: Eyes.
    “Look at those big ol’ peepers on that puppy!”

34. Razz my berries
    Meaning: To excite or impress someone.
    “That new movie really razzed my berries!”

35. Rug rat
    Meaning: A small child.
    “The rug rats are running wild in the backyard.”

36. Scram
    Meaning: To leave or get out of somewhere quickly.
    “You better scram before the teacher catches us!”

37. Shoot the breeze
    Meaning: To chat or have a casual conversation.
    “We spent all night just shootin’ the breeze.”

38. Smog in the noggin
    Meaning: Someone who’s confused or isn’t thinking clearly.
    “What’s wrong with you? Got some smog in the noggin?”

39. Sock hop
    Meaning: A dance, typically held in a high school gymnasium.
    “Are you goin’ to the sock hop this weekend?”

40. Split
    Meaning: To leave quickly.
    “Let’s split before the cops show up.”

41. Square
    Meaning: A person who’s out of touch with the latest trends or uncool.
    “You’re such a square for not liking rock ‘n’ roll!”

42. Submarine races
    Meaning: A sneaky term for making out in a car, often by the water.
    “They’re probably watching the submarine races again!”

43. Tank
    Meaning: A large car, usually with low fuel efficiency.
    “This tank drinks gas like nobody’s business.”

44. Threads
    Meaning: Clothes.
    “Check out those threads, you’re lookin’ sharp!”

45. Tight
    Meaning: Close friends or a strong relationship.
    “We’ve been tight ever since we were kids.”

46. Total
    Meaning: To completely destroy something, usually a car.
    “I totaled my car after sliding on the ice.”

47. Tough cookie
    Meaning: A strong or resilient person.
    “Don’t mess with her, she’s one tough cookie.”

48. Wail
    Meaning: To perform music or play very well.
    “Man, that guitarist can really wail!”

49. Word from the bird
    Meaning: The truth, similar to saying “straight from the horse’s mouth.”
    “That’s the word from the bird, no joke.”

50. Zoom
    Meaning: To go fast, usually in a car.
    “That hot rod can really zoom down the highway!”

’50s Slang That Lives On

Some ’50s phrases stuck around long after poodle skirts and jukeboxes disappeared. Here are five slang terms from the ’50s you might still hear today:

1. Cool
   Meaning: Awesome or impressive.
   “That new jacket is so cool!”

2. Cruise
   Meaning: To drive around leisurely.
   “Let’s cruise around the block and check out the scene.”

3. Dig
   Meaning: To understand or like something.
   “I really dig that new song!”

4. Pad
   Meaning: Home or place to hang out.
   “Meet me at my pad after school.”

5. Hip
   Meaning: Trendy or in the know.
   *”He’s always so hip with his fashion.”