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.
1990s — 76 terms
Showing top 76 by viewstech debt
1992⚡ Tech, Dev & AI
serve
1990🔥 Gen Z & TikTok
love language
1992🌐 Internet & Memes
rubber ducking
1999⚡ Tech, Dev & AI
clap
1990🎮 Gaming
yak shaving
1990⚡ Tech, Dev & AI
boom bap
1990🎵 Music & Lyrics
yass
1990🔥 Gen Z & TikTok
tea
1990🔥 Gen Z & TikTok
mental load
1996🌱 Lifestyle & Wellness
spill the tea
1990🔥 Gen Z & TikTok
pilled
1999🌐 Internet & Memes
neo-soul
1990🎵 Music & Lyrics
morning pages
1992🌱 Lifestyle & Wellness
OKR
1999💼 Corporate & Work
oat milk
1995🍔 Food & Drink
scrub
1990🎮 Gaming
ship
1990💘 Relationships & Dating
friend zone
1994💘 Relationships & Dating
grimy
1990🗺️ Regional & Other
mandem
1990🗺️ Regional & Other
mad respect
1990🗺️ Regional & Other
brb
1990🌐 Internet & Memes
what does it all mean, Basil
1999🌐 Internet & Memes
Apartheid Defense League
1999🗺️ Regional & Other
ttyl
1990🌐 Internet & Memes
assrun
1990🎮 Gaming
riot grrrl
1990🎵 Music & Lyrics
lol
1990🌐 Internet & Memes
iced out
1990🎵 Music & Lyrics
baby daddy
1990🗺️ Regional & Other
bag of antlers
1990🗺️ Regional & Other
authoritah
1998🗺️ Regional & Other
ROFL
1990🌐 Internet & Memes
slowcore
1990🎵 Music & Lyrics
vidya
1990🎮 Gaming
arachnerd
1996🌐 Internet & Memes
PLUR
1990🎵 Music & Lyrics
nizzle
1990🗺️ Regional & Other
w00t
1996🌐 Internet & Memes
captain save a hoe
1993🗺️ Regional & Other
joe job
1997⚡ Tech, Dev & AI
Aga saga
1992🗺️ Regional & Other
insane in the membrane
1993🗺️ Regional & Other
wackyparse
1998🌐 Internet & Memes
math rock
1990🎵 Music & Lyrics
active shooter
1999🗺️ Regional & Other
trapping
1990🗺️ Regional & Other
hood rat
1993🗺️ Regional & Other
banana
1997⚡ Tech, Dev & AI
Marmite
1996🗺️ Regional & Other
Indigenous Peoples' Day
1990🗺️ Regional & Other
face pubes
1998⚡ Tech, Dev & AI
god mode
1990🎮 Gaming
trill
1990🎵 Music & Lyrics
brolic
1996🗺️ Regional & Other
ranga
1990⚡ Tech, Dev & AI
Eagleland
1994🗺️ Regional & Other
Doom clone
1993🎮 Gaming
Packer whacker
1990🗺️ Regional & Other
Bafana Bafana
1990🗺️ Regional & Other
Tippex
1997🗺️ Regional & Other
edge city
1991⚡ Tech, Dev & AI
coochie cutters
1990🗺️ Regional & Other
wallet inspector
1993🌐 Internet & Memes
scary devil monastery
1996🌐 Internet & Memes
player hater
1993🗺️ Regional & Other
pick six
1990🗺️ Regional & Other
employment tribunal
1998⚡ Tech, Dev & AI
derp
1998⚡ Tech, Dev & AI
Marchman Act
1993🗺️ Regional & Other
hyphy
1990🎵 Music & Lyrics
pagan
1990⚡ Tech, Dev & AI
JRPG
1992🎮 Gaming
NSFW
1990🌐 Internet & Memes
bling
1999🎵 Music & Lyrics
Daubert standard
1993🗺️ Regional & Other
farm business tenancy
1995🗺️ Regional & Other
pipe-hitter
1994💘 Relationships & Dating
people's princess
1997🌐 Internet & Memes
Leftpondia
1997🗺️ Regional & Other
induhvidual
1995🗺️ Regional & Other
ethnoburb
1997🗺️ Regional & Other
goodfella
1990🗺️ Regional & Other
Bebe's kid
1992🗺️ Regional & Other
camping
1990🎮 Gaming
butthurt
1996🌐 Internet & Memes
mathlete
1999🗺️ Regional & Other
Leftpondian
1997🗺️ Regional & Other
Baja Midnight
1990🗺️ Regional & Other
red-pilled
1999🌐 Internet & Memes
Matrix defense
1999⚡ Tech, Dev & AI
get medieval
1994🗺️ Regional & Other
Eternal September
1990🌐 Internet & Memes
fatty bom bom
1996🗺️ Regional & Other
room for a pony
1990🗺️ Regional & Other
trap
1990🎵 Music & Lyrics
ghetto fabulous
1998🗺️ Regional & Other
keming
1990🌐 Internet & Memes
blue pill
1999🗺️ Regional & Other
retail apocalypse
1990⚡ Tech, Dev & AI
dollarydoo
1995🗺️ Regional & Other
robocall
1998🗺️ Regional & Other
jubbly
1990🗺️ Regional & Other
skibidy
1994🌐 Internet & Memes
break the Internet
1990🌐 Internet & Memes
rex-pat
1990⚡ Tech, Dev & AI
Gladue factor
1999🗺️ Regional & Other
monkeys might fly out of my butt
1992🗺️ Regional & Other
cock in a frock
1994🗺️ Regional & Other
friend with benefits
1995🗺️ Regional & Other
compersion
1990🗺️ Regional & Other
section 104 holding
1992⚡ Tech, Dev & AI
flexitarianism
1992⚡ Tech, Dev & AI
Murderapolis
1990🗺️ Regional & Other
grrrl
1990🗺️ Regional & Other
here's a quarter, call someone who cares
1991⚡ Tech, Dev & AI
Gladue report
1999🗺️ Regional & Other
pocket diaper
1999🗺️ Regional & Other
grammar Nazi
1991🗺️ 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.