Bucket hats, baggy jeans, Biggie Smalls, Backstreet Boys, Beanie Babies…the 1990s left behind no shortage of iconic moments, mementos, and memorable slang! Among the nostalgic grunge and rise of the internet, slang in the 90s took on a life of its own. Many of these 1990s sayings were co-opted from African-American Vernacular English (AAVE), while others came from mainstream media and pop culture (thanks, Cher Horowitz!), but they’ve all had an enduring impact on the way we speak today. And, since we made it past Y2K, we now get to sit back, chillax , and revisit these slang terms from the era of Friends , Fresh Prince , Furby, flannels, and more!
Slang of the 90s: Top Phrases
- Fly: Super cool, stylish, or attractive. He looks so fly.
- Buggin’: Freaking out, being upset. I’m totally buggin’ right now.
- Chillax: Calm down or relax. Chillax, it’s no biggie.
- Da Bomb: Awesome, impressive, or excellent. Those shoes are da bomb.
- Phat: Excellent, cool, or attractive. That’s a phat beat on the new record.
Steps
Expert Q&A
Tips
- Want to learn more about 1990s pop culture? Check out this comprehensive guide to the movies, fashion, and historical events that defined the ‘90s.Thanks
References
- ↑ https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/aight
- ↑ https://youtu.be/6JsgY2PXWAg?t=49
- ↑ https://tastecooking.com/all-that-and-a-bag-of-chips/
- ↑ https://youtu.be/_Lgrr48ELPM?t=9
- ↑ https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/as-if
- ↑ https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/as-clueless-director-amy-heckerling-871781/
- ↑ https://youtu.be/hO1mSf8l6MA?t=74
- ↑ https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/bling
- ↑ https://genius.com/Bg-bling-bling-lyrics
- ↑ https://www.dictionary.com/e/old-dating-slang/
- ↑ https://www.slate.com/blogs/lexicon_valley/2015/01/05/stuart_scott_booyah_espn_sportscaster_will_be_remembered_for_exuberantly.html
- ↑ https://livexp.com/blog/meaning-and-use-of-see-you-on-the-flip-side/?utm_source=blog-en&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=%2Fblog%2Fmeaning-and-use-of-see-you-on-the-flip-side%2F
- ↑ https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/us/definition/english/cha-ching
- ↑ https://youtu.be/KdjVZr1P7FU?t=12
- ↑ https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/chillax
- ↑ https://www.khon2.com/news/national/what-cool-beans-and-50-other-old-timey-slang-words-mean/
- ↑ https://www.dictionary.com/browse/crunk
- ↑ https://www.berlitz.com/blog/new-york-nyc-slang
- ↑ https://genius.com/Kris-kross-da-bomb-lyrics
- ↑ https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/def
- ↑ https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/magazine/home/20000123mag-onlanguage.html
- ↑ https://screenrant.com/the-simpsons-barts-best-catchphrases/
- ↑ https://youtu.be/0WXJD4OKl8o?t=18
- ↑ https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/cancel-culture-background-black-culture-white-grievance/2021/04/01/2e42e4fe-8b24-11eb-aff6-4f720ca2d479_story.html
- ↑ https://youtu.be/PiAvfcfIzac?t=18
- ↑ https://www.dictionary.com/e/slang-for-cool/
- ↑ https://www.dictionary.com/e/know-rap-slang-regional/
- ↑ https://www.dictionary.com/browse/jiggy
- ↑ https://www.kqed.org/news/10649552/the-origins-of-hella
- ↑ https://www.dictionary.com/e/s/nineties-words/#hella-cool
- ↑ https://hellogiggles.com/90s-slang-need-bring-back-immediately/
- ↑ https://sites.pitt.edu/~emk4/comp1/ill.html
- ↑ https://revolt.tv/article/2019-04-19/44400/9-illmatic-facts-you-didnt-know
- ↑ https://urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=outtie
- ↑ https://www.thedailybeast.com/clueless-glossary-buggin-cake-boy-and-more-90s-slang-from-the-film
- ↑ https://youtu.be/B-Kuvzjlud8?t=83
- ↑ https://www.brightwalldarkroom.com/2019/03/13/reality-bites-25-year-anniversary/
- ↑ https://www.berlitz.com/blog/new-york-nyc-slang
- ↑ https://screenrant.com/clueless-quotes-totally-bugging-movie/
- ↑ https://youtu.be/Yf7MT1p1VNI?t=50
- ↑ https://hellogiggles.com/90s-slang-need-bring-back-immediately/
- ↑ https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/my-bad
- ↑ https://americandialect.org/woty/all-of-the-words-of-the-year-1990-to-present/#1992
- ↑ https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/be-off-the-hook
- ↑ https://www.dictionary.com/e/slang-for-cool/
- ↑ https://slang.net/meaning/oh_snap
- ↑ https://www.dictionary.com/browse/phat
- ↑ https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/7-great-words-for-great
- ↑ https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/submission/10467/Schwing
- ↑ https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=schwing%21%21
- ↑ https://youtu.be/Zm8UFuuubro?t=14
- ↑ https://www.revolt.tv/article/51-hip-hop-slang-terms-that-went-mainstream
- ↑ https://genius.com/Tlc-no-scrubs-with-rap-lyrics
- ↑ https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/sitch-slang-shortening-alteration-situation
- ↑ https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/buffyisms-10-phrases-popularized-by-788745/
- ↑ https://hellogiggles.com/90s-slang-need-bring-back-immediately/
- ↑ https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/1453_uptodate3/page19.shtml
- ↑ https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=the%20shiznit
- ↑ https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/veg%20out
- ↑ https://youtu.be/sS0zd6O_hNU?t=16
- ↑ https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/us/definition/english/wassup
- ↑ https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/word-history-on-information-words
- ↑ https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/whatevs
- ↑ https://youtu.be/Yf7MT1p1VNI?t=95