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12.01pm
13 November 2009
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I’m quite sick of the slang used by myself and my fellow GenYs. I’m not sure about the rest of the world but here in Australia, the slang is starting to become thin, we’ve eliminated “dude”, “mad” and “sick” as try-hard, and now only really use “awesome”, “cool”, “lame”, “nice” and “gay” (as well as swearing). Our vocabulary is slowly diminishing (I was about to say “getting smaller”) and by the time Generation Z come into power in the world, our language will have very few words left. I wish a new trend would start of reviving old 60s slang like The Beatles used to use.
I thought it would be fun if we started a list of 60s slang words.
Without thinking too much about it, I can think of:
- Fab
- Grotty
- Naff
- Deck (as in beat up)
- Blew [my/our/etc] mind(s)
- Man (at the end of a sentence) – never really left our language but was in prominent use in the hippy era
Not sure how many started in the 60s but I’ve heard the Beatles say them.
I hope in the 2060s (I’ll be in my 70s then, that’s a scary thought!) they’ll be a 1960s revival (however brief it may be). Hopefully this applies to the centennials of the other decades as well.
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Beatlebug12.40pm
31 March 2008
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Gear: I think this was particularly common around 63-65, and meant ‘great’. I’m not sure how widely it was used, but it appeared in many Beatles interviews.
Heavy: general 60s slang. Tony Bramwell tried to take credit for this in his memoir of questionable accuracy (review coming when I get round to writing it).
Grotty’s an interesting one. Alun Owen invented it for A Hard Day’s Night (to mean grotesque), but George Harrison really didn’t want to say it. It’s still in use today, though I suspect most people don’t realise the origin.
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4.40pm
13 November 2009
Offline Hmm, heavy. All I can think about is Back to the Future,
Dr. Emmett Brown:
There’s that word again; “heavy”. Why are things so heavy in the future?
Is there a problem with the earth’s gravitational pull?
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Beatlebug, BeatleSnutAd hoc, ad loc, and quid pro quo! So little time! So much to know!
11.31pm
13 February 2010
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McLerristarr said:
- Fab
- Grotty
- Naff
- Deck (as in beat up)
- Blew [my/our/etc] mind(s)
- Man (at the end of a sentence) – never really left our language but was in prominent use in the hippy era
It is funny how I use these words and I am not even from the 60s……
The following people thank Sunii for this post:
Beatlebug
Thursday night your stockings needed mending.
11.52pm
Well, I’m a Generation X’er, so I’m a little closer to the ’60s… I’m even old enough to remember (barely) a little bit of that decade.
McLerristarr, most of your words are British… only Beatles fans used fab, grotty, or naff in the U.S. But I think the three top ’60s words have got to be…
dig, groovy, and far-out …as in, “I really dig your groovy lava lamp, man… it’s far-out.”
I also love how every event in the ’60s had the word in added to it. Love-in, be-in, teach-in, and, of course, bed-in! Scenes were also popular… and uncool stuff was always a drag. “Man, I don’t dig that crazy scene… what a drag!” (See also: “She’s a drag… a well-known drag!”)
Oh, and right on. That was verrrry ’60s! (“Hey man, you and your old lady goin’ to Woodstock?” “Right on, man… it’s gonna be a stone groove.”)
I’m sure I can think of a few more… sad thing is… most of those words are still in my regular vocabulary!! I’m such a hippie!
11.58pm
Joe said:
Gear: I think this was particularly common around 63-65, and meant ‘great’. I’m not sure how widely it was used, but it appeared in many Beatles interviews.
I think gear was a Scouse thing… I remember reading that it came from the French expression de rigeur and that it originated in the ‘Pool. Correct me if I”m wrong, UK Beatlers…
2.56am
13 November 2009
Offline iCaramba said:
Joe said:
Gear: I think this was particularly common around 63-65, and meant ‘great’. I’m not sure how widely it was used, but it appeared in many Beatles interviews.
I think gear was a Scouse thing… I remember reading that it came from the French expression de rigeur and that it originated in the ‘Pool. Correct me if I”m wrong, UK Beatlers…
The Who said “gear” at a concert I went to last year so I don’t think it was isolated to Liverpool, although it’s possible it originated there.
10.53pm
McLerristarr said:
The Who said “gear” at a concert I went to last year so I don’t think it was isolated to Liverpool, although it’s possible it originated there.
Hmmm, I stand corrected. What a drag! 
Anyway, Urban Dictionary backs up your claim (http://www.urbandictionary.com…..?term=gear)… though it’s not what one would call the ultimate authority.
Okay, more ’60s terms:
split (“Let’s split. This scene is a drag.”)
bogart (“Don’t bogart that joint, man… spread the love.”)
bread (“Gotta get a job, man. I need the bread.”)
6.51pm
26 January 2010
Offline Joe said:
Gear: I think this was particularly common around 63-65, and meant ‘great’. I’m not sure how widely it was used, but it appeared in many Beatles interviews.
