A Parent's Guide to Teaching Your Kid '90s Slang Words

It鈥檚 2025 and the ’90s are so back, baby. That鈥檚 right: low-waisted jeans, excessively sparkly and milky eye shadow, excessively baggy jeans, and boys styling their fresh new bowl cuts to look like Devon Sawa and Jonathan Taylor Thomas. Can I tell you that I had an entire drawer full of scrunchies that I got rid of when tiny hair ties came into vogue? And now I鈥檓 rebuying them? The only other things I鈥檓 missing are a Delia鈥檚 catalog and a growing collection of Beanie Babies that, unlike my scrunchies, I can never get rid of, even though zero people want to buy them off of eBay like we thought they would. (RIP Princess Diana Beanie Baby.) Now, if you鈥檙e a Gen Z or Gen Alpha kid, you might find yourself wanting to catch up on essential ’90s slang words that aren’t a part of your oeuvre. Not yet, anyway.

A True ’90s Kid Guide to Iconic Slang Words

I, a woman born in 1987 (yes, gaze upon me with the horror of youth) who grew up firmly in the 1990s, am here to shepherd you through a collection of ’90s slang words that will have all of your friends thinking that you are da bomb. Dot com. Backslash coolest kid alive. Backslash most incredible recent folkloric researcher of all time. Dot htm.听

Yes, we said things like that. And we said them out loud to other people. And we thought they were hilarious.听

So, you know, before you go thinking that the ’90s were all that and a bag of potato chips, just remember that they were as cringe-worthy as any other time in history. It鈥檚 just that we look back at the past with rose-colored glasses (that we probably found stashed with our ’90s hippie Halloween costume, which was a throwback to the ’60s and ’70s, because trends recycle every 30 years). Do you see where I鈥檓 going with this?听

At the end of the day, culture repeats and trends repeat, but in new and somewhat twisted ways. And we become nostalgically enamored with all that came before us in an attempt to grasp some understanding of time and space as it slips through our fingers. Culture鈥攁nd slang as a part of culture鈥攊s a little token that we use in an attempt to reanimate the past, bring it to life again, and live for just a little bit longer than our lot prescribes. And if there be any nobler effort, I know not of it.听

To that end, my Home Slices and Home Skillets alike, I present to you our cursory guide to ’90s slang words. And I salute you with a very hardy Wazzuuuuup. 听

Guide to ’90s Slang Words

Greetings from the ’90s

1) Wazzup???听

Yes, let鈥檚 start here. This aggressive form of the normal question, 鈥淲hat鈥檚 up?鈥� became very popular in the late 90s after in which a bunch of normal dudes say 鈥淲azzup鈥� to one another on their corded telephones. People thought this was hilarious. And so we said it all the time. If you鈥檝e never seen the ad, go watch it, and you鈥檒l know just how to make the noise. Then you can do it, too. And your parents will wonder where in the world you learned about Wazzup.听

2) 鈥楽up?听

鈥楽up? as a shortened form of 鈥淲hat鈥檚 up?鈥� was also incredibly popular in the 90s. Believe it or not, you could get yelled at as a kid for not saying full sentences. Linguists say that 鈥溾€榮up鈥� emerged as many shortened forms do: by dropping the unstressed syllable so only the stressed syllable remains. Now that鈥檚 what鈥檚 up.听

’90s Compliments & Praise

3) 鈥淵ou go, girl!鈥澨�

Also from Martin, 鈥測ou go girl鈥� was what you said to gas up your girlfriends, before 鈥済assing up鈥� was even a thing.听

4) 鈥淵ou so crazy鈥澨�

鈥淵ou so crazy鈥� is often said laughing at something foolish or silly that someone else has done to make you laugh.听

5) Da bomb听

This means that something is so excellent, it鈥檚 explosive.听

6) Da bomb dot com听

After the internet became popular, people literally said that good things were 鈥渄a bomb dot com,鈥� likely because we had started hearing 鈥渄ot com鈥� all over the place, and it signified newness and freshness.听

7) Sick听

Don鈥檛 get it twisted. If something is 鈥渟ick,鈥� it鈥檚 not 鈥渨eak,鈥� it鈥檚 da bomb. It鈥檚 so good it will make you sick.听听

