The 90’s were an amazing time to live through. Everything was colorful, extreme, and exciting. There’s even a whole meme online about remembering the 90’s.
Unsurprisingly, this lively decade saw the production and rise of tons of fun slang terms. Many are still in wide use even today.
To show you, we’ve created this list of 90’s slang words and phrases. Let’s see if you remember any of them or if you’ve heard them before.
90s Slang Words and Phrases (in Alphabetical Order)
A
Aiight
Meaning:
- (Interjection): This word is sort of an abbreviation of “all right.” It was commonly used as a response to show that you were doing well. The more I’s in it, the more it was emphasized.
- Example:
- Person 1: “How was the movie?”
- Person 2: “It was aiight.”
All That
Meaning:
- (Expression): If someone is all that, they’re the bee’s knees. They’re amazing, the whole package, or any other excessive praise you could apply to a person.
- Example: “My new boyfriend is all that. I’m so lucky I met him.”
All That and a Bag of Chips
Meaning:
- (Expression): If you thought all that was the highest praise you could give someone in the 90’s, you’d be wrong. All that and a bag of chips takes it a step further. You could also use it sarcastically with a roll of your eyes to turn it into an insult.
As If!
Meaning:
- (Interjection): You’d say this as a way to reject something or emphatically imply it’s not going to happen.
- Example: “Me, go out with that dweeb? As if!”
Awesome
Meaning:
- (Adjective): Skater slang was extremely popular in the 90’s. One example was the popularity of the word awesome, which was used to describe anything that was really good.
- Example: “I caught an awesome wave while I was out surfing.”
B
Bodacious
Meaning:
- (Adjective): Nowadays, you might hear bodacious as a way of describing a sexually attractive woman. In the 90’s bodacious was basically the same thing as awesome.
- Example:
- Person 1: “I got you some fries for lunch, dude.”
- Person 2: “Bodacious!”
Bogus
Meaning:
- (Adjective): Bogus is the opposite of bodacious or awesome. When something is unpleasant or unfavorable, it’s bogus.
- Example: “My mom grounded me because I got an F on my report card. Bogus!”
Booyah
Meaning:
- (Expression): Booyah is a celebratory phrase, kind of like shouting, “hell yeah!” or something similar.
- Example: “We’re going to Disney World! Booyah!”
C
Cha-Ching
Meaning:
- (Exclamation): This is the sound a cash register made. You could say this in relation to money – usually when you get a decent amount of cash.
- Example: “Just got my first paycheck today. Cha-ching!”
Cheddar
Meaning:
- (Noun): Here is another money-related term. Cheddar is just another way of saying money.
- Example: “I spent a lot of cheddar at the mall last weekend.”
Chill Out
Meaning:
- (Expression): You can use chill out in two different ways. The first way is a command to get someone to calm down. The second way could be used to say you’re hanging out.
- Example:
- Person 1: “Dude, you wrecked my car!”
- Person 2: “Chill out. You’ve got insurance.”
Crib
Meaning:
- (Noun): Your house.
- Example: “Wanna hang out at my crib tonight?”
D
Da Bomb/The Bomb
Meaning:
- (Adjective): If something is the bomb, that’s a good thing. It’s the equivalent of saying “awesome” or “bodacious.”
- Example: “Taco Bell’s new burrito is the bomb.”
Dawg
Meaning:
- (Noun): Another way of spelling “dog.” This is a positive term to use, and you usually apply it to your friends.
- Example: “How’s it going, dawg?”
Dead Presidents
Meaning:
- (Noun): It may sound ominous, but it’s just a phrase that means money. This expression was popularized by hip hop in the 90’s.
- Example: “I brought plenty of dead presidents with me.”
Dickweed
Meaning:
- (Noun): An insult that was popular in the 90’s. Anyone who’s a jerk or who’s rude can be called a dickweed.
- Example: “That dickweed stole my skateboard.”
Diss
Meaning:
- (Verb): To insult someone.
- Example: “My sister’s new boyfriend is a jerk who disses me all the time.”
Dope
Meaning:
- (Adjective): See awesome.
Down
Meaning:
- (Adjective): To be agreeable or willing to do something.
- Example:
- Person 1: “Want to hang out at the mall on Friday?”
- Person 2: “I’m down!”