Heavy: general 60s slang. Tony Bramwell tried to take credit for this in his memoir of questionable accuracy (review coming when I get round to writing it).
Grotty’s an interesting one. Alun Owen invented it for A Hard Day’s Night (to mean grotesque), but George Harrison really didn’t want to say it. It’s still in use today, though I suspect most people don’t realise the origin.
I remember reading that about grotty too Joe and i was really surprised because everyone in Liverpool uses it even to this day. ‘Its dead grotty’ When i was in Australia, i was saying it and they were asking what grotty meant and why i said dead before it. Its funny how you don’t think about how you talk or what you say until you’re taken out of your natural habitat.
Onward my friends, and glory for the thirty ninth!!
7.00pm
26 January 2010
Offline McLerristarr said:
I’m quite sick of the slang used by myself and my fellow GenYs. I’m not sure about the rest of the world but here in Australia, the slang is starting to become thin, we’ve eliminated “dude”, “mad” and “sick” as try-hard, and now only really use “awesome”, “cool”, “lame”, “nice” and “gay” (as well as swearing).
It’s funny you should mention that. I couldn’t believe how often Australians said ‘Awesome’ on a recent visit. It didn’t sound right and when i pointed this out a few Ozzies were saying it’s becoming too Americanised over there.
C’mon Brisbane, start using 60’s slang. Maybe next time i visit, my nephews and niece will be talking like The Beatles!
Onward my friends, and glory for the thirty ninth!!
4.12am
13 November 2009
Offline PaulRamon said:
McLerristarr said:
I’m quite sick of the slang used by myself and my fellow GenYs. I’m not sure about the rest of the world but here in Australia, the slang is starting to become thin, we’ve eliminated “dude”, “mad” and “sick” as try-hard, and now only really use “awesome”, “cool”, “lame”, “nice” and “gay” (as well as swearing).
It’s funny you should mention that. I couldn’t believe how often Australians said ‘Awesome’ on a recent visit. It didn’t sound right and when i pointed this out a few Ozzies were saying it’s becoming too Americanised over there.
C’mon Brisbane, start using 60’s slang. Maybe next time i visit, my nephews and niece will be talking like The Beatles!
I live in Brisbane and it’s absolutely true that Australia is very Americanised, mostly because the majority of our TV is American. It’s ironic because I always point it out and Australians tend to deny it saying they don’t like American culture. We use British spelling in Australia but the Labour Party that’s in power at the moment spells it’s name “Labor” for no apparent reason.
I’m sick of our boring way of speaking – bring on the 60s revival!
10.29pm
4 February 2011
Offline Out of sight or outa sight man
Happening – as an event or as it was really happening. the happenning thing
Gas
Grouse (surfer)
Blast (have a blast)
Bummer
Cool
Flip your wig
Drag
Fink
Freak out
Hang loose
Hip
Lay it on me
Pad (your pad or mine)
Stoned
Wiggy, or wiggin out
11.55pm
19 September 2010
Offline Getting pissed is to get drunk.
As if it matters how a man falls down.'
'When the fall's all that's left, it matters a great deal.
12.56am
25 November 2010
Offline 
That's still being used quite a lot today! (Though I was confused the first few times I heard it, myself.) Not sure if it's from the 60s.
1.04am
19 September 2010
Offline I heard it in Anthology, from 
, about what the Brits always did.
As if it matters how a man falls down.'
'When the fall's all that's left, it matters a great deal.
1.54am
Reviewers
14 April 2010
Offline This site cites 60's sang.
To the fountain of perpetual mirth, let it roll for all its worth. And all the children boogie.
2.14am
19 September 2010
Offline What I hate is the Bad Rap slang people use. Great thread idea.
As if it matters how a man falls down.'
'When the fall's all that's left, it matters a great deal.
3.03am
25 November 2010
Offline Zig said:
This site cites 60's sang.
This is great! It's so weird to see some of the slang that came about in the 60s is still going strong today.
And I thought Toys in The Attic was just an Aerosmith song.
I love etymology. I could make this post a mile long commenting on everything on that page that strikes my interest.
3.33am
9 June 2010
Offline 
Wow. I think a lot of this is how I talk normally.
But I'm going to draw the line at drug/alcohol/tobacco references (whoops! There goes the entire page) and adding “man” to the end of all my sentences.
Also, saying “groovy” and “far-out” will ensure that I will be mocked for the rest of my life.
If I seem to act unkind, it's only me, it's not my mind that is confusing things.
1.37pm
19 September 2010
Offline MeanMrs.Mustard said:
Wow. I think a lot of this is how I talk normally.
But I'm going to draw the line at drug/alcohol/tobacco references (whoops! There goes the entire page) and adding “man” to the end of all my sentences.
Also, saying “groovy” and “far-out” will ensure that I will be mocked for the rest of my life.
Not By Us, just by everyone else
As if it matters how a man falls down.'
'When the fall's all that's left, it matters a great deal.
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