College Slang From the 1900s That Still Sounds Fresh

Where would we be without slang?

Awash in a vast, bromidic labyrinth of proper grammar, correct pronunciation, and appropriate sentence structure, that's where!

So in my never-ending quest to entertain your ear, I'm here to share with you a list of fresh-sounding words that have been in use by college kids since way before your grandmother was born. That's right... before your grandmother was born.

Aptly descriptive words have a habit of transcending generations, so the next time your nephew comes home for spring break and attempts to dazzle you with his tough-guy vernacular, try beating him to the punch.

• babe: A pretty girl.
• bitch: The queen in a card deck. (College kids do still play cards, although they wear sweatsuits these days instead of three-piece suits.)
• cold: certain, definite
• freak: Someone uncommonly accomplished in any given area, someone who really knows their stuff.
• kill: To do very well. "How'd you do on that test?" "Oh, I killed it."
• nail: To completely master something (not in a sexual manner).
• rag: To tease or disparage something or someone (although "on" is added after "rag". I.e. rag on someone).
• slam: Disparaging remarks (One of the best things to learn in college is how to hurl a good insult, and slang truly reflects this.)
• to have something down: To completely master something. (Second best thing to learn in college? How to completely master something!)
• tacky: Shoddy, cheap.

The next five words are fun and plenty picturesque. Plus, they pertain to alcohol and attractiveness. Can we bring them back?

• aped: drunk
• darb: something attractive
• dead: 1) perfect, or 2) very
• irrigate: to drink to excess
• skate: also to drink to excess

Apparently, food terms were all the rage with college kids back in the nutty 1900s. Here are some terms that likely wouldn't make it today:

• beef: to make an error
• bones: dice
• crust: aggressiveness. (Although I do think this could re-enter the slang lexicon fairly easily.)
• dough: money
• gravy: simply the best (similar to "mint" from the 1990s)
• lunch: something easy
• pumpkin: one's girlfriend
• roast: severe criticism
• stew: anything easy

And now for the losers. 'Sup, losers?

• belly wash: A soft drink
• cush: This supposedly meant "money," but is much better suited to certain parts of anatomy. No wonder it fell by the wayside!
• hell-sticks: Matches. Tsk tsk. There are so many ways this could have gone.
• horse: Corned beef. Really?
• waddy: Unattractive, unappealing. Also not fun to say.

Sources

• Dalzell, Tom. Flappers 2 Rappers: American Youth Slang. Springfield, Massachusetts: Merriam-Webster, Incorporated, 1996.

This is a great book for anyone interested in youth slang and is beautifully organized. I recommend it to any budding lexicographer.