Slang that changed with the times

You probably use at least one of these slang words. Which one is it?

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Every decade had its own way of talking. From flappers sipping "giggle water" to Gen Z spilling the "tea," slang has always captured the mood of the moment. Some phrases faded, others stuck around, and a few might just make a comeback. So let’s take a stroll through time and revisit the lingo that defined each generation. Who knows? You might find yourself saying "cowabunga" again by the end!

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The Roaring Twenties weren’t just about jazz and flappers, they were a goldmine for slang. With the prohibition, people needed new ways to call the everyday things.

For example, when someone needed a drink, they'd grab some "giggle water" (aka booze). And if something gave them the creeps? That was the "heebie-jeebies." With Prohibition in full swing, nightlife went underground and the language got wildly creative..

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The Great Depression may have hit hard, but Americans still found ways to have their fun and talk the talk.

Back then, a "cat" wasn’t your house pet; it was a cool, swing-loving person. Something elegant or flashy? That was "ritzy." Despite the tough times, slang added a touch of glamour to everyday life.

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World War II shaped everything in the ’40s, from fashion to film and yes, slang too. For example, a stunning woman was a "bombshell" (remember pin-up posters?), and if someone had charm or finesse, they were "slick."

This was a decade of heroes, hustle, and Hollywood glamour, where talk was tough but stylish. Slang from this time still turns heads, and honestly? Some of these words are still in use today.

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The postwar boom brought shiny cars, drive-ins, and a new breed of teenager. If the kids were underfoot, you might call them "ankle-biters." And if the party was a snooze? Total "Dullsville."

The 1950s language reflected the optimism and suburban sprawl of the era, with just enough rebellion to keep things interesting. It was all milkshakes, jukeboxes, and just a little teen angst.

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The '60s were a whirlwind of change, civil rights, Vietnam, Woodstock… And the language was just as bold. If you wanted someone to relax, you could tell them to "hang loose." If you wanted to hear all about the juicy gossip, you said, "lay it on me."

Slang became a badge of youth culture and counterculture. Whether you were protesting or partying, the right phrase could say it all without saying too much.

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Welcome to the land of disco balls and bell-bottoms. In the ’70s, if you looked sharp, you were "decked out." And if you were saying goodbye? "Catch you on the flip side."

This was a groovy era with laid-back vibes and just enough glitter to keep it funky. These are just a few examples!

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Neon colors, arcade games, and Valley Girls? Yep, we’ve made it to the ’80s. If someone was getting too worked up, you told them to "take a chill pill." And if things were awesome? "Cowabunga!" (Ninja Turtles vibes, right?)

Slang from this era was so fun… The wave of pop culture, MTV, and outrageous fashion. Admit it: You still hear "like, totally" in your head sometimes.

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The ’90s were a mix of dial-up tones and grunge rock, and the slang was laid-back with attitude. Messed up? Just say "my bad." Found something great? It was "da bomb."

This was the golden age of sitcoms, slap bracelets, and the first steps onto the internet. The lingo was casual, a little goofy, and perfect for a generation that loved irony with their flannel.

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Ah, the early 2000s… Back when phones flipped and everyone was choosing their "Top 8" on MySpace. Your "BFF" (best friend forever) was a must, and to wind down, you’d "chillax" (a combination of "chill" and "relax"). It was a mash-up era, and the slang followed suit. Y2K didn’t end the world, but it definitely changed how we talked.

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With the rise of social media, everyone became fluent in internet speak. "Throw shade" meant giving someone a subtle (or not-so-subtle) dig, and "mood" was shorthand for anything you could relate to.

Emojis weren’t just extras, they were also part of the language. The 2010s gave us the meme culture, and with it, a whole new way of expressing ourselves in fewer words than ever.

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We may only be partway through the 2020s, but Gen Z has already left its linguistic mark. If someone’s being dramatic, they’re "extra." And if there’s gossip to share? Time to "spill the tea."

The lingo is fast-moving, TikTok-powered, and always evolving. You don’t have to use it, but understanding it earns serious cool points with the grandkids.

History is written by winners? 10 failure stories that changed the world

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Truman Capote once said, "Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor." In the same line, Benjamin Franklin claimed: "He that can have patience can have what he will." Patience and perseverance are fundamental when it comes to conquering the anguish of things not going as planned. Numerous scientists, inventors, actors, musicians, and writers throughout history have had to fail many times before achieving their goals. Are you familiar with the stories of these 10 great men who had to make mistakes to finally have success? Surely, you’ll feel inspired to overcome your own failures after reading this article!

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Besides having very good ideas, Thomas Alva Edison also had a lot of patience. And patience is fundamental to overcoming any failure. Between 1878 and 1880, he worked on at least three hundred theories with the aim of developing an efficient incandescent lamp.

It took him two years of trial and error to find the right elements to achieve his goal. After at least a thousand failed attempts, he achieved what would be his most resounding and revolutionary invention. "I have not failed 10,000 times—I’ve successfully found 10,000 ways that will not work," he later said.

