Slang Phrases Your Ancestors Used in the 1950s



The decade of the 1950s saw many changes and good times had by young people. Your relatives and ancestors who grew up during the decade would have grown up with some of these popular slang words and phrases of 1950s. Include some in your family history.

A new word became popular, it was “Unidentified Flying Object” or UFO. Rockets and space crafts were being prepared to go into space but people were also spotting objects in the skies no one knew what they were, so being named UFO. This idea of flying saucers also made for many Hollywood movies created in the 1950s.

People who were described as a free sprirt or carefree were known as beatniks or later Hippie. They were thought by many as being very cool cats and loved to perform on musical instruments.

The opposite of being cool was to be a Trog (troglodyte) or someone not cool in the 1950s.

If someone was considered just fabuous, the slang term for them was Fab.

Another word for someone considered unconventional was Kooky. They also referred to as zany or wild.

If a location was deep in the countryside or in the middle of nowhere, the slang term was that it was in the Boondocks.

If a business or store was considered to be low class or too simple it was referred as a Divey.

The slang term for getting a punch in the face was Knuckle Sandwich.

If a person had a very large car (popular in the 1950s) that big car was referred to as a Tank.

If you were doing something in the 1950s such super fun and crazy, it meant you Flipped Your Lid.

If someone was staring at you, a reply to that action was Take a picture, It’ll will last longer.

Photo: A couple of 1950s beatniks.

Related FamilyTree.com Blogs:

School and Social Life of the 1950s

The Poodle Skirt of the 1950s

How the 1950 US Federal Census was Done

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