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About This Quiz
The 1980s were quite a decade. Musical revolutions were happening in nearly every genre, and all forms of media were bending rules and creating new boundaries to give us some of the most important changes to our history. We wanted nothing more than to revolutionize pretty much everything we touched. We changed art, music, television, movies and (most importantly) the way we communicated. While every generation has its set of slang terms, the '80s brought us slang that was both memorable and cheesy. Some of it may have been a bit crude and insensitive by today's standards, but all of it had meaning. While some of the slang terms of the '80s were regional, most of these words with brand new meanings made it across the country, giving a new life and a new attitude to the generation of the '80s.
If you were an '80s kid or you just have a great sense of nostalgia for the decade, you may know a few of these terms (and maybe you even try to use them today), but can you translate these terms based on their original slang meanings? Take this quiz to see if you're a wannabe or a nostalgia guru.Â
What is really being said when someone tells you to, "Bag your face"?
You have such a pretty smile, I want to bag it up.
You have the prettiest eyes in the whole world, and I want to buy them for my collection.
Check out this awesome bag I bought at the mall while I was seeing Scott Baio do a signing.
You're so unattractive that it's distracting me, and I want you to cover your head.
"Bag your face" is one of the Valley Girl slang terms that you hear from the '80s. It might not be the most popular or most used put down, because it was reserved for only the harshest of insults.
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You heard the response: "No duh", what is being implied?
I knew that.
Back in the '80s, when someone responded to your statement with "no duh," they were basically telling you that you were behind. They were already in the know about that juicy piece of gossip you were sharing or the fun fact that you were delivering.
That's weird.
I didn't know that.
That has potential.
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If someone has to "motor," what do they have to do?
They have to have a bowel movement.
They have to read.
They have to go.
Oh, did you need me to do the dishes? Sorry, man. I gotta motor. This term later evolved into "gotta run," but it was a great way to tell people that you were out of time and had to get going.
They have to work.
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In the '80s, what did "crunk" mean?
Crazy drunk
Cool
These days, crunk means a something a little different, but in the '80s, crunk meant cool or in-style (hip). It was used to explain things rather than people's actions. For example, "That car is crunk!" doesn't mean that your car is crazy drunk.
Ugly
Old
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What were you trying to say in the '80s if you said "Doy" to someone?
No duh
It was a little more than "no duh." When you said "Doy" to someone, you were basically telling them that they were stupid for even trying to give you such obvious information. It usually was partnered with an eye roll and a scoff.
You're beautiful.
You have a great sense of humor.
I didn't know that.
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What would you call "Dyno"?
Something fat
Something ugly
Something amazing
Dyno was short for dynamite, which was a positive term. People would often use the word to explain something that they were looking forward to or excited for, like a party or a concert.
Something pretty
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When you were told you were "fine" in the '80s, what were you?
Very attractive
"Fine" was used to tell someone that they were incredibly attractive. The term was so popular that it was used throughout the 1990s and even in the early part of the 2000s, Most people wouldn't need this term translated for them today.
OK
Ugly
Angry
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"Fricking" was a word used to avoid what in the '80s?
Swearing
"Fricking" or "Fricken" was a great way to avoid swearing and the F-bomb in the '80s. The term basically meant "very" or "extremely." For example, someone might say, "I'm so fricking mad right now." However, if they were really that mad, they'd probably actually use the F-word.
Sleeping
Going to school
Conflict
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When "freak" was used as a noun, what did it mean?
Creepy person with a mohawk
Girl who likes rap
Weird girl with flat hair
Attractive girl who likes to have fun
While a freak was once known as someone who was odd or weird, it became something so much more in the '80s. You may have heard the phrase "a lady in the streets, but a freak in the sheets."
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Now, when "freak" was used as a verb, what did it mean?"
To make love passionately
To grind on the dance floor
While "freak" has many different definitions based on slang meanings, including doing the wild thing, and snapping on someone or going crazy. However, in the '80s, it originally meant to dance provocatively and grind up on your dance partner.
To kiss in public
To scream at strangers
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What was a Hessian?
A rap star
A nerd
A metalhead
While someone might think that a Hessian is a German soldier, in the '80s it was the term used for headbangers who loved smoking cigarettes and marijuana. They had long hair, earrings and torn jeans.
A freak
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Who would you call your homefry?
Mother
Brother
Teacher
Best friend
In the '80s, your best friend was considered your homefry. This word evolved from "homeboy," "homey," and "homebread." Home was considered a safe place back then, and your best friend was a safe person, so the connection makes sense.
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If you're a hotdogger, what do you do?
Skate
Work
Surf
If you grew up in the Midwest in the 1980s, you probably didn't hear this slang term very often, but if you lived in the west, you knew that a hotdogger was a surfer. You may have heard the term on the short-lived cartoon, "Beverly Hills Teens".
Go to college
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If something was "tubular" in the '80s, what was it?
Round
Fat
Awesome
If something in the '80s was beyond cool, it was "tubular." You could use this term to compare two great things and show that one was even better than the other one. For example, you might say "'Rocky' was cool, but 'The Karate Kid' was tubular."
Ugly
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What did the word "Bad" mean in the '80s?
Fun
Terrible
Very cool
While this term was used before the 1980s as a way to say something was very cool, in the 1980s, Michael Jackson made the term one of the most-used ways to say something was awesome.
Not good
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"Gnarly" also meant something cool in the 1980s, but what was its original slang meaning?
