We live in a time where “bae,” “basic,” “on fleek,” “YOLO,” “hella,” and “bomb,” are just some of what we hear day in and day out. We have to explain them to our parents, or really any adult for that matter and sometimes there is no way to explain them because they are essentially made up words or words being used in ways that have no connection to their actual definition. But this wasn’t always the case. There was a time when people were creative, classy and the things they said actually made sense. Let’s do our generation a favor and make these old school sayings cool again.
- “Cut the Mustard”
This can be used to say when something isn’t up to standard. An example would be, “Their defense just didn’t cut the mustard and they lost the game.”
2. “Yankin’ my chain” or “Pulling my leg”
These are interchangeable and both are used to talk about someone tricking you or playing a joke. Here’s an example of each; “No way! Are you yankin’ my chain?” or “He told me he made a slam dunk, but he was pulling my leg.”
3. “Lipstick on a pig”
This is used when someone is talking about using a quick fix for something ugly or bad. It’s another way of saying something hasn’t been done right, because even though lipstick may make a pig look prettier, it’s still a pig. Using it in a sentence might look like, “They really should have replaced the wood, the new paint job is just lipstick on a pig.”
4. “Rad” or “Radical”
This is another way of saying cool. Switch up your vocabulary and sound hip by using it in a sentence like so, “That outfit is totally rad.”
5. “Rocks”
This is also an adjective for cool or awesome. Use it to describe basically any noun. Here are some examples: “Good job Paige! You rock!” or “That concert rocked!” or “This party is going to rock!”
6. “Write home about”
This is used to say when something is or isn’t really great. Think when you’re on a trip and have something cool happen to you, you write home about it. Same goes for the use of this phrase. For example, “The food wasn’t anything to write home about.”
7. “Highway robbery”
This is a good replacement for the term “rip off.” It means that you feel like someone took advantage of you or a situation. To use it in a sentence, “That dress was so expensive, it was highway robbery.”
8. “Beez knees”
This is used to say something is the absolute best, top tier, or number one. Use it to describe a person, a place, a thing, or really anything! Here’s a couple of examples: “Kirstin is so great, she’s the beez knees!” or “That Italian restaurant is the beez knees.”
9. “That’s bitchin’”
This is a good term to use in replacement of words like awesome or amazing. Use it to talk about something you did or something you like. Using it in a sentence might look something like this: “That trip was bitchin’.” Or “These tacos are bitchin’.” Or “That outfit is bitchin’.”
10. “Eat my shorts”
This is a classy alternative to the liberally used “f**k” you. When you’re mad at someone, really stick it to them and tell them to eat your shorts. Here’s an example so you’re prepared when the time comes: “You’re a jerk!” “Yeah well, eat my shorts!”
11. “Gag me with a spoon”
This sounds unpleasant, and is used to describe just that! If something just makes you want to ralph, “gag me with a spoon” is the perfect phrase to say. Here’s a situation where it might be appropriate: “Let’s listen to heavy metal scream-o music.” “Gag me with a spoon.”
12. “Grody to the max”
This is another great way to talk about something that disgusts you to the ultimate level. If someone says, “Let’s see how many hot dogs we can eat in a minute!” a response might be, “That’s grody to the max.”
13. “As if”
This is a good way to say “that’ll never happen.” If you like to use the minimum amount of words and sounding cool, use “as if.” An example would be, “Would you ever try LSD?” and you reply, “As if.”
14. “Psych”
“Psych” is another way of saying, “Gotcha!” if you’re playing a joke and someone asks if you’re serious, use “Psych!”
15. “Let’s dip” or “let’s bounce” or “let’s ditch this popsicle stand”
These are all different ways of saying “let’s leave.” Switch it up and use any or all of these phrases!
16. “Grind my gears”
This means something is bothering you. Use it to describe a thing, a situation, or a person. Here’s a couple examples, “The way she was acting last night really ground my gears.” Or “He just grinds my gears.”
17. “Picking up what I’m putting down”
This is a better way of saying, “Do you understand?” or can also be used for “Do you know what I mean?” without having to be blatant. To use it in a sentence might look like, “I think we should get dinner before we go to the movie, if you’re picking up what I’m putting down.”
18. “Diddley-squat”
This is used to say “nothing.” You don’t need much more explanation that that! Here’s a few examples: “She didn’t care about diddley-squat!” or “You’ll get diddley-squat with that attitude!” or “I didn’t get diddley-squat for all the work I did!”
