By Harrison Kelly
Is there any era that’s more culturally relevant in the public today than the 1980s? From the rise of yuppies and materialism to the day-to-day use of ‘dude’ thanks to Steve Spicoli in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, this decade sure did leave an impact.
But what sayings and phrases were they using on a daily basis? Which ones do we use to this day vs. think aged terribly? Let’s dive into every popular saying used in the 1980s.
| Key Takeaways – Iconic ‘80s slang: The 1980s introduced lingo like “awesome,” “rad,” “dude,” and “totally,” many of which are still used today. – Upbeat and expressive: The ‘80s were filled with phrases like “What’s up?” “No way!” and “Chill out!” that defined teen culture. – Subcultures shaped 1980s lingo: From Valley girls and skaters to metalheads and yuppies, each group had its own totally distinct vocabulary. – Romance & friendship terms: Phrases like “going steady,” “totally crushing,” and “BFF” reflected teen love and camaraderie. – Keep it in the past: Some sayings like “gag me with a spoon” and “grody to the max” have aged out and are best left in the ‘80s. |
1. Greetings & Everyday Expressions
“Like, totally!” If you weren’t saying at least one of these expressions daily, were you truly alive in the 80s?
Here’s common ways that people kept conversations totally tubular when they were hanging at the mall or saying their goodbyes on a landline call:
- What’s up?
- Yo!
- Sup, dude?
- Totally!
- No duh!
- For sure!
- What’s your damage?
- Word!
- Fresh!
- Radical!
- Awesome!
- Excellent!
- Tubular!
- Bodacious!
- Righteous!
- Gnarly!
- Wicked!
- Cowabunga!
- Dude!
- Chill out!
- Take a chill pill
- Bummer!
- Far out!
- Later, gator!
- Catch you on the flip side
- Totally tubular!
- Gag me!
- No way! / Way!
- Oh my God, gag me with a spoon
- Outta sight!
- As if! (late ’80s)
- Don’t have a cow!
- Talk to the hand (emerging late decade)
2. Compliments & Approval
The eighties were dope, yo! There was no shortage of cool ways to give someone a complement.
Here are the most popular ways to describe someone/something up in the 1980s:
- Awesome!
- Killer!
- Bad! (meaning good)
- Cool beans!
- Choice!
- Rad!
- Gnarly!
- Boss!
- Fly!
- Mint!
- Fresh!
- Stylin’
- Sweet!
- Wicked cool
- Slammin’
- Totally rad
- Outta control!
- Hot stuff!
- Primo!
- Crankin’
- Dope (emerging mid-to-late 80s)
3. Insults & Put-Downs
Some bozos and boneheads loved calling other names!
Here are funny insults used throughout the eighties in high school hallways:
- Airhead
- Dweeb
- Nerd
- Geek
- Lame-oid
- Poser
- Wannabe
- Wuss
- Bogus!
- Barf me out!
- Loser!
- Dipstick
- Dork
- Tool
- Turkey
- Spaz
- Lame-o
- Butthead
- Bonehead
- Space cadet
- Geekazoid
- Wimpy!
- Scumbag
- Square
- Wasteoid
- Couch potato
- Bozo
- Goober
- Mondo geek
- Mall rat (insult or neutral depending on tone)
4. People & Social Labels
High schools were full of skaters and jocks back then too. Here are social labels used to describe people in the 1980s.