Dude/Dudette
Meaning:
- (Noun): A fun and casual way to refer to literally anyone. It’s just a neutral term for people.
- Example: “Dude, what’s up?”
E
Eat My Shorts
Meaning:
- (Expression): This phrase was made popular by The Simpsons, as it’s basically Bart’s tagline. It’s an insulting term that means you’re ignoring someone, you’re not going to do what they say, or you think they’re stupid.
- Example: “My mom can eat my shorts. I’m going out tonight.”
Extreme
Meaning:
- (Adjective): In the 90’s, many things were described as extreme. You would use it to describe something that’s a step up from awesome.
F
F-Bomb
Meaning:
- (Noun): An f-bomb is a euphemism for saying f***. If someone drops an f-bomb, they’re swearing a lot.
- Example: “My dad was really ticked – he kept dropping f-bombs on the phone.”
Fine
Meaning:
- (Adjective): To be sexually attractive. Can be applied to either a man or a woman, but it was more common to refer to a woman this way.
- Example: “Did you see Britney at the party? She was looking fine.”
Fly
Meaning:
- (Adjective): In the 90’s, fly meant something was cool.
- Example: “I got a fly CD player for my birthday.”
Freakin’
Meaning:
- (Adjective): This an emphasis word, kind of like saying “very” or “really.”
- Example: “That game was freakin’ awesome!”
Fresh
Meaning:
- (Adjective): Fresh is another positive word like awesome or bodacious. It’s usually applied to the way someone looks, but you can use it for pretty much anything that feels new and original in a good way.
- Example: “I got a fresh new outfit at the mall yesterday.”
G
Getting’ Jiggy
Meaning:
- (Verb): This expression was coined by Will Smith in the song, “Gettin’ Jiggy With It.” It means to dance like you don’t care or without being self-conscious.
- Example: “I was getting’ jiggy with it on the dancefloor last night.”
Gnarly
Meaning:
- (Adjective): Gnarly is another skater slang term. It means exactly the same thing as awesome.
Grindage
Meaning:
- (Noun): This one is kind of similar to grindz in Hawaiian slang. Grindage just means food.
- Example: “I’m going to grab some grindage with Bethany after work.”
H
Haul Ass
Meaning:
- (Verb): To hurry or make haste.
- Example: “You’re going to need to haul ass after work if you want to make it to the party.”
Hella
Meaning:
- (Adjective): This is another emphasizing word, like “freakin.’”
Hello
Meaning:
- (Interjection): You’re probably used to thinking of this word as a greeting, but in the 90’s, you could say it sarcastically to get someone’s attention.
- Example: “You thought that plan was going to work? Hello, earth to Brian.”
Home Skillet
Meaning:
- (Noun): A word you can use to refer to your close friends with.
- Example: “Ryan is my home skillet.”
Hooch/Hoochie
Meaning:
- (Noun): A promiscuous woman.
- Example: “Make sure you wait until at least the third date, or else you’ll come off like a hooch.”
How’s it hangin’?
Meaning:
- (Expression): A common greeting in the 90’s.
- “Hey, dude, how’s it hangin’?”
I
I Know You Are, But What am I?
Meaning:
- (Expression): This was an annoying rebuttal in the 90’s. If someone called you a nasty name, you would say this to turn it back on them. It was kind of childish.
- Example:
- Person 1: “You’re a total dickweed.”
- Person 2: “I know you are, but what am I?”
I’m Gone
Meaning:
- (Expression): You could use this phrase to say good-bye to someone.
Ice
Meaning:
- (Noun): Another word for jewelry.
- Example: “What do you think of my new ice?”
It’s All Good
Meaning:
- (Expression): A response that means everything is all right or okay.
- Example:
- Person 1: “Sorry for scratching your car.”
- Person 2: “It’s all good, dude.”
K
Keep it Real
Meaning:
- (Expression): To stay true to yourself and be authentic. You can also use it to say that someone is being honest.
- Example: “John always keeps it real.”
L
Let’s Bounce
Meaning:
- (Expression): To leave. You say this when you want to go.
- Example: “This party’s getting boring. Let’s bounce.”
Let’s Roll
Meaning:
- (Expression): See Let’s Bounce.
M
My Bad
Meaning:
- (Expression): To say you’re sorry. My bad means that you’re acknowledging you did something wrong.
