I was born in the 80’s but I spent most of the 80’s in a diaper and strapped in to a baby bjorn.
So what I really remember is the 90’s. And boy that decade have some weird slang and catch phrases! I’m not even sure urban dictionary could keep up. This was before the time of “Douche Bag” and “winning!”. In celebration of “Flashback Friday”, I thought I’d share with you some of my favorite slang and catch phrases from my childhood:
- “Psyche!” (As in, “Not!!!!”)
This is the classic “fake out”. confused about how it works? Here’s a little blueprint.
1) Make a statement.
2) Retract said statement by shouting “psyche!”, thus humiliating the baited individual.
Sure, this seems rather harmless, borderline lame, and totally unfunny. But trust me, it caused some serious damage on the playground:
Example: “Hey Eden! I love your Osh-Kosh Overalls!…….Physche! What are you, a farmer?”
Eden’s Reaction: Indeed. You can find me at Pepperidge Farm with Milanos and Veronas…poopy head!
The closest I will ever get to a farm
NOTE: this also enjoyed a slight resurgence of popularity following Sacha Baron Cohen’s interpretation in the movie Borat. Classic film, by the way.
- “Then why don’t you marry it?”
This catch phrase had widespread use in grade schools everywhere. It’s a good question, really. Why don’t you? I mean, if you’re so attached to something, it seems pending nuptials should be in order. It’s the next logical step in your commitment and Elvis can marry you in Vagas in a snap! Still confused about how this catch phrase works? No worries, I have an example for you:
Example: “Hey Eden! You always playing with that Bradley Cooper doll, if you like it so much, why dont you just marry it!”
Eden’s response: “We are registered at IKEA”
now who's my bitch?
- “WASSSSSSSUP!”
Made famous from a Budwieser Super Bowl Ad, it basically translates to: “what is up”. But this is never meant to be taken too literally with smart asses replying, “clouds”, “the sky”, or “the ceiling”. If you ask me, the best and only time to deliver this catch phrase is if delivered into a phone at an obnoxious decibel level probably caused from drinking too much ball water Budweiser. No need for an example on this one, just pick up the phone and yell it.
see, cool people DO wear overalls!
- “All that and a bag of chips!”
Carbophobe readers out there: close your browser. The following will contain words that describe a delicious carb. You’ll probably fear just reading about will end up on your thighs. For the rest of you, it usually means that whatever is being discussed is “all that” and more. But the whole confusing thing about this is that the person saying this phrase doesn’t usually believe the person is “all that and a bag of chips.” 
Oh, and the word “chips” (not french fries for my brits out there) can be replaced by almost any other word. Such as “all that and a bag of cookies/skittles/beans/groceries/lube/poop/cotton balls etc.”
Example: “Look, at Eden! She thinks she SOOO funny with her poop/queef/pony jokes and her blog is SOOO unpopular. She ain’t all that and a bag of chips!”
Eden’s Response: “I may not be all that and a bag of chips (too carby) but I’m for sure all that and bag of bacon. Poopy head!”
Oh, that is my bag!
There you have it. I barely scratched the surface of slang and catch phrases from my childhood. So let’s some from you childhood? And for the hell of it, what are you “all that and a bag of……(fill in the blank)”.
Eden's Eats 
i was born in the 80s, too, but like you remember none of it. what i do remember is: boo ya, my bad, and a lot of LOL and LMFAO as everyone was on AIM 24/7.
I feel like “LMFAO” was a teeny bit after my time because I just figured out what it meant earlier this year.
I remember all the same ones as you Eden, and agree that LMFAO is not in our time … the kids I teach use that one!
two that i remember are “suck it” and “cooties”… this post brought back so many funny memories!
I still say suck it. I go with my dad to the oncology ward and I’m all, “Suck it, Cancer!” and when a creepy guy hits on me, I get my mace out and say, “oooooooo cooties!!!!!!”
hahaha, i hope you do it with the hand action and all!
all you young whippersnappers, when I was a kid I could buy a candy bar for a nickel.
A NICKEL.