8) Ill听

Equally true if something is 鈥渋ll.鈥� If something is 鈥渋ll,鈥� it鈥檚 awesome.听

The following ’90s slang words all also connote some degree of awesomeness:听听

9) Rad

10) Dope听

11) Phat

12) Fly

13) Off the chain听

If something is 鈥渙ff the chain,鈥� it鈥檚 loose, it鈥檚 wild, it cannot be controlled, it鈥檚 unreal, it鈥檚 fantastic, it鈥檚 incredible, it鈥檚 bold. In short: it鈥檚 really, really good. Often used to describe a party or social situation that is particularly exciting, used how people say, 鈥淭hat party was lit,鈥� today.听

14) Off the hook听

In the same vein as 鈥渙ff the chain,鈥� above, 鈥渙ff the hook鈥� connotes that something is so good as to be 鈥渨ild.鈥澨�

Being Dismissive, ’90s Style

15) Whatever

You couldn鈥檛 dismiss a situation any better than dismissing it with a drowsy, 鈥淲hatever.鈥� It was a surefire way to annoy your parents, as well.听

16) Talk to the hand (鈥榗ause the face don鈥檛 wanna hear it)听

鈥淭alk to the hand鈥� comes complete with a gesture in which you flourish your open, vertical palm into the face of someone who is testing your patience. And you tell them to 鈥渢alk to the hand.鈥� You can add 鈥渂ecause the face don鈥檛 wanna hear it,鈥� for extra flavor. Or “Talk to the elbow, because you aren’t worth the extension” for the ultimate diss.听

The 1992鈥�1997 sitcom Martin is credited with creating and popularizing this term, as well as 鈥測ou go girl鈥� and 鈥測ou so crazy,鈥� both below. These terms come directly from Black English.听

17) Weak听

You know this ’90s slang word. If something is weak, it鈥檚 not great.听

18) Weak Sauce听

Now, something weak could also be 鈥渨eak sauce,鈥� which just brought a little extra flavor to the term above.听

19) Don鈥檛 go there, girlfriend.听

This means: uh, uh. Don鈥檛 do it. Don鈥檛 even start. Leave it alone. It鈥檚 meant to push off a sensitive topic or, when escalated, a threat.听

20) Eat my shorts

In the ’90s, we were obsessed with one yellow cartoon boy: Bart Simpon. He was newly crude like all the kids of the ’90s, and he said awesome and gross stuff to adults. 鈥淓at my shorts鈥� was a verbal way of flipping someone off without saying any swear words. It鈥檚 gross, no? And it鈥檚 meant to be nasty.听

21) Don鈥檛 have a cow, man

Bart Simpson also popularized this phrase. It means 鈥渃hill.鈥澨�

22) No Duh

鈥淣o duh鈥� is a way to tell someone that something is obvious while copping an attitude with them.听

Your Parents: You鈥檙e not staying up watching TV on a school night.
You: No duh.听

23) Not!

In the ’90s, we loved to ironically say something (again, probably obvious) and then say 鈥淣ot!鈥� really meanly at the end.

Your Parents: Don鈥檛 stay out too late, we have church in the morning.
You: Oh yeah, I just love going to church鈥� not!听

24) Take a chill pill!听

Today, we just say, 鈥渃hill.鈥� In the 90s, we told people to 鈥淭ake a chill pill鈥� when they needed to relax.听

25) Big Whoop听

Big Whoop means 鈥渂ig deal,鈥� as in, 鈥淣o big deal.鈥� It鈥檚 used to dismiss something.听

Your parents: That鈥檚 it, mister, you鈥檙e grounded!
You: Big whoop!
Your parents: And that鈥檚 another two weeks of being grounded right there!听

How We Talked to Our Friends in the ’90s

26) What鈥檚 the 411?听

If you pick up your and dial 4-1-1, you鈥檒l be routed to Directory Assistance or so-called 鈥淚nformation.鈥� It鈥檚 like a phone book that you can call to ask for someone鈥檚 phone number. Asking 鈥淲hat鈥檚 the 411?鈥� is asking someone for information on a party, event, gossip, or anything you need the low-down on.听

Side note: I had one of those see-through phones, and I cannot believe it鈥檚 selling on Etsy for $200. I am a fool.听

27) Fo鈥� shizzle听

A variation of 鈥渇or sure鈥� made popular by Snoop Dogg (among other -izzle slang).听

28) Trippin鈥�

Trippin鈥� is an excellent ’90s slang word that simply means that you鈥檙e not thinking straight. Someone can 鈥渢rip鈥� on psychedelics or other drugs, and 鈥渢rippin鈥欌€� represents that altered state of mind, though when you use it as slang, it means something else (like your crush) has you acting that way.听

