The Most Popular Slang Term of 1951

As you well know, Dear Readers, I love language in all its forms, with a particular interest in semantics (the meaning of words) and semiotics* (the study of signs and symbols as a significant part of communication).

This is why an online collection from - of all things - the Good Housekeeping website caught my eye not long ago: The Most Popular Slang the Year You Were Born.

The list begins in 1926 with "gold-dig(ger)" (referring to a woman who is interested in a man only for his money) and continues on through 81 separate screens** to "sick" in 2006. I suppose nobody has yet documented the most popular slang terms for 2007 to the present.

I was born in 1951***, when the most popular slang term was, sadly and probably appropriately, given my high school reputation, nerd. It could have been studmuffin, had I been born in 1986.

Sigh.

What was the slang term for your year? Leave a comment and share it with the rest of us. We promise not to laugh. Well, I do, anyhow.

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

* One of my favorite posts was "Don't Dig Here!", which looked at the challenge of conveying meaningful information via signs and symbols about dangerous locations to civilizations in the unimaginally distant future.

** AAAUUUGGGHHH!!! There's apparently no way to go directly to the year you want without going through each one in order.

*** Shortly after the sun cooled and the dinosaurs disappeared.