- Example:
- Person 1: “You just broke my skateboard!”
- Person 2: “My bad, dude. I didn’t mean to.”
N
Nice
Meaning:
- (Adjective): A flexible word that can be used to describe good things and people or the opposite. It depends on your tone of voice.
No Duh
Meaning:
- (Expression): People in the 90’s would say this in response to someone who said something very obvious.
- Example:
- Person 1: “This party is off the chain!”
- Person 2: “No duh!”
Not!
Meaning:
- (Interjection): Not was a way of taking back or countering a statement you made. It was a term that was very sarcastic in nature.
- Example: “I just love when the teacher gives us a ton of homework…not!”
O
O.G.
Meaning:
- (Noun): An acronym for “original gangster.” It can be applied to people who are authentic and incredible, or you can use it ironically to refer to someone.
- Example: “Michael is the real O.G. I’ve known him since we were in diapers.”
Off the Chain
Meanings:
- (Expression): If something is off the chain, it’s great. See awesome.
Off the Heasy
Meaning:
- (Expression): This phrase is basically the same as Off the Chain.
Oh, Snap
Meaning:
- (Interjection): When you’ve done something wrong, you can use “oh, snap” as a way to apologize – kind of like saying, “my bad.” You can also use “oh, snap” as an exclamation that can express joy, excitement, or anger, like saying, “oh, my god.”
- Example:
- Example 1: “Ryan asked me out this morning.”
- Example 2: “Oh, snap! What did you say?”
Open Up a Can of Whoop Ass
Meaning:
- (Expression): To beat someone up. It can mean literally beating someone up or just yelling at them.
- Example: “Juan broke my Sega. I’m gonna open up a can of whoop ass on him.”
P
Peace Out
Meaning:
- (Expression): Another way of saying good-bye.
- Example: “Anyway, I’ve got to go. Peace out!”
Phat
Meaning:
- (Adjective): See awesome.
Poser
Meaning:
- (Noun): Someone who’s fake or pretending to like something. The 90’s were a very cliquey time, so to not be totally dedicated to your hobbies or clique was a great faux pas.
- Example: “Joey says he likes skating, but he can’t even ride the half pipe. What a poser!”
Props
Meaning:
- (Expression): You say this to give kudos to someone or congratulate them.
- Example: “I have to give props to Julian for remembering to bring the gear.”
Psych
Meaning:
- (Expression): Shouting this indicates you’re joking about something. It’s kind of like not, except that it’s generally used when you’re joking and not when you’re being sarcastic.
- Example: “I’ve got bad news for you: you flunked the test…psych!”
Puh-Lease
Meaning:
- (Interjection): This is another way of saying, “as if!” It’s just the word “please” with a heavy emphasis on the ‘p’ sound.
- Example: “Jack asked me to give him a second chance after he cheated on me. Puh-lease!”
R
Radical
Meaning:
- (Adjective): See awesome.
Righteous
Meaning:
- (Adjective): More skater slang that can be used whenever something is great.
- Example: “That trick was radical, home skillet!”
S
Scrub
Meaning:
- (Noun): This word came into wider use after the song, “No Scrubs” by TLC. A scrub is a guy who thinks he’s all that and a bag of chips, but he’s actually kind of a loser. For example, he might live with his mom still, not have a job, or not have a driver’s license.
- Example: “Monique says she doesn’t date scrubs, so I guess you’re out of luck.”
Shiznit
Meaning:
- (Adjective): Alternate way of saying the word, “sh**.” It can be used to say something is good, something is bad, or as an exclamation. It all depends on your tone of voice.
- Example: “Their new album was the shiznit.”
Sick
Meaning:
- (Adjective): Don’t worry – being “sick” in this sense isn’t a bad thing. In fact, sick is just more skater slang for awesome.
- Example: “I invented a sick trick on my board last night. Want to see?”
Slammin’
Meaning:
- Another phrase that describes something positive. Usually, it’s used in reference to someone who’s attractive.
- Example: “Sandra has an absolutely slammin’ body.”
Sup?
Meaning:
- (Expression): Abbreviated version of “wassup/wazzup.” It basically just means, “what’s up?” You can use it as a casual greeting.
- Example: “Sup, homie?”