29) Buggin鈥櫶�

Buggin鈥� or buggin鈥� out means that you鈥檙e mentally freaking out. Something has you going out of your mind.听

30) I gotta bounce听

Another way to say, 鈥淚 gotta go.鈥澨�

31) Home Slice

Your home slice is your friend! It鈥檚 a derivation of 鈥渉omie鈥� or 鈥渉omeboy.鈥澨�

32) Home Skillet听

Home slice became home skillet, somehow.听

33) Catch you on the flip/flipside听

In other words: see you later! The flip or flipside refers to the other side of a vinyl record or cassette tape, which you would need to remove from its player, flip, and reinsert to hear the rest.听

34) Ex-squeeze me听

Bratty form of saying 鈥渆xcuse me.鈥� Let鈥檚 say you鈥檙e at the mall and a bunch of people are crowding the entrance to Claire鈥檚. If you鈥檙e feeling particularly bold, you might say, 鈥淓x-squeeeeeeze me,鈥� and push your way through.听

’90s Pop Culture Slang

35) All that and a bag of chips听

The first TV reference to this incredible phrase comes from , who said the line back in 1993. Taste magazine that the line first showed up in a Baltimore Sun article in 1991, talking about the slang of Black youth in the city. This is one particularly fascinating piece of slang because it became so diffuse in popular culture that it was repeated in the 1999 film Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, the second installment in the Austin Powers film franchise. It was like an inside joke that started with Baltimore youth and spanned the entire breadth of the decade. How sick is that?听

36) Gettin鈥� Jiggy听

Will Smith was really important to 90s slang words. In 1997, he released the song and we were all enamored with the idea. It means hanging loose, going with the flow鈥攂ut in style. It鈥檚 partying, but not in a sloppy way. It鈥檚 gettin鈥� jiggy wit鈥� it. Na na na na na na na na.听听

37) 鈥淚鈥檒l Be Back鈥� said like Arnold Schwarzenegger听

In the ’90s, we loved the Terminator films, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. It was super popular to exit a social situation by saying just like Arnold did in the film (even though it came out in 1984).听

38) also said like Arnold Schwarzenegger听

Same thing here, to mean 鈥淪ee you later.鈥� This line came from Terminator 2, released in 1991. We loved how Arnold said stuff! I never even watched those films as a kid and I was quoting Arnold left and right.听

39) As if听

Cher Horowitz as played by Alicia Silverstone in the movie Clueless popularized this slang term in 1995. Watch all of Clueless or to get a better understanding of the cultural moment.听

鈥淎s if鈥� is just the beginning of a conditional phrase that drops the rest of the conditional. It鈥檚 meant negatively. 鈥淎s if I would ever go out with you,鈥� means 鈥淚 would never go out with you.鈥� And it can all be shortened to 鈥渁s if.鈥澨�

40) Outtie 5,000听

Also popularized in the movie Clueless, saying 鈥渙uttie鈥� or 鈥渙uttie five thousand,鈥� meant that you were leaving.听

41) Scrub听

As : 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want no scrubs / a scrub is a guy who can鈥檛 get no love from me / hangin鈥� out the passenger side of his best friend鈥檚 ride / tryin鈥� to get with me.鈥澨�

42) 鈥淭hat is so not cool.鈥澨�

If your feelings got hurt by someone, it was correct to say, 鈥淭hat is so not cool.鈥澨�

43) Psych / Sike!听

Did you just trick somebody? Quick! You better say, 鈥淧sych!鈥� so they know that you鈥檙e just messing with them. It鈥檚 a way to say you 鈥減syched someone out鈥� by making them believe something that wasn鈥檛 true.听

44) Any quote from the original Austin Powers movie, released in 1997听

Finally, so much of our ’90s slang words came from popular culture, and the original Austin Powers film, released in 1997, gave us so much hilarious slang that we quoted all the time, all with our best Austin Powers impression:听

鈥�鈥� 听
鈥�鈥澨�
鈥�鈥澨�
鈥�鈥� 鈥nd so, so many more.听

’90s Slang Words – More Rad Resources

Are you a ’90s kid looking to brush up on Gen Z slang? Head over to our Guide to Gen Z Slang next.

And no matter what generation you are, check out our games & trivia round-up:

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