(okay, my pop culture references mostly come from movies and television, and I am quoting from one of my favorite Seinfeld episodes.) 🙂
the only thing I used to say (okay, STILL say, cripes I can’t get anything past you) is cashed. 😉 I use it in reference to ANYTHING that is depleted, run out, boring…
Haha, I’m an old fart compared to a lot of the rest of you (chronologically, anyway…emotional maturity-wise, I’m probably still in my early 20’s or younger…Hell, I laughed the whole time I was reading “The Stinky Cheese Man” to my son last night, if that tells you anything!)…But I recall a lot of those same phrases used on the playground when I was a kid back in the early-to-mid-’80s. By 1990, I tried avoiding the playground or took books out & sat off in a corner by myself, so I have no idea what the young kids were saying after that.
Oh, and I’m all that & a bag of burgers. I do love hamburgers.
Oh I use “old-fashioned” slang all the time. And by old-fashioned I mean slang from before I was born, like “the cat’s meow”.
One I always hated was “I know you are but what am I?” If anyone ever pulls that on me it’s kind of a dealbreaker in our relationship.
Oh yeah, I remember that one [I know you are, but what am I?]. And bringing up someone’s mom.
i was a so-cal 80s kid so everything was pretty gnarly, tubular and radical. but dude, not gonna lie, that bag of bacon looks so nasty. and i love bacon!
Its not MY bag of bacon, its from a google image search.
it’s so scatty looking 😦
DUDE is totally 90’s (in my lingual life anyways).
Hysterical!
Eden …. so far, my fav blog-post of the month. Unless someone else can top this!
Thinking about what I should say re the subject. Better not. My old-age would definitely show.
Once again …. “groovy” post Eden!
“Jeez, have a cow!”
I just remember “safety”… when you fart you have to say safety, or your mean brothers can hit you until you touch a doorknob. I’m fairly certain this was not just a game my family played.
Oh, oh.. and, “No kidding, Captain Obvious!”
Anyone else remember the line “Don’t you feel crunchy?”
Which was/is said to some-one who’s just been cut down. Often said while snapping your hand in a z formation.
I admit, I like to use throwback slang for glitz and giggles. “Gross Toast” is a current favorite.
This post made me realize that the word “cool” has withstood the test of time, huh? That’s staying power.
Hmmm… Was “cool” cool in the 60’s?
Sent from my iPhone
I think cool was invented in the 60s or 50s
We used to say “waysout” when we were just kidding about something, as in “Amy, your buck teeth don’t stick out too far. Waysout!” My cousins are from the east coast and I remember them saying “wicked,” as in you’re wicked smart (pronounced smaht) (not to me tho, cuz I’m not, not really).
This post is awesome and you are totally right.. its not what decade you were born in – more like the one after.
That said, being a 90’s kid I used “da bomb” and of course I can the movie ‘Clueless’ for “as if”
*thank
I loved clueless, and I can recite the whole script, but to this day I have no clue what its about
A few 90’s catch-phrases/slangisms that come to mind: Dude, totes, cheesy, AIDS, chronic, da bomb
Ex. “Dude, I totes dig your flannel. It doesn’t make you look cheesy at all. I got some chronic if you want to smoke before the AIDS fundraiser. It’s da bomb.
Also, anything that references Seinfeld or The Simpsons.
I was born in the 70’s, but I didn’t start maturing until about 2007, which makes me about 28.
Haha those are hysterical! I had forgotten so many!
Wow, I’m old. I remember “foxy:” that was huge. I don’t think it’ll ever make a come-back. And “I’m stoked on those hot primo tubes” referring to waves that we would never in our right minds have thought of surfing but so wished we had.
hot primo tubes!
I always said “not” and think it needs to make a comeback. This post was awesome.. you always come up with the best nostalgic posts! I feel like the term “butthead” and “butthole” was used a lot more when I was a kid. I always called my brother those things.
Hahah I realize now that the whole “WAZZUUPPP” thing from Scary Movie 2 was being parodied! I guess i was just a baybeh to even notice that commericial. Dang, the 90’s was a good time to be a child though. I may have been a young one, but whatever it’s better than being born in the boring new millenium -_-
I remember when my mom used to take me to mcdonald’s after my blood tests in the morning and I’d either get one of those down syndrome ferbies or a Quasimodo toy…never esmerelda or barbie 😦 LOL.
What was your favorite TV show? Lets see..there was Doug, AHH Real Monsters, Dexter’s Laboratory, PowerPuff Girls, Hey Arnold, Rugrats of course, and those Aladdin and Little Mermaid series that came on at 5am. haha