Sweet
Meaning:
- (Adjective): More skater slang for anything that’s good. Bonus points if you emphasize it by saying something that sounds like, “sah-weet!”
T
Take a Chill Pill
Meaning:
- (Expression): Say this when you want someone to calm down.
- Example:
- Person 1: “I’m going to open a can of whoop ass on you!”
- Person 2: “Take a chill pill, Dave. I didn’t do anything.”
Talk to the Hand
Meaning:
- (Expression): 90’s slang for, “I’m not listening to you.” You would say this in response to something you don’t want to hear, usually by putting your hand up between you and the talking person.
- Example:
- Person 1: “Rachel, I’ve got some bad news about your new boyfriend…”
- Person 2: “Talk to the hand, because the face isn’t listening!”
Tight
Meaning:
- (Adjective): Another way of describing something good. As you can tell, the 90’s had a lot of ways to describe something great.
TMI
Meaning:
- (Expression): This one is like texting slang before texting even existed on a wide scale. It stands for, “too much information,” and you would say it when someone told you something gross or overwhelmingly personal.
- Example:
- Person 1: “I’ve got the weirdest rash on my butt right now…”
- Person 2: “Dude, TMI!”
Totally
Meaning:
- (Adjective): Totally is an emphasizing word, like saying “really” or “very.” However, you can also use it by itself to indicate agreement in response to something someone said.
- Example:
- Person 1: “Don’t you think Ethan is the cutest guy in the school?”
- Person 2: “Totally!”
Tubular
Meaning:
- (Adjective): Unsurprisingly, here’s some more skater slang. It also means awesome.
W
Wack/Wacked
Meaning:
- (Adjective): Someone who’s behaving poorly or crazily.
- Example: “Stop acting wacked and use your brain for once.”
Wazzup/Wassup
Meaning:
- (Expression): A greeting. It’s a fusion of the words, “what’s” and “up.”
- Example: “Wassup, dude?”
What’s the 411?
Meaning:
- (Expression): Asking someone to tell you the latest news, usually in relation to gossip.
- Example: “So, what’s the 411 on Emily and Dan?”
What’s the Dealio?
Meaning:
- (Expression): “Dealio” is the combination of the words “deal” and “yo.” When you ask this question, you’re asking what’s going on with a particular situation.
- Example: “Dude, what’s the dealio? I heard a loud crashing noise and came running.”
Whatever
Meaning:
- (Interjection): Saying, “whatever” indicates that you’re done listening to or dealing with someone.
- Example:
- Person 1: “Look, Alicia, we need to talk…”
- Person 2: “Whatever, Chandler.”
Who’s Your Daddy?
Meaning:
- (Expression): A phrase to say when you’ve dominated or beaten someone in some kind of competition. It can also just be said in general to indicate you’re better than someone at something.
- Example: “100 points for me! Who’s your daddy now?”
Y
Yadda, Yadda, Yadda
Meaning:
- (Expression): An expression that became popular after it was used in Seinfeld. It’s a slang way of saying, “so on, so forth” or “etc.” It helps shorten a long story.
- Example: “I went on a date with him, we went to the movies, had dinner, yadda yadda yadda. Now we’re married!”
You Go, Girl!
Meaning:
- (Expression): Saying this shows you support someone or that they’re doing well.
- Example: “She just scored a date with Ethan. You go, girl!”
Your Mom
Meaning:
- (Interjection): An insulting comeback that got big in the 90’s and continued well into the 2000’s, eventually morphing into “yo mama” jokes. It doesn’t mean anything in particular, and you usually say it when you’re not sure what else to say.
- Example:
- Person 1: “Ian, you’re so stupid that you fail all your classes.”
- Person 2: “Oh, yeah? Well, your mom!”
Z
Zine
Meaning:
- (Noun): An abbreviation of the word “magazine.” Back in the 90’s, everyone would talk about starting their own ‘zines or subscribing to them.
- Example: “You check out the latest Nat Geo ‘zine?”
Wrap Up
As you can see from all this slang, the 90’s were a blast. The huge, colorful vernacular was an indicator of a time that was also larger than life. Many of the slang terms from the 90’s had a lot of staying power, and still see common use today.
Did you use any slang terms in the 90’s that we missed? Let us know with a comment below.
