Everyone has unique words or codes they may use, from informal codewords to communicate with friends or standardized codes for use in certain protocols to emergency codes and codewords used in social situations to help someone get out of a bind. Some words and phrases can be confusing if you aren’t privy to them. And Baby Boomer lingo is no different.
24/7 Tempo has compiled a list of Baby Boomer lingo that will leave you confused by using several sources, including Your Dictionary and Owlcation. Some of these words and phrases date back to before even the oldest Baby Boomers.
“Bread” was used to refer to money as early as the 1930s and its pre-baked form, “dough,” has been associated with money since the Civil War. “Trippin’” (originally spelled with a final “g”) was first documented with its current meaning of being under the influence of drugs in the 1920s. (Here is a list of Canadian slang and phrases Americans just don’t understand.)
Here is Baby Boomer lingo that will leave you confused:
Bogart
- Meaning: Not sharing a marijuana joint
Bookin’
- Meaning: Moving quickly
Boss
- Meaning: Awesome
Bread
- Meaning: Cash, money
Doobie
- Meaning: A marijuana joint
Far out
- Meaning: Awesome; a phrase of approval
Flower child
- Meaning: A hippie, especially those wearing flowers in their hair
Flower power
- Meaning: The peace-and-love culture of flower children, especially anti-war protesters during Vietnam War era
Fuzz
- Meaning: Police
Gimme some skin
- Meaning: Shake hands
Hang loose
- Meaning: Relax, chill out
Gas
- Meaning: Fun, enjoyable
Groady/grody/grotty
- Meaning: Gross, disgusting
Hang-up
- Meaning: An inhibition, obstacle, source of difficulty
Head trip
- Meaning: Mentally stimulating experience (as with LSD), ego trip, something confusing or false
Heavy
- Meaning: Serious, meaningful, grave
Keep on truckin’
- Meaning: Hang in there, keep going
Making the scene
- Meaning: Arriving at a party or event
Mellow
- Meaning: Laid back, very relaxed, often after smoking marijuana
The munchies
- Meaning: Craving snacks, often after smoking marijuana
Out of sight
- Meaning: Excellent, cool; a term of approval
Peel out
- Meaning: Leave the scene quickly in a car, squealing the tires
Right on
- Meaning: Yes, that’s right, good for you
Skuzz
- Meaning: Gross person
Spaced out
- Meaning: Distracted, dazed and confused
Tripping
- Meaning: Under the influence of LSD or other hallucinogenics
Up tight
- Meaning: Nervous, conservative
Way out
- Meaning: Beyond explanation, very unusual
What’s your bag?
- Meaning: What do you like? What’s your problem?