Tough or ragged
While "gnarly" eventually became a new word for cool, it was originally used to describe large, hard to handle waves for surfers. These waves were particularly fun to attempt, and the word gnarly soon became a synonym for cool.
Fat or Ugly
Large or Hard
Rich or WASPy
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When you were told to take a "chill pill" in the '80s, what were you expected to do?
Calm down
If someone was freaking out for no reason, they were often told to take a chill pill. This phrase was a great way to tell people that their problems weren't as bad as they thought and that they were overreacting.
Turn on the A/C
Find a restaurant
Give yourself a pat on the back
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Someone yells "Psych!" What did they just do?
They punched me.
They kissed me.
They tricked me.
In general, when someone tried to trick you, they would yell "psych!" then laugh at your shock. This was used in a lot of different ways. For example, if someone offered you a $100 bill, they'd pull it away and yell "psych!"
They hate me.
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What was the meaning of the word "jam" in the 1980s?
Jelly
Leave
While "Jam" currently means a song that you love to listen to, in the '80s it meant to get the heck out of where you were. This term was generally used with a little sense of urgency. If you hopped into your friend's car, you might say, "Let's jam, before my mom sees."
Song
Sing
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What might you call a kicker in the '80s?
A person who lives in the country
Short for *poop* kicker, a kicker was what you might call someone who lived in the country and considered himself a cowboy. You could spot a kicker a mile away in the 1980s, because they wore jeans without holes and flannel shirts.
An addendum to a bad day
A headbanger
A broken-down car
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Who was called a "Noid" in the '80s?
A nerd
The term "Noid" was made famous in 1982 by Domino's Pizza. The Noid made your pizza cold and no one liked it. Therefore, the term was used to bully those who were considered nerds and geeks.
A banger
An ugly person
A prom queen
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Which of these would be considered a poofer in the '80s?
A girl who liked punk music
A guy who liked to headbang
A girl with big hair
Poofers were the girls who had hair so high that it didn't fit in their yearbook pictures. They kept AquaNet in business for nearly a decade, and some of them continue to wear their hair that high.
A girl who liked music
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What occupation was called a "Roller" in the '80s?
A police officer
Police officers in the '80s were called rollers. This term was specifically for police officers in squad cars. The term either comes from the fact that they would "roll up" on the scene, or their lights would roll.
A professional skater
A rapper
A gas station attendant
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If the person you are talking to yells "Shut up!" what did they mean?
I don't believe you!
In the '80s, "Shut up!" was reserved for times when you were telling an unbelievable story. People would either say it because they needed a minute to process the unbelievable nature of the story, or they wanted you to stop lying to them (even if you weren't).
Be quiet!
I hear something!
You're ugly!
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Which of these best defines "wigging out"?
Doing their hair
Running out of hairspray
Freaking out
If you were wigging or wigging out in the 1980s, you were going crazy. Of course, in the early 2000s, some might say Britney literally wigged out when she shaved her head.
Going to the movies
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What did "Yello" mean in the '80s?
Hello
If you saw someone you knew or someone you were familiar with, you might say "yello" instead of "hello." There was really no reason for this change, which is probably why this slang term didn't stick or evolve.
Scream
Loose
Yellow
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If you were "tagging" in the '80s, what were you?
Spray painting
Powerful
Taggin' was a way to say someone or something was powerful or hard-hitting in the '80s. This term was reserved for Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone movies.
Skateboarding
Working
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How would you describe a person who is "very"?
Very popular
Fat
Very cool
This term was made famous in the movie "Heathers" in the 1980s. "Very" used on its own was a the short version of "very cool." Of course, it just sounds like you can't complete your thought. I guess that would make you very.
Skinny
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Which of these was your "skitch"?
Haircut
A skitch was generally a short haircut that could be hidden under a hat. This type of haircut wasn't very popular in the '80s, but some parents probably got sick of seeing the skater dos.
Show brand
Hairspray
Videogame
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What was "snuffing" in the '80s?
Punching
To snuff someone in the '80s was to punch them. While snuffing means something quite different now (i.e. snuff films), it wasn't such a bad term back then ... of course, punching wasn't great, but hey, it wasn't murder.
Kissing
Following
Killing
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If someone was referred to as a "space cadet," what was she?
Really smart
Really dumb
If someone was acting dumb or disoriented and a little slow, they would be referred to as a space cadet, spacey, a ditz or an airhead. These terms were great ways of making fun of people who weren't quick-witted.
Really weird
Really smelly
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Which of these were referred to as "thongs" in the '80s?
A necklace
Underwear
Bras
Flip-flops
Flip-flops in the 1980s were called thongs or thong sandals. The reason is clear: They were basically thongs for your feet. However, their association with underwear probably put a damper on that name.
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Your car is "tight"... what is your car?
It's dirty.
It's too big.
It smells.
It's really cool.
There were a lot of words for "cool" in the 1980s, and tight was one of them. While the word tight later evolved to mean a woman who had a great body, it originally meant cool, because tight things were cool for some reason.
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What is '80s slang synonym for "warped"?
A surfer
Smart and attractive
Weird or twisted
If something was weird, it was considered warped. Another way to say this was "twisted." While it was rarely used to describe people, people often found movies, songs and books to be warped.
A jock
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Which of these describes a person who was "sprung" in the '80s?
In love
Being in love in the 1980s was being sprung. This could be because of Bambi's spring (has sprung) scene where all of the characters become twitterpated.
An athlete
Ugly
A punkrocker
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You Got:
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