18 Words From the 1960s Younger Generations No Longer Use

Language evolves over time. But the difference from 1960s lingo to that of the 2020s often feels so stark that it’s hard to pinpoint when the transition happened.

These are some of the most common words and phrases that people in the 1960s used.

Gen Z might recognize some of them, but you can bet your groovy Volkswagen beetle that they wouldn’t dream of speaking them.

1: Dig

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Despite what Gen Z might think when they hear the word “dig,” people who grew up in the 1960s didn’t have a shovel attached to their hips. Instead, “dig” was a way to say that a person is into something.

You can dig your Beach Boys album or your friend’s go-go boots.

2: Groovy

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Groovy is the cool way to say something is cool. But contrary to what younger generations might think, the word cool came into mainstream American vocabulary in the 1930s, well before groovy made its debut.

In the 1960s, it was common to hear phrases along the lines of, “I think your miniskirt is really groovy.”

3: Rad

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Rad is groovy’s cousin, for they can be used interchangeably when referring to something cool or exciting.

A phrase like “Your Volkswagen beetle is so rad” is something you’ll never hear from Gen Z’s lips.

4: That’s Someone’s Bag

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Social media is the younger generations’ bag. But don’t tell them that unless you’re prepared for them to give you a strange look. Saying that something is someone’s bag means they’re interested and good at it.

For example, “Playing the guitar is his bag.”

5: Far Out

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The term “far out” was a popular expression in the ’60s to express surprise or appreciation for something that strayed from the norm in a good way.

Case in point? If you went over to a friend’s house in the 1960s, you might say that their mom’s casserole was far out.

6: Cool Cat

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Saying that someone is fashionable is so boring (not to mention a mouthful) to people who grew up in the ’60s. Using “cool cat” to describe said person was way more groovy.

People would say things along the lines of, “In high school I was a cool cat because I was the first one to ever attend a Beatles concert.”

7: Fab

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Fab is the 1960s version of Gen Z’s text abbreviations. It stood for “fabulous,” which is a word younger generations still recognize today. But let’s be honest: Fab is such a more efficient way to say it.

So, shall we bring the ’60s back and compliment people on their new fab outfits?

8: Pad

Keys on a table.
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No, Gen Z, “pad” isn’t older person lingo for talking about their iPad. Instead, it’s a 1960s word referring to one’s place of residence.

Kids back in the day would say things like, “Do you want to hang out at your pad or mine?”

9: Hip

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Younger generations might recognize that “hip” is something fashionable. But you’ll be hard-pressed to hear them use that word in a sentence.

Phrases like “The new restaurant up the road is really hip” were everyday occurrences back in the ’60s.

10: Sponge

Unmade bed.
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Gen Z is more likely to use the word “sponge” as slang for someone who soaks up information than they are for the 1960s version of it: To live off someone else.

Here’s a prime example: “I didn’t mind that she visited for a week. But after a month, I felt like she was sponging off me.”

11: Mod

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Mod is another ’60s term that’s a shortened form of a word. In this case, it’s the shortened version of “modernist,” and people in the ’60s used it to describe something contemporary for the time.

It wasn’t so uncommon back in the day to hear a sentence such as, “I like shopping at our store in town because it’s very mod.”

12: Fuzz

Police officer.
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The police have racked up several nicknames over the decades. In the 1960s, that nickname was “fuzz.” No one is sure where “fuzz” originated from, although several theories exist, including it coming from the fuzzy sound from police radios or the fuzzy hats the police in Britian wear.

“Here come the fuzz” was a popular phrase in the 1960s.

13: Shades

Man holding sunglasses.
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Sunglasses are just as in style now as they were in the 1960s, though you likely won’t hear young folks throwing around the word “shades.”

But back in the day, it was groovy to say, “I grabbed my shades on the way to the beach.”

14: Threads

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The word “threads” has come roaring back in popularity, though it no longer means “clothes” like it did in the ’60s. Instead, Threads is Meta’s new social media network, allowing users to post photos of their threads on Threads.

It was common for students in the 1960s to giddily tell their friends, “I got myself some new threads for my first day of college.”

15: Fink

Two women gossiping.
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No one liked a fink in the 1960s, and no one likes them now. Of course, you won’t catch today’s younger generations calling a tattletale a fink.

This is a sentence one never wanted to have to say: “I told my best friend a secret, but it turns out she was a fink.”

16: Fox

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“Fox” had a double meaning in the 1960s. It was either the animal that Gen Z recognizes or slang for a good looking woman.

Jimi Hendrix made “fox” all the more popular with his song “Foxy Lady.”

17: Square

Teenager with gum.
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Geometry teachers in the 1960s probably weren’t thrilled when “square” rolled out as a slang word. It referred to someone who wasn’t cool, especially when speaking about someone’s old-fashioned beliefs for the time.

If someone didn’t want to go to a party, people might call them “square.”

18: Flower Power

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Flower power wasn’t just a 1960s phrase, it was a whole movement. Nonviolent protests took place across the country with the hope that the U.S. government would end the Vietnam War.

It was all too common to hear people talk about things like, “During my freshman year of college there was a lot of flower power.”

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