Slang time machine
Every English slang term has a moment it first showed up in print or on someone's lips. We've tagged 1,000 terms with a first attested decade — from 18th-century thieves’ cant through to 2020s internet vocabulary. Pick a decade below.
1930s — 29 terms
Showing top 29 by viewsgaff
1930🗺️ Regional & Other
woke
1930🔥 Gen Z & TikTok
Ameche
1939🗺️ Regional & Other
Antifa
1932🗺️ Regional & Other
George
1931⚡ Tech, Dev & AI
buster
1930⚡ Tech, Dev & AI
woodshed
1930🎵 Music & Lyrics
swinging
1930🎵 Music & Lyrics
bazillion
1939🗺️ Regional & Other
Eirean
1937🗺️ Regional & Other
Daily Heil
1930⚡ Tech, Dev & AI
indict a ham sandwich
1930🗺️ Regional & Other
tenderoni
1930🗺️ Regional & Other
amateur hour
1935🗺️ Regional & Other
Taswegian
1930🗺️ Regional & Other
Sadie Hawkins dance
1937🗺️ Regional & Other
biffy
1935🗺️ Regional & Other
Mabo
1936🗺️ Regional & Other
racist
1932🌐 Internet & Memes
pablum
1931🗺️ Regional & Other
ute
1930🗺️ Regional & Other
local
1938🌐 Internet & Memes
pavlova
1930🗺️ Regional & Other
Palko test
1937⚡ Tech, Dev & AI
freeloader
1930⚡ Tech, Dev & AI
cuddly-wuddly
1938🗺️ Regional & Other
bullpup
1930🗺️ Regional & Other
crumpet
1936⚡ Tech, Dev & AI
hero sandwich
1937🗺️ Regional & Other
fitness
1935🗺️ Regional & Other
piffy on a rock bun
1930🗺️ Regional & Other
pocketbook
1939🗺️ Regional & Other
dreamboat
1930⚡ Tech, Dev & AI
Gordon Bennett
1937🗺️ Regional & Other
cup of joe
1931🗺️ Regional & Other
frammis
1930🗺️ Regional & Other
Cobb salad
1937⚡ Tech, Dev & AI
friend of Dorothy
1939🗺️ Regional & Other
chow mein bun
1930🍔 Food & Drink
moxie
1930🗺️ Regional & Other
Blockburger test
1932🗺️ Regional & Other
chopped liver
1930🗺️ Regional & Other
Belisha beacon
1934🗺️ Regional & Other
boondoggle
1935⚡ Tech, Dev & AI
Green River Ordinance
1931⚡ Tech, Dev & AI
fuck the dog
1935🗺️ Regional & Other
bupkis
1931🗺️ Regional & Other
pull one's head in
1930🗺️ Regional & Other
knickerbocker glory
1930🗺️ Regional & Other
honey joys
1930🗺️ Regional & Other
not in Kansas anymore
1939🗺️ Regional & Other
Ivy League
1933🗺️ Regional & Other
Johnny-one-note
1937🗺️ Regional & Other
submarine sandwich
1930⚡ Tech, Dev & AI
dil-ya-ble
1930🗺️ Regional & Other
don't touch that dial
1939⚡ Tech, Dev & AI
Dorothy dollar
1939🗺️ Regional & Other
diddly-squat
1934🗺️ Regional & Other
barrow boy
1939🗺️ Regional & Other
spelunker
1930🗺️ Regional & Other
bicycle monarchy
1938🗺️ Regional & Other
Attestation dates come from etymologies originally sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0) and editorial expansion authored on Slangora. They reflect the earliest documented use we found for each term, not necessarily the moment it was coined.