Some are spot on descriptors used today while others might be slightly less timely (looking at you, mall rats):
- Yuppie (Young Urban Professional)
- Preppy
- Valley girl / Valley dude
- Metalhead
- Punk
- New Waver
- Jock
- Nerd
- Skater
- B-Boy / Fly girl
- Mall rat
- Surfer
- Burnout
- Stoner
- Headbanger
- Goth (early form)
- Greaser (retro revival term)
- Groupie
- Rocker
- Material girl
- Boho
- Dweeb
- Freak
- Poser
- Homeboy / Homegirl
- Latchkey kid
- Yuppette (female version of Yuppie)
- Hacker (emerging tech crowd)
5. Love, Dating & Friendship
Your mom and dad were probably going steady back in the ‘80s! Here’s how love birds expressed their love back then:
- Going steady
- Totally crushing
- Majorly into him/her
- Stud muffin
- Fox / Foxy
- Hunk
- Bod
- Dreamboat
- Chick
- Babe
- Hotty
- Boy toy (popularized by Madonna)
- Lover boy
- Gag me, he’s gross
- Going together
- Making out
- Going all the way
- Two-timing
- Getting dumped
- Having the hots for
- Going with
- Main squeeze
- BFF (used occasionally, not yet digital)
- Bros before hoes (early bro code phrasing)
- You’re totally my BFF
- Hanging out
- Going out
- He’s a total babe magnet
6. Fashion & Appearance Lingo
It was a bold, colorful, and unapologetically over-the-top era, defined by big hair, shoulder pads, neon colors, and a fearless mix of styles that celebrated self-expression and excess. Here’s how people described their day-to-day outfits in the 1980s:
- Leg warmers
- Shoulder pads
- Members Only jacket
- Acid wash
- Big hair
- Teased hair
- Mullet
- Scrunchie
- Parachute pants
- Spandex
- Ray-Bans
- Wayfarers
- Neon
- Off-the-shoulder
- Jelly shoes
- Fanny pack
- Fingerless gloves
- Tracksuit
- Aerobics gear
- Mix-and-match
- Designer jeans
- High-tops
- Reeboks / LA Gear
- Bangs
- Crop top
- Chain belt
- Denim jacket
- Hypercolor
- Polo shirt with collar popped
- Oversized blazer
- Graphic tee
- Mesh shirt
- Glam rock style
- Preppy look
- Grunge starter look (late ’89)
7. Music & Pop Culture Lingo
It was the era of MTV. Here’s common phrases used to describe music and the pop culture scene in a time period filled with headbanging, breakdancing, and Madonna references:
- MTV generation
- Mix tape
- Air guitar
- Headbanger
- New wave
- Synth-pop
- Breakdancing
- Moonwalk
- Beatbox
- Rap
- Hip-hop
- Power ballad
- Hair metal
- Mosh pit (emerging late decade)
- Pop lock
- Slam dance
- Rock on!
- Jammin’
- Party hearty!
- Pump up the jam!
- Yo MTV Raps!
- Word to your mother
- Rapper’s Delight
- Like a virgin (pop culture phrase)
- Material girl
- Thriller night!
- Totally MTV!
- Get physical!
- Crank it up!
8. Technology & Gaming
Boot up the Nintendo. Get a high score at the arcade. Technology became a dominant theme of the ‘80s. Here’s popular tech products and ways to describe the tech scene in the 1980s:
- Atari
- Nintendo
- Joystick
- 8-bit
- Cassette tape
- VHS / Betamax
- Boombox
- Walkman
- Rewind that!
- Tape deck
- Stereo
- Floppy disk
- Home computer
- Dial-up
- Type it on the word processor
- Pager / beeper
- Answering machine
- VCR
- LaserDisc
- Arcade
- High score!
- Game over, man! (from Aliens)
- Insert coin
- Save game
- Turbo button
- Nerd alert (playful insult for tech lovers)
- Screen saver
- Power up!
- Reboot it
9. Television, Movies & Pop-Culture Catchphrases
TV and films continued to innovate and consumers ate up more screen time than ever before. And
Here are popular expressions that came out of 1980s films, television shows, and pop culture moments:
- “Where’s the beef?” (Wendy’s commercial)
- “I pity the fool!” (Mr. T, The A-Team)
- “E.T. phone home.”
- “I’ll be back.” (Terminator)
- “Wax on, wax off.” (Karate Kid)
- “Nobody puts Baby in a corner.” (Dirty Dancing)
- “May the Force be with you.” (Star Wars revival)
- “Just say no.” (anti-drug slogan)
- “Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters!” (Ghostbusters)
- “Cowabunga!” (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)
- “Party on, dude!” (Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure)
- “Don’t cross the streams!” (Ghostbusters)
- “This is your brain on drugs.” (PSA)
- “Goonies never say die!”
