The Best of 1970s Slang

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A glossary of cool vintage terms and sayings from the disco era

Co-authored by Dev Murphy, MA

Last Updated: November 18, 2024 Fact Checked

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Slang for Cool

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Slang for Hello & Goodbye

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Slang for People

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Disco Slang

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Conversational Slang

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Other '70s Words & Phrases

What’s crackin’? Want to talk like a groovy cat from the ’70s? All you need in order to seem like you’ve come from the disco days of yore is a grasp on 1970s slang, and we’ve got the lowdown! Keep reading for a comprehensive list of the most fab ’70s slang words and phrases, from “cool” to “stone cold fox” to “copacetic.” Can you dig it?

Section 1 of 6:

1970s Slang for Cool

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The 1970s invented “cool”—and many of its synonyms. The word “cool” will never go out of style, but why not shake things up a bit and use another iconic ’70s slang word to let someone know how far out they really are? Check out these alternatives to “cool”: ^{[1]
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- Bad
- Bomb
- Cool beans
- Fab
- Far out
- Funky
- Groovy
- Nifty
- Out of sight
- Off the hook
- Radical
- Slammin’
- Stellar
- Tubular

Section 2 of 6:

1970s Slang for Hello and Goodbye

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Make an impression at your next party with a retro greeting or goodbye. Arrive at your next hangout in style with a “My man, my man!” or leave your mark with a “Peace out” when you depart. Or try out one of these other fun retro ways to say hello or goodbye:
- My man, my man!: a friendly way to greet a male friend
- Say, brotha’: a friendly way to greet a male friend
- What it is: “What’s up”
- What’s crackin': “What’s up?”
- Catch you on the flip side: see you later (the "flip side" refers to the other side of a vinyl record)
- I gotta skitty: “I have to hurry up and go”
- Keep on steppin’: “Keep moving,” “Get out of here”
- Later days: “See you later”
- Peace, love, and granola: a peaceful goodbye
- Peace out: “I’m leaving”

Section 3 of 6:

1970s Slang for People

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Get creative with your descriptions of other people. Whether you want to talk about what a hottie your crush is or dish out an insult someone will never forget, the ‘70s has got you covered: ^{[2]
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- Boob tuber: someone who watches way too much TV
- Brick house: a super hot, curvy woman
- Burnout: someone who uses too many drugs (it later came to mean the experience of being exhausted from work)
- Casanova: a ladies’ man
- Couch potato: someone who spends too much time in front of the TV
- Dork: a nerd
- Dude: a guy, or a generic term to describe someone regardless of gender
- Foxy mama: a super hot lady
- Goof: a silly person
- Jive: dance
- Jive turkey: someone who tries to be cool, but fails
- Lame-o: someone who's really not cool
- Putz: a klutz
- Space cadet: an airhead
- Square: a conformist; somebody who's boring
- Stone fox: a really attractive woman
- Youngblood: a young man; a boy

Section 4 of 6:

1970s Disco Slang

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Be ready to boogie the night away with these slang disco terms! A special subset of 1970s slang is disco slang, or slang you might use when you’re getting your groove on to ABBA or the BeeGees. Try one of these words or phrases:
- Boogie: to dance
- Boogie down: to dance enthusiastically
- Closet disco queen: someone who dances in private at home, but not in public
- Get your groove on: to dance
- Groovy: cool

Section 5 of 6:

1970s Conversational Slang

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Hold an entire convo in '70s-speak with these phrases. Spice up your everyday chitchat with a few vintage questions and turns of phrase, like these:
- Can you dig it?: “Do you understand?”
- Catch my drift?: "Do you get it?"
- Copacetic: "Not a problem"
- Do me a solid: "Can you do me a favor?"
- Do you copy?: "Do you understand me?"
- Flower power: "Choose love over peace"
- Hertz donut: Part of a joke in which you ask someone if they’d like a “Hertz donut,” and when they say yes, you punch them in the arm and say, “Hurts, don’t it?” (Don’t do this)
- Jeepers creepers!: "Oh, my goodness!"
- Keep on truckin': "Hang in there"
- Mind your potatoes: "Stay in your lane!"
- Sound as a pound: going well (as in "How are you?" "Sound as a pound")
- Stop digging in my Kool-Aid: "Mind your own business!"
- Take a chill pill: "Chill out!"
- Ten-four, good buddy: "Yes"
- What's your twenty?: "Where are you?"
- You decent?: "Are you dressed?" or "May I come in your room?"
- You jivin' yet?: "Are you having a nice time?"

Section 6 of 6:

Other Popular 1970s Slang Words & Phrases

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Add these other 1970s slang terms to your everyday vocab. Not every slang word or phrase can be categorized—some are just their own brand of retro weirdness! Check out these popular ’70s slang phrases to describe particular experiences or activities:
- Book it: to run away quickly, especially from law enforcement
- Bummer: a disappointment
- Crib: home or place of residence
- Deep-six: to get rid of something
- Down with: OK with
- Fake me out: trick me
- Flat leaver: to ditch someone to hang out with someone cooler
- Freaky deaky: very odd or strange
- Go bananas: to go crazy, let loose
- Good vibes: positive energy
- Guilt trip: excessive remorse over something due to someone else's shaming
- Hairy eyeball: a nasty glare
- Jive-talking: spouting nonsense
- The lowdown: all the information; the truth
- The man: authority figure, usually someone in law enforcement
- Pad: where someone lives
- Primo: excellent
- Shaggin’ wagon: 1970s van with a bed in the back 👀
- The skinny: the real story; the whole truth
- Stoked: super excited
- Threads: apparel; clothes
- Tighty-whitey: men's underwear
- To the max: to the extreme
- Wedgie: the act of pulling someone's underwear up between their buttocks

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The Best of 1970s Slang

Steps

1970s Slang for Cool

1970s Slang for Hello and Goodbye

1970s Slang for People

1970s Disco Slang

1970s Conversational Slang

Other Popular 1970s Slang Words & Phrases

Expert Q&A

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