Image: RyanJLane/E+/Getty Images
About This Quiz
Dude, this slang quiz is sure to be da bomb. Do you think you could be totally bad at it and get top marks?
As an '80s kid, your love of using slang phrases is probably up there with your favorite neon shirt, a CD of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” and your tie-dye aerobics outfit. And let’s be honest, slang from any other decade is simply lame, right?
Bro, this totally tubular slang quiz will help you relive your youth in the 1980s. A time when men could dress like they were cast members of Miami Vice, where shoulder pads were not only worn by linebackers and slang words were the best they have ever been. Word to your mother! Chee'uh! Am I right? Whether you were a bodacious bod, a bimbette or a bit of a lamer back in the day, let’s see if you totally remember all these slang terms from the 1980s. Right?
This dope quiz is going to be so ill and we're going to test your knowledge, that is for sure. Some words you will remember in a heartbeat but others may just have you scratching your head. Can you dig it? Yes, you can!
In the '80s, some things were "fresh." What did that slang term mean?
It was cool.
No, "fresh" didn't mean something was clean. And sure, you could still have fresh breath, but that wasn't the slang word, "fresh." If something was "fresh," it was cool or awesome. For example, your new CD player was certainly "fresh."
It was clean.
It tasted great.
None of the above
Advertisement
Someone who was "wiggin' out" in '80s slang was ______.
Eating
Losing it
A person who was "wiggin' out" was losing control. It might have been because they had overindulged, perhaps by drinking too much. Or they were losing it because they were angry about something. "Wiggin' out" could be used in any number of ways.
Dancing the "Wig," an '80s dance
Sleeping
Advertisement
What does the '80s slang term "bogus" mean?
Awesome
Correct
Rubbish
Anything you didn't want to believe, which you thought was rubbish, instantly became "bogus" in the 1980s. For example, thinking that Tiffany was better than Madonna was "totally bogus." Take that, Tiffany fans!
Cool
Advertisement
"Grody" was an '80s slang term that showed which of the following?
Sadness
Happiness
Agreement
Disgust
In the 1980s, you weren't just disgusted, you were "grody." The term could be used in a number of ways. For example, "Look at Sally's grody long toenails. She needs to cut them!"
Advertisement
If someone was described as an "airhead" they were _____.
Clever
Dim-witted
An "airhead" was someone who was generally described as dim-witted. It could also be used to describe some whose head was up in the clouds, a little spaced out, if you must. But generally, it was used to describe someone who was dim-witted.
Really tall
None of the above
Advertisement
"Phat" was an '80s slang term that described something __________.
Fat
Incredible
Something that was "phat" was certainly incredible, cool or awesome. No, this has nothing to do with your weight at all. And how would it be used? Well, like this: "Those new sneakers of yours are phat."
Slow
Fast
Advertisement
When you wanted to leave, which of these slang terms would you say to your posse?
"Let's chill."
"Let's bounce."
Any cool cats from the 1980s knew what it meant to "bounce." It had everything to do with leaving. "Let's bounce this sad party" meant you were leaving.
"To the max"
"Eat my shorts."
Advertisement
The word "gnarly" describes what?
Something ugly
Something made of wood
Something extremely cool
To a surfer, "gnarly" means dangerous or difficult to do. To an '80s kid, "gnarly" was simply cool or awesome. For example, "Your He-Man action figure is gnarly, dude."
None of the above
Advertisement
If you wanted to use another word other than "obviously," what slang term would you choose?
"Skank"
"Duh"
"Maybe I shouldn't have worn a Yankees shirt to an Red Sox game." And the logical reply from someone to this would be, "Duh!"
"Tubular"
"Word-up"
Advertisement
In the 1980s, to "schmooze" someone meant what?
To give them a bar of chocolate
To invite them to dinner
To ask them for money
To kiss up to them
If your friend has something you desperately need, you might choose to "schmooze." For example, "Cedric, did I mention you look awesome today. Any chance I can borrow $10. By the way, you look buff. Have you been working out?"
Advertisement
Anyone said to be "butter" in the 1980s was very _________.
Tired
Cold
Angry
Smooth
"Dude, you look so butter in those sporty sneakers!" While this phrase might throw some Gen Zs through a loop, millennials will know that you're looking smooth in those sneakers dude!
Advertisement
Which of these is another term for the slang phrase "gotcha"?
Psych
While many people used "gotcha" when playing a trick on their friends, a more refined slang term was "psych." How would it be used? "Don't look now but Principal Marlin is right behind you ..." And when your friend turned around to find no one there, you would yell, "Psych!"
Burn
Rad
None of the above
Advertisement
In the 1980s, when you were "stoked," you were what exactly?
High
Drunk
Primed and ready to do whatever you were about to do
"Stoked" was a term that meant you were ready for whatever you were going to do next. For example, "I am stoked that we are going to hit a few waves now," was something that those who were going surfing would say. Add "super" in front of "stoked" and you were extremely excited.
None of the above
Advertisement
Saying "bag your face" to someone was the same as a calling them ______.
Pretty
Fat
Ugly
A way to call someone ugly was to say "bag your face" to them, as if they were so hideous they needed to wear a bag over their head. The '80s were harsh!
Old
Advertisement
If you were in agreement with what someone said, which of these slang terms would you use?
"Word"
"Word" meant agreement. "That Michael Jackson, he is da bomb!" would simply be answered with "Word." Of course, that was only if you agreed.
"Buzzkill"
"Psych"
"Lame"
Advertisement
Someone who wasn't very smart would be described with which one of these slang words?
"Adult child"
"Grody"
"Boho"
"Ditz"
If you considered your friend less smart than you, or if someone was a little dim-witted, you would call them a "ditz" or describe them as "ditzy." This is similar to "airhead."
