Photo by Al Batt
After the hello.
That was when we talked about where we hailed from. We were states apart.
The idle chatter that followed led to the discovery that we had a friend in common. It was one of those odd coincidences that connect the dots of the universe.
“Oh, my word,” she said, at that revelation.
“Oh, my word” is a mild exclamation of surprise, shock or dismay. It’s a polite alternative to stronger oaths; a respectful replacement for blasphemy.
I spend time in the classroom. It was there I encountered “67” (pronounced “six-seven”), which has been described as a 2025 viral brain rot slang term originating from a song by the rapper Skrilla. It’s sometimes linked to NBA player LaMelo Ball’s 6-foot-7-inch height. It’s a nonsensical inside joke among the Gen Alpha group who use it as a random exclamation or response with no fixed, literal meaning, sometimes signaling indifference or mockery. I reckon it’s designed to annoy adults. It means nothing. Just like saying nothing does.
I’ve heard “skibidi,” another Gen Alpha slang term. It originated from the viral animated web series “Skibidi Toilet,” which featured human-headed toilets fighting camera-headed people. Skibidi is gibberish that can be used in a humorous, expressive, ironic or pejorative way, or as a nonsense filler. It was added to the Cambridge Dictionary in 2025.
I’d much rather hear “Skibidi Toilet” than the “Toilet’s clogged!”
Each generation adds words.
My father said, “That’s the berries,” slang meaning something enjoyable, impressive, desirable or the best. It’s something you say when you’ve received an extra-long French fry in your order.
I was driving along merrily on the road to nowhere, which I hoped was endless. Things were going well until I spotted the dreaded detour sign. I uttered a shoot and I might have added a shucks.
When I missed the first turn off the detour, I said “Nuts,” and when my GPS told me to make a U-turn that would have been a B-turn, I added a “Baloney.”
When my mother experienced bouts of uncontrollable hilarity, she’d claim to have found a tee-hee’s nest with a ha-ha’s egg in it. Tee-hee is a high-pitched giggle, and a ha-ha is a loud burst of laughter.
I switched on a flashlight to free myself from the darkness. No illumination. I did what I do when that happens. I slapped the flashlight into my palm several times, but it refused to produce light. I said, “Fiddlesticks!” Fiddlesticks is an exclamation used to express mild annoyance.
I say “swell” and “cool” a lot. I grew up using the following slang words and phrases (shown with meanings) meant to hurl insults, lob praise, express feelings or be meaningless. Remember, idioms aren’t just for idiots.
Ankle-biter: A young child.
Blast: A great time.
Boss: Fantastic, the best.
Blow a gasket: Lose your temper.
Bread: Money
Bummer: A disappointment or unpleasant experience.
Chill: To relax.
Crash: To sleep.
Cruisin’ for a bruisin’: Looking for trouble.
Decked out: Dressed up.
Don’t flip your lid: Don’t lose your temper.
Dumber than a box of rocks: Self-explanatory.
Dynamite: Great.
Far out: Wonderful
Funky: Weird.
Fuzz: The police.
Groovy: Fantastic or excellent.
Hang loose: Relax and take it easy.
Heck: A euphemism for hell.
Jazzed: Excited or thrilled.
Jeepers creepers: Originated as an alternative to exclaiming “Jesus Christ!” This minced oath was printed on AAA safety posters in 1936 that said, “Jeepers Creepers, Use Your Peepers.” “Jeepers Creepers” was a jazz standard performed by Louis Armstrong.
Knock the wind out of my sails: To cause the loss of confidence or momentum.
Knuckle sandwich: A punch in the face.
Lay it on me: Tell me or give me the details.
Mellow: Relaxed and calm.
Nifty: Interesting or clever.
Outta sight: Excellent, incredible or impressive.
Passion pit: A drive-in movie theater.
Peace out: Goodbye.
Psyched: Excited or enthusiastic.
Put an egg in your shoe and beat it: Go away.
Right on: In agreement.
Righteous: Excellent or genuine.
See you later, alligator: Goodbye.
Split: To leave.
Swell: Good.
Threads: Clothes.
What’s buzzin’, cousin?: What’s new?
My elders described things as being the cat’s meow, which means something or someone excellent.
A friend told me to stay on the planet.
He’s the cat’s meow.
Or the bee’s knees.
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