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The golden age of Hollywood was highly competitive and cutthroat. Before becoming a superstar, the talented Fred Astaire experienced rejection firsthand. In the 1930s, when he was still taking his first steps, he was handed a performance report after a casting call: "Can't act. Slightly bald. Also dances," it said. Astaire himself would say that the audition was disappointing for him.

In a 1933 notebook from RKO Pictures, film producer David O. Selznick described the audition as "appalling". Nevertheless, these awful remarks weren’t enough reason for the actor to be discouraged or for the studio to close its doors completely: Fred Astaire ended up starring in ten films for RKO.

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The famous Dutch painter died young, believing he was a failure. Vincent looked at his paintings with enormous frustration as he found it much harder to sell them than to paint them. He was tormented by the thought of what people might say about his works.

He was a gloomy, melancholic, and lonely artist who was unable to manage his mood swings. At the end of his life, he developed a depression that eventually led him to suicide. While he was alive, Vincent Van Gogh sold only a handful of his works, even though today he is one of the most famous artists in the world and his paintings are worth millions.

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Walt Disney, the man who created an empire out of pure creativity, didn't have it easy. Along the way, he failed, and failed badly. Walt was a mediocre student and had several jobs before becoming the dream maker we all know today. As a boy, he helped his father deliver newspapers in Kansas, enlisted in the army, wrote newspaper ads, and had several animation studios that went bankrupt.

Determined not to give up, he created Mortimer, which at his wife's suggestion would be renamed Mickey Mouse. Many of his competitors assumed that sound-animated films would be just a fad, but when Walt launched the short Willie on the Steamboat in 1928, it received excellent reviews. From then on, both Walt and Mickey continued to grow nonstop.

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All members of the Nobel family were great inventors, revolutionizing the arms industry in 19th-century Europe. Alfred, in particular, dedicated his life to finding a way to use and control nitroglycerin. However, in 1864, when success seemed to be the family trademark, a terrible explosion destroyed their factory. Five workers and Alfred's younger brother died.

Nobel decided to start again from scratch. After several attempts, he discovered that mixing the explosive with diatomaceous earth created a paste-like composition that kept nitroglycerin’s composition intact. This made it transportable, manageable, and safe. The unprecedented discovery was patented in 1867 under the name Dynamite. Dynamite eventually made Alfred Nobel one of the richest men of his time.

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Carrie, the King of Horror's first novel, received dozens of rejections from different publishers. Stephen King almost gave up, but his wife rescued the first pages of the story and convinced him to continue working. The author started collecting the rejection letters, and he later admitted he also received suggestions and advice that were key to perfecting his writing.

Finally, in 1974, the American publishing company Doubleday agreed to publish Carrie, which quickly became a bestseller. To date, Stephen King has published over 200 short stories and around 65 novels, many of them with record sales and multiple film and television adaptations.

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A series of bad business decisions bankrupted Charles Goodyear’s manufacturing company. After this setback, the self-taught inventor focused his energies on finding a way to create synthetic rubber that would be resistant to sudden temperature changes.

He had many attempts but couldn’t find the right formula. One day, by accident, he spilled a mixture of sulfur, rubber, and lead on a hot stove. Surprisingly, the material didn’t melt. Goodyear named this phenomenon vulcanization after the Roman god Vulcan. Although the invention didn’t make him rich and he ultimately died covered in debt, the vulcanization technology discovered by Charles Goodyear in the 1840s is still used today.

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The technology industry knows a lot about failure. They know about trial, error, observation, and constant improvement in pursuit of evolution. If there is one thing Bill Gates has experienced firsthand, it is embracing failure as a natural step on the path towards progress.

Among his forgettable list of disappointments is his first company, Traf-O-Data, an ambitious project that never prospered. But that didn't stop Gates as he began to forge what would become the future of the personal computer. Microsoft was not exempt from failures either, Windows Vista being one of the best examples. However, none of these setbacks ever stopped Bill Gates, who is, to this day, one of the richest and most successful men in the world.

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A doctor who is not comfortable with touching his patients? It seems like the perfect formula for failure! In the early 19th century, it was very common for doctors to bring their ears close to their patients’ chests to hear their breathing or heartbeat. But for the prudish French physician René Laënnec, physical touch was virtually impossible.

Laënnec recalled seeing two children playing with a hollowed-out tree trunk, listening to sounds. He knew he had found a way around his struggles. He looked for a wooden cylinder, hoping to achieve the same sound effect. He succeeded: he could hear the heartbeat at a long enough distance. This experimental object worked so well that it became the genesis of the stethoscope, a fundamental tool for physicians to this day.

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According to his first music teachers, little Ludwig was a mediocre musician and a lousy violinist who had no talent for creating harmonies and melodies. To prove them all wrong, Beethoven's father forced his son to practice complex pieces of music in order to produce a "child prodigy" who could be considered "the new Mozart".

Eventually, the pressure paid off. In 1782, at the age of 12, Beethoven published his first piano composition. At the age of 40, at the height of his musical splendor, he became completely deaf. Despite his difficulties, Ludwig van Beethoven went on to publish 138 works during his career and is considered one of the most brilliant composers and pianists in history.