Advertisement
"Lame" was a slang word used to describe something that was ______.
Awesome
Not very cool
This is a slang phrase from the 1980s that pretty much everyone knows. If something was "lame," it certainly wasn't cool. For example, "Janie, your brother is so lame, he can't hang out with us. He lowers our street cred."
Worth stealing
None of the above
Advertisement
"That's bogus" meant something was _______.
Expensive
Incredible
Unfair
"Dude, that's bogus!" Your friend might say that to you once you decided that lending him your Camaro was a bad idea, especially when he wanted to take it on a date. In a nutshell, it meant unfair.
Cheap
Advertisement
"What's your damage?" is a phrase someone might ask you. What do they mean by it?
What's your problem?
"Why did you eat my Pop Tart? What's your damage?" Essentially, it means, "What's your problem?" or, "Why did you do what you did?" IT'sclassic slang from the 1980s, that's for sure.
Cheers, I'm leaving.
Let's get out of here.
I'm hungry.
Advertisement
Can you tell us what "bodacious" means?
Awesome/Incredible/Amazing
Something Bill or Ted from the movie, "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure," would say, "bodacious" means something is awesome or incredible. "Do you see that bodacious babe over there?" That's exactly how it would be used.
Ugly
Feeling sickly
None of the above
Advertisement
In the 1980s, if you disagreed with what someone was saying, you could use which of these slang terms?
"Totally"
"Not even!"
The best way to show someone you disagreed with them in the 1980s was to use just two words, "not even!" For example, if your friend said "Rick Springfield is better than Bruce Springsteen, you would interject with "Not even!"
"Wicked"
"Word"
Advertisement
When someone said you had a great "bod," what did they mean?
You were thin.
You were fat.
You were well built.
Without a doubt, the fitness craze of the 1980s, which saw gyms become popular, led to a lot of "bods." And this was simply a person with a muscular or toned physique.
None of the above
Advertisement
If you wanted to describe something that was radical, you would use which term below?
"Eeew"
"Wicked"
The word "wicked" would be used to describe something that you really liked, that you found to be radical or awesome. For example, "John, you have a wicked Atari system. I love gaming on it."
"Sucks"
"Spazzing"
Advertisement
"Boy Toy" became a favorite '80s slang phrase to describe which of these?
An older guy trying to act young
A toy for boys
A cute younger guy liked by an older woman
It was wrestler Sean Michaels who famously declared in his WWE intro music that he wasn't your "boy toy." These simply were young men who spent time with an older woman.
None of the above
Advertisement
Something described as "totally tubular" was which of these below?
Cheap
Remarkably awesome
Simply put, something "totally tubular" was remarkable, incredible, off the hook! And how would it be used in a sentence? Like this: "Dude, that movie was totally tubular, especially that car chase!"
Unattainable
None of the above
Advertisement
"Gag me with a spoon" quickly became a popular '80s slang term. What does it mean?
Disapproval
Let's be honest, "gag me with a spoon" sounds terrible. And what it meant was disapproval. "You're wearing THAT pair of jeans? Gag me with a spoon!"
Approval
Hunger
None of the above
Advertisement
The term "bomb" generally meant which of these?
Something was favorable.
When something was favorable, it might be considered "the bomb." In the 1980s, Bruce Springsteen's album, "Born in the USA," was certainly "the bomb." The terms could also be used to replace the word awesome, as in "You da bomb!"
Something was horrible.
Something was dangerous.
None of the above
Advertisement
In the 1980s, when you were looking for "grindage," what did you want to do?
Sleep
Eat
Pauly Shore seems to have given us the word "grindage." What does it mean? Well, simply put, helping yourself to some food and eating it like there is no tomorrow.
Play ball
Hang out at the arcade.
Advertisement
There wasn't a kid who didn't use the slang word "totally" in the 1980s. It was used how?
To emphasize another word
"Denise, your new hairdo is like totally awesome." When you needed to emphasize just how cool or lame something was, you could add a "totally" before your choice of words.
To tell your friends you were skipping school
A code word for a break
None of the above
Advertisement
What does the term "yuppie" describe from the 1980s?
A pet fish
A career-orientated person driven by money
"Yuppie" is certainly one of the biggest slang terms to come out of the 1980s. This decade was a time in which people began to take their careers seriously, especially with the amount of money to be made. People who were career-orientated above all became known as "yuppies," which was short for Young Urban Professionals.
A best friend
Your worst enemy
Advertisement
A friend mentions that your DeLorean is "looking choice." What does he mean?
He really hates your car.
It's a sign of approval. He likes your ride.
"Choice," in most cases, was meant as a sign of approval. For example, "Your hairstyle is looking choice today." It could also be used to express envy. "Your biceps are choice, dude."
He thinks your car needs a wash.
None of the above
Advertisement
Bart Simpson introduced the phrase, "Don't have a cow." What does it mean?
Don't eat meat.
Don't lose your cool.
We have Bart Simpson to thank for this late '80s classic. "Having a cow" generally meant for someone not to get upset or lose their cool.
Leave some food for us.
None of the above
Advertisement
Telling someone to "take a chill pill" meant what in slang from the 1980s?
Take illegal drugs
You need to relax.
This staple of '80s slang was used when you just wanted someone to calm down. Like telling your hysterical friend, "Relax, Denise, breaking a mirror is not seven years of bad luck. Take a chill pill!"
Let's get out of here!
Pass me the car keys.
Advertisement
True or false? "Bad" in the '80s was really good.
True
"Bad" was the epitome of cool in the 1980s. It never had a negative connotation whatsoever. When cool just wouldn't cut it anymore, "bad" became the new cool.
False
Advertisement
You Got:
/34
