18 Slang Words and Phrases From the Past That We Should Still Use Today

By Jess Catcher Updated: June 21, 2019

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nostalgia

Every generation comes up with their own vernacular for describing the world around them. We all remember popular slang from the past like “groovy” and “bee’s knees,” but there are so many other fun words and phrases that used pop up in everyday conversations over the years. If you ask us, we wouldn’t mind seeing some of the more creative colloquialisms from yesteryear make their way back into our chats on a regular basis again.

To help inspire a resurgence of vintage slang, we looked back at some of the best words and phrases folks used from the 1800s to the 1960s. You might recognize some of the familiar vocabulary you and your friends used back in the day — or learn a few new-to-you jargon you can work into your next convo!

Take a look below to see all the old slang words and phrases we should still use today.

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"Giggle Water" Meaning: The roaring '20s used this delightful term to describe liquor or any alcoholic beverage.
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"Peanutty" Meaning: Similar to "small potatoes," this referred to things that were trivial or inconsequential.
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"Bippy" Meaning: Your rear end, as popularized in the 1960s by the Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In catchphrase, "You bet your sweet bippy!""
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"Bags O'Mystery" Meaning: This was a pretty accurate slang for sausage, which can still be quite mysterious about their fillings.
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"Biggest Toad in the Pond" Meaning: In the 1800s, this was a tongue-in-cheek way to describe someone who was a big shot, but only for a small group of people.
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"Gigglemug" Meaning: If you know someone who constantly has a smile on their face, you could describe them as having a "gigglemug."
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"Take the Egg" Meaning: Victorian-era competitors used this phrase when they were crowned the winners.
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"Know Your Onions" Meaning: This described someone who was "in the know" or aware of everything going on around them in the 1920s.
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"Soapy Eyed" Meaning: Have you ever heard beer referred to as "suds"? If so, this term for someone who's had a bit too many rounds will make a lot of sense.
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"Palooka" Meaning: Someone who was especially clumsy — and also loud about it — was described with this fun word back in the '20s.
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"Larrapin'" Meaning: This word was used by Victorian-era folks to describe a meal that was scrumptious.
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"Twitterpated" Meaning: It wasn't just Bambi who used this word for a lovey-dovey couple back in the 1940s.
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"Off the Cob" Meaning: This was an apt description for something that was, well, corny.
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"Wurp" Meaning: Before the '50s called someone a "drip," this was used to describe those types of wet blankets or buzzkills in a group.
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"Rain Napper" Meaning: This is what some people called umbrellas back in the day, but kind of sounds more like a nice way to describe snoozing through a rainy day.
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"Happy Cabbage" Meaning: Having a lot of "cabbage" — or cash — would certainly make it happy, which is why this was used to describe a large sum of money.
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"Sauce Box" Meaning: We're not sure how this came to mean "mouth," but perhaps the color of lipstick on ladies reminded people of marinara sauce back in the day.
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"Bearcat" Meaning: In the 1920s, this was label used for energetic, fiery, and spirited women might have often spent their nights fox trotting around the dance floor.