With the wonders of science and technology, human beings' life expectancy has dramatically increased in the last century. There are various slang terms for old persons, and we have gathered the top ones for you! Be warned though that some of them may not be friendly or may even be insulting, so use with caution!
Slang Words for Old Person (in Alphabetical Order)
Back Number
Meaning:
- (Noun) Referring to old issues of magazines or newspapers, a back number is someone old or no longer the trendsetter present.
- Example: The back number keeps on ordering around my sister as if she has no better things to do.
Bag of Bones
Meaning:
- (Noun) A degrading term for an old person with a slender build.
- Example: The old bag of bones was walking around with his dog but he was barely able to keep up with the energetic pup.
CCRC
Meaning:
- (Noun) An acronym for “continuing care retirement community”, CCRCs are any institutions that house and take care of old people.
- Example: Zoey visits her grandmother once a month at the CCRC.
Flumpnugget
Meaning:
- (Noun) An offensive term for a stout, old lady.
- Example: Mr. Kramer jokes around his wife being a flumpnugget but in truth, he loves her very much.
Geriatric
Meaning:
- (Noun) An old person who is living under special care or a special home.
- Example: Grandpa Fred’s geriatric friends are very excellent in playing card games.
Hag
Meaning:
- (Noun) An old woman with an unsightly appearance and nasty attitude.
- Example: The old hag likes to scare children whenever they play near her house.
Long in the Tooth
Meaning:
- (Idiom) An expression from the mid-17th century for a person who is gaining age. This is from aging horses whose gums shorten and their teeth looking as if they were lengthened.
- Example: Aunt Judy is a little too long in the tooth to have another baby.
No Spring Chicken
Meaning:
- (Idiom) An old person who looks and acts better than their age.
- Example: Uncle Elvis is no spring chicken; he can still win his chess matches.
OAP
Meaning:
- (Noun) An acronym that stands for “Old Age Pensioner”, OAPs are old people who receive government or insurance funding for their seniority.
- Example: The private nurse is very caring of her OAP client since the latter is pretty generous.
Old Fogey
Meaning:
- (Noun) An old person with ideas and fashion that suits their age.
- Example: Grandma Cher may be old but she was no old fogey. She was always down for whatever trendy video I showed her.
Oldies
Meaning:
- (Noun) A popular shortened term for old people.
- Example: Oldies’ hits are making a comeback in popular music.
Put Years on Somebody
Meaning:
- (Expression) An event or activity that makes one look older than they actually are.
- Example: Being a graphic artist is a dream come true for Sam but at the same time, he looks like somebody put years on him. He got paler and skinnier.
Sunset Years
Meaning:
- (Idiom) Because old age nears closer to one’s end, the idiom borrows on the image of sunset going down towards the night time.
- Example: My grandparents’ sunset years were filled with laughs, cheers, tears, and love. They were surrounded by family.
Wiseacre
Meaning:
- (Noun) Typically, with old age comes wisdom. It’s no wonder why popular literature and movies feature old people as wiseacres.
- Example: Dumbledore was a wiseacre who guided Harry throughout his school adventures.