- “He slimed me.”
- “You can’t handle the truth!” (late ’89)
- “Eat my shorts!” (Bart Simpson, late ’80s)
- “Let’s get physical!” (Olivia Newton-John)
- “Just do it!” (Nike, 1988)
- “I love it when a plan comes together.” (A-Team)
10. School & Teen Life
What was high school like in the 1980s? Let’s just say it was a mix of teacher’s pets and cool kids cutting class.
Here are common things and phrases that defined going to school in the ‘80s:
- Homework club
- Locker talk
- Class clown
- Geek squad
- Ditching class
- Passing notes
- Hanging at the mall
- Study hall
- Cutting class
- Getting grounded
- Friday night football
- School spirit
- Nerd herd
- Teacher’s pet
- Jock strap jokes
- Cool kid table
- After-school special
- Detention
- “You’re so bogus!”
11. Partying, Drugs & Drinking Slang
The ‘80s were filled with keggers and getting blitzed! Here’s how people like to describe drinking or smoking with their buddies in this fun-filled decade:
- Party hearty!
- Kegger
- Booze cruise
- Totally wasted
- Buzzed
- Wrecked
- Trippin’
- Fried
- Stoned
- Baked
- Getting blitzed
- Wasted
- Crashing
- Hangover city
- Just say no (Nancy Reagan slogan)
- Chill sesh
- Rager
- Munchies
- Totally fried
- Take a hit
- Bogarting
- Joint
- Doobie
- Burnout
12. Money & Work
Materialism was a defining part of the 1980s. Learn about what they used to say to describe making the big bucks in this money-filled time period:
- Cha-ching
- Loaded
- Broke
- Cash flow
- Big bucks
- Plastic (credit card)
- Yuppie lifestyle
- Corporate ladder
- Workaholic
- 9-to-5 grind
- Power lunch
- Expense account
- Side hustle (not common term yet but practice existed)
- Reaganomics
- Greed is good (Gordon Gekko)
- Big spender
- Gold card
- Credit junkie
- Payday!
13. Reactions & Emotions
“I’m so psyched!” “Oh I’m so bummed out.” Whether people were happy, sad, or freaked out, here are popular expressions and reactions used during the 1980s:
- Totally bummed out
- Stoked!
- Pumped!
- Psyched!
- Freaked out
- Wigged out
- Gross!
- Barf!
- Gag me!
- Chill!
- Spazzed out
- Boggled
- I’m trippin’!
- No way!
- Major bummer
- I’m so sure
- That’s bogus
- I’m psyched!
- Get real!
- Whoa!
14. Slang for Cool or Uncool Things
“Rad” or “lame”? There was no in-between. The 80s were a constant battle between what was fresh and what was totally bogus, and everyone had an opinion.
Ways to say cool:
- Rad
- Killer
- Sick
- Dope
- Slammin’
- Gnarly
- Choice
- Boss
- Wicked
- Prime
Ways to say uncool:
- Lame
- Bogus
- Grody
- Barf-worthy
- Totally gag me
- Square
- Geeky
- Cheeseball
- Cornball
- Nerdy
15. Surfer & Skater Slang
“Cowabunga!” wasn’t just for the Ninja Turtles! it summed up an entire coastal lifestyle that was so culturally relevant in the ‘80s . With your sun-bleached hair, salt on your skin, and a board under your arm, these sayings defined what it meant to live beachside in the 1980s:
- Hang ten
- Cowabunga
- Wipeout
- Catch a wave
- Shred it
- Ride the barrel
- Stoked
- Gnarly
- Rad
- Wax up
- Goofy foot
- Carve it
- Tubular
- Bail
- Slam
- Kickflip (early skater usage)
- Drop in
- Skate or die!
