Life | Pop Culture | 90s
20 Slang Words We All Used In The 90s That Made Us Feel Super Fly
Looking back, people in the 90s really enjoyed word play and talking with attitude (talk to the hand, anyone?). While there are some words that have managed to stick around, a few others are best left in the past.
Here are 20 slang words we all definitely used in the 90s that made us feel super fly:
1. As if
Thanks to the cult-classic film Clueless, “as if” become incorporated into every conversation we’ve ever had since 1995. It translates to "I don't think so."
2. Fly
No, not your pant’s fly. In this case the word stands for “cool.” Being told that your outfit was fly in the 90s was the ultimate compliment.
3. All that and a bag of chips
Another way of saying something is beyond good.
4. Dead Presidents
Another term for “money” that stems from the fact that the presidents on the U.S. bills are all dead.
5. Eat my shorts!
Bart Simpson made this immature but funny insult popular. He often used the catchphrase when rebelling against someone or something.
6. Phat
Although it is pronounced just like the word “fat,” "phat" actually means something totally different. It was often used in lieu of “excellent.” Some people argue that it stands for “Pretty hot and tempting” or “Pretty hips and thighs,” but others are convinced that it’s a misspelling of “fat,” which at some point stood for “rich.”
7. Bounce
In 90s slang, "bounce" means "to leave."
Let's continue down memory lane with even more ridiculous 90s slang...
8. Home skillet
As random as it is, "home skillet" is a close friend that is always around, you know, kind of like that one skillet you always use when you cook.
9. Talk to the hand
Had enough of someone's banter? Telling them to "talk to the hand" usually worked just as well as telling them to shut up. We can thank Martin Lawrence for making this a thing.
10. Da bomb dot com
I don't know why we thought bombs were cool in the 90s, but we often refered to things we found cool or enjoyable as "da bomb" or "da bomb dot com" (because the internet is also cool?).
11. Yadda, Yadda, Yadda
George's girlfriend used the phrase "yadda, yadda, yadda," to make her stories shorter in an episode of Seinfeld, and it ended up sticking.
12. Bling
Bling is another word all the cool (not really) kids used for shiny jewelry, popularized by the 1999 B.G. song "Bling Bling."
13. Psych!
Derived from "psychology," "psych" or "sike" is a word often uttered after tricking someone. On the other hand, it also means to be excited about something.
14. Fo' Shizzle
Agreeing to something by saying "for sure" was too boring so we borrowed "fo' shizzle" from Uncle Snoop, who actually got the euphemism from rapper E-40.
15. Awesomesauce
Referring to something or someone as just "awesome" wasn't enough so a suffix was added. "Awesomesauce" supposedly originates from the show Strong Bad.
16. Bitchin'
If you were too badass to say "awesomesauce" then "bitchin'" was probably how you described things you thought were great. I mean, Steve Martin used it in 1995's Father of the Bride II so clearly it wasn't a bad word.
17. Wazup?
"Hello" and "What's up?" were too basic for the 90s bro so "wazup?" became the preferred alternative.
18. Crib
Nope, not the one you slept in as baby. "Crib" actually means a house.
19. Scrub
According to the 90s girl group TLC, "a scrub is a guy who thinks is fly, also known as a busta."
20. You are the weakest link
Okay, so this phrase was from the early 2000s, but it was one of our favorites to use when throwing shade at someone. The BBC game show The Weakest Link gifted us with this gem, and we just had to include it.