Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. As Amazon Associates we earn commission from qualifying purchases.
Being original is a hard line between what is known and what is unknown. When everyone seems to hop on a millisecond's worth of bandwagon, there are those who drive the train of trend. In a world full of CTRL+C and CTRL+V, draw on your own originality and don't forget to showcase the following expressions for originality.
Slang Words for Original (in Alphabetical Order)
Ahead of Time
Meaning:
(Adjective) Ideas or innovations made that are not anticipated to happen in one’s lifetime.
Example: Having a robot respond like a human and look like a human is way ahead of its time.
Avant Garde
Meaning:
(Noun) A person who is unafraid to take risks and show new ideas to people.
Example: The physics avant garde is on a quest to revolutionize the way we think about the universe.
Fresh from the Oven
Meaning:
(Expression) Similar to how fresh bread comes from the oven, fresh ideas are born from one’s brain or oven.
Example: The writers will be presenting their fresh from the oven ideas for the new season of the show.
Grassroots
Meaning:
(Noun) The original source of power, problems, or processes.
Example: Farmers are at the grassroots of food production. They should be given more government aid and benefits.
Groundbreaking
Meaning:
(Adjective) An idea that shakes the very foundations of old ideas or makes new foundations for newer ideas.
Example: Other than classic economic theories, school curriculum should also advance the learning of groundbreaking and Nobel prize winning economic theories of recent years.
Legit
Meaning:
- (Adjective) In comparison to fake products, “legit” is the shortened millennial form of “legitimate” used to refer to original products.
- Example: Reselling legit items that are hard to come by is a pretty lucrative business model.
Maverick
Meaning:
- (Noun) A person with unusual talent for a field and a knack for creative and independent execution of it.
- Example: Warren Buffet may be a strong-willed business maverick but he knows the value of interactive public relations.
Meat and Potatoes
Meaning:
- (Noun) The basic yet overlooked original intentions, purposes, or ingredients.
- Example: One can advocate for corporate social responsibility among organizations but their meat and potatoes will always be the profits.
Oddball
Meaning:
- (Noun) An informal slang for a person with strange quirks.
- Example: Cole’s friends called him an oddball for collecting weird leaves, papers, and scrap metal when in fact, he uses these to design original dress patterns.
Off the Wall
Meaning:
- (Adjective) Famous for being a shoes brand motto, “off the wall” means to have a different approach on usually procedural things.
- Example: While the rest of the teams prepared for a song-and-dance number, their team prepared a Broadway theatre style performance to make it off the wall.
Promethean
Meaning:
- (Adjective) Drawing on the Greek hero Prometheus who took heavenly fire for human use, this is an expression for rebellious yet creative feats.
- Example: Serena Williams dominating the tennis court like no woman has done before is such a Promethean act.
Refreshing
Meaning:
- (Adjective) A compliment for Ideas or performances that are splendid and not ordinary.
- Example: ASMR videos is a refreshing new way to stimulate the senses.
The Real McCoy
Meaning:
- (Idiom) The real and original piece out of a pool of counterfeits.
- Example: In today’s overflowing stream of content, people should be sharp witted enough to spot the real McCoy of each story.
Toothpaste Out of the Tube
Meaning:
- (Expression) An event or product that cannot go back to its original form..
- Example: Once the sex tape leaked, no one could look at the Vice-President the same way ever again. The toothpaste has been out of the tube.
Unorthodox
Meaning:
- (Adverb) A skillful and often easier way of doing things or showing how to do things than the traditional.
- Example: The unorthodox humor of stand-up comedy has its own flair than slapstick comedy.