16. Regional/Tribe-Based Expressions
“Like, oh my god!” Where you lived totally described what slang you were using in the 1980s. Check out these different tropes based on where you lived:
- Valley Girl (California):
- Like, totally
- Gag me with a spoon
- Grody to the max
- Fer sure
- Totally tubular
- So bogus
- As if!
- Bitchin’
- New York:
- Yo!
- Fresh
- Word up!
- My bad (starting to emerge)
- What’s crackin’?
- Hip-Hop / Street:
- Def
- Fly
- Fresh
- Word
- Dope
- Chillin’
- Yo, homeboy
17. Sports & Fitness Slang
“Let’s get physical!” Olivia Newton-John said it best. The fitness craze consumed the ‘80s and took over gyms and living rooms alike.
These 1980s sports sayings will have you hearing synth beats and smelling the faint aroma of aerobic sweat:
- Aerobics
- Get physical
- Jazzercise
- Pumping iron
- No pain, no gain
- Power walk
- Gym rat
- Bodybuilder
- Cardio queen
- Sportswear
- Warm-up suit
- Leotard
- Workout tape
- Fitness craze
18. Vehicles & Transportation
Who wasn’t ‘cruisin’ on the weekend with their friends in the ‘80s. Crank your stereo in your hot ride, and let’s discuss the ways people described their cars back then:
- Hot wheels
- Rad ride
- Greased lightning (retro carryover)
- Cruisin’
- Cherry (pristine car)
- Beater
- Jalopy
- Ride
- Convertible dreams
- Custom paint job
- Kickin’ stereo
- Turbocharged
- Trick out
- Street machine
- Speed demon
- Road trip!
- Cruise the strip
19. Crime & Rebellion
The conservative politics of Ronald Reagan undoubtedly influenced a rebellious culture in the youth culture at the time.
Here are ways people talked about rebellion and crime in the streets:
- Narcs
- The fuzz
- Pig (cop)
- Busted
- Don’t bogart that
- Trippin’
- Punk
- Rebellious streak
- Breakin’ the law
- Graffiti artist
- Tagger
- Gangsta (early usage)
- Shoplifting spree
- Spray-can crew
- Street cred
What Are ‘80s Expressions We Still Say Today?
“Totally awesome,” “No way,” and “Cool” weren’t just 80s sayings; they’re made their way into our permanent vocabulary. Some expressions were just SO iconic that they’ve become making their way into modern conversation without a smidge of irony.
Here’s a look at the ‘80s expressions that still totally rule our vocab today, as well as some terms that didn’t age as gracefully.
1980s Sayings That Have Aged Well
Like a perfect sounding vintage cassette, some slang from the ‘80s just hits differently. Words like cool, awesome, dude, and no worries still flow effortlessly in everyday speak, even without a Walkman in your pocket or MTV music videos playing in the background.
These are the expressions that stood the test of time, proving that much of the ‘80s lingo wasn’t just a fad, it was totally rad.
- Awesome
- Cool
- No way
- Chill out
- Dude
- Totally
- For sure
- My bad
- Party animal
- You rock!
‘80s Phrases That Aged Terribly
Then there are the ones that didn’t make it out alive (looking at you “gag me with a spoon”, a saying that will give anyone today a serious feeling of cringe)
Some expressions were just too strange, too specific, or too drenched in hairspray to survive the 21st century. These hilarious sayings are best left in the decade of neon and Aqua Net, where they belong.
- Gag me with a spoon
- Grody to the max
- Barf me out
- Tubular
- Bogus
- Fer sure, totally!
- Don’t have a cow, man
Keep Reliving the ‘80s with Classmates
Hilarious expressions and sayings from the 1980s live on in high school yearbooks from that era. And the yearbook pictures are like a time capsule that will have you remembering everything that made the era so iconic.
Search for yearbooks from the 1980s (and any decade!) to potentially find your photos of you and your family and friends in the Classmates digital archive of over 480,000 yearbooks for free today.
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