50s Slang: 21 Cool Terms You Need to Know

The 1950s marked the rise of youth culture as the driving force in society. Teenagers were inventing new ways to socialize, dress, and get around, and they created a distinct slang to capture their experiences. Some of these terms still influence the way we speak today, while others faded out by the end of the decade. From 'beatnik' to 'backseat bingo,' here are some of the key phrases that defined the era.

Beatnik

The word 'beatnik' came to define the most influential subculture of the 1950s, though it wasn’t coined until 1958. That year, columnist Herb Caen combined the word 'beat' with the '-nik' suffix (inspired by the Russian satellite Sputnik, launched in 1957) to describe members of the Beat Generation. A typical beatnik was a rebellious artist who turned away from traditional societal norms, with famed American novelist Jack Kerouac being one of the most iconic examples.

Awesome

First rooted in African American Vernacular (AAVE), the word 'cool' took off in the 1940s jazz scene. By the 1950s, it was fully embraced by the American youth culture. Anything stylish or highly sought after—from a sharp new outfit to a hit song on the airwaves—could be described as 'cool.'

Backseat Bingo

The 1950s saw a boom in American car culture, which brought along a slew of new car-related slang. 'Backseat bingo' referred to intimate activities in a car, while 'parking' was a tamer way to describe the same thing.

Pad

While 'pad' today refers to any type of living space, in the mid-20th century, it had less-than-ideal associations. A beatnik from the 1950s might have used the word to describe a place to crash or a room to relax (or recover from using) drugs.

Ginchy

If a friend called you 'the ginchiest' in the 1950s, that was a big compliment. Sadly, 'ginchy'—meaning 'awesome' or 'attractive'—didn't stick around as long as its counterpart, 'cool.'

Looking for Trouble

This expression has a few interpretations. Initially, if someone was 'cruisin’ for a bruisin' in the 1950s, it meant they were actively seeking a fight. By the 1970s, the phrase shifted meaning from someone looking to give a bruise to someone expecting to receive one. A person teasing a friend with a short fuse would fit the latter definition.

Dreamboat

The term 'dreamboat' first appeared in the 1940s, but it truly gained popularity in the 1950s. It referred to someone (usually a man) who was so attractive, they made people swoon. Icons like Elvis Presley, Marlon Brando, and James Dean were all considered dreamboats.

Squaresville and Cubesville

To really up your slang game in the 1950s, all you had to do was add '-ville' to a familiar term. For example, 'square' and 'cube,' both used to describe dull individuals, could be transformed into entire imaginary towns full of boring people. That quiet colleague who barely speaks? He’s from squaresville, daddy-o. Your uncle who’s always advising you to get a haircut? He’s the mayor of cubesville.

Endsville

On the flip side, there was 'endsville,' a made-up place in the Oxford English Dictionary where all the best things (and people) in life lived—like a town where your favorite bands and eateries are found.

Antsville

Any place that felt as crowded as an ant farm—whether it was a movie theater or a sock hop—could be called 'antsville.'

Burn Rubber

The full expression 'burn rubber' first appeared early in automobile history. A 1921 edition of Sunset magazine mentioned a driver moving so fast that he 'may burn rubber for ten yards.' While it originated in the 1920s, the term gained new life during the 1950s in car and street racing culture. If the tires generated enough friction to produce smoke, the phrase became literal.

Vomit on the Table

This expression was just another way of saying 'speak up' or 'spill your guts.' Thankfully, 'vomit on the table' never became a permanent part of the slang dictionary.

Get Pinned

In the 1950s, 'getting pinned' was the term for becoming exclusive with a partner. The custom was literal, with men giving a physical pin to their significant other as a symbol of their commitment.

Off the Cob

Thanks to the rise of 'corny' in Gen Z slang, the phrase 'off the cob' (referencing corn on the cob) might be making a comeback. Initially used in the 1930s to describe something overly sentimental, it was later embraced by 1950s Beatniks who wanted to project a sense of being too cool for conventional norms.

Climb the Six Foot Ladder

The 'six-foot ladder' in this metaphor for death only moves in one direction: downward.

Atomized, Bagged, Incognitoed, and Skunky

There are plenty of ways to say you're drunk. To sound like you're from the 1950s, you might use slang like 'atomized,' 'bagged,' 'incognitoed,' or 'skunky.'

Passion Pit

Drive-in theaters were booming in the 1950s, with over 4000 locations across the United States by the end of the decade. But they weren’t just for watching low-budget films with friends—drive-ins became the go-to spots for teens looking to bring a date. Thanks to countless high school sweethearts stealing kisses in their Ford Thunderbirds, these outdoor cinemas earned the nickname 'passion pits.'