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

It’s 2025 and the ’90s are so back, baby. That’s 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’m rebuying them? The only other things I’m missing are a Delia’s 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’re 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. 

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

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’s 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’m going with this? 

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—and slang as a part of culture—is 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. 

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.  

Guide to ’90s Slang Words

Greetings from the ’90s

1) Wazzup??? 

Yes, let’s start here. This aggressive form of the normal question, “What’s up?” became very popular in the late 90s after a Budweiser beer commercial in which a bunch of normal dudes say “Wazzup” to one another on their corded telephones. People thought this was hilarious. And so we said it all the time. If you’ve never seen the ad, go watch it, and you’ll 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. 

2) ‘Sup? 

‘Sup? as a shortened form of “What’s up?” 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 “‘sup” emerged as many shortened forms do: by dropping the unstressed syllable so only the stressed syllable remains. Now that’s what’s up. 

’90s Compliments & Praise

3) “You go, girl!” 

Also from Martin, “you go girl” was what you said to gas up your girlfriends, before “gassing up” was even a thing. 

4) “You so crazy” 

“You so crazy” is often said laughing at something foolish or silly that someone else has done to make you laugh. 

5) Da bomb 

This means that something is so excellent, it’s explosive. 

6) Da bomb dot com 

After the internet became popular, people literally said that good things were “da bomb dot com,” likely because we had started hearing “dot com” all over the place, and it signified newness and freshness. 

7) Sick 

Don’t get it twisted. If something is “sick,” it’s not “weak,” it’s da bomb. It’s so good it will make you sick.  

8) Ill 

Equally true if something is “ill.” If something is “ill,” it’s awesome. 

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

9) Rad

10) Dope 

11) Phat

12) Fly

13) Off the chain 

If something is “off the chain,” it’s loose, it’s wild, it cannot be controlled, it’s unreal, it’s fantastic, it’s incredible, it’s bold. In short: it’s really, really good. Often used to describe a party or social situation that is particularly exciting, used how people say, “That party was lit,” today. 

14) Off the hook 

In the same vein as “off the chain,” above, “off the hook” connotes that something is so good as to be “wild.” 

Being Dismissive, ’90s Style

15) Whatever

You couldn’t dismiss a situation any better than dismissing it with a drowsy, “Whatever.” It was a surefire way to annoy your parents, as well. 

16) Talk to the hand (‘cause the face don’t wanna hear it) 

“Talk to the hand” 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 “talk to the hand.” You can add “because the face don’t wanna hear it,” for extra flavor. Or “Talk to the elbow, because you aren’t worth the extension” for the ultimate diss. 

The 1992–1997 sitcom Martin is credited with creating and popularizing this term, as well as “you go girl” and “you so crazy,” both below. These terms come directly from Black English. 

17) Weak 

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

18) Weak Sauce 

Now, something weak could also be “weak sauce,” which just brought a little extra flavor to the term above. 

19) Don’t go there, girlfriend. 

This means: uh, uh. Don’t do it. Don’t even start. Leave it alone. It’s meant to push off a sensitive topic or, when escalated, a threat. 

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. “Eat my shorts” was a verbal way of flipping someone off without saying any swear words. It’s gross, no? And it’s meant to be nasty. 

21) Don’t have a cow, man

Bart Simpson also popularized this phrase. It means “chill.”  

22) No Duh

“No duh” is a way to tell someone that something is obvious while copping an attitude with them. 

Your Parents: You’re not staying up watching TV on a school night.
You: No duh. 

23) Not!

In the ’90s, we loved to ironically say something (again, probably obvious) and then say “Not!” really meanly at the end.

Your Parents: Don’t stay out too late, we have church in the morning.
You: Oh yeah, I just love going to church… not! 

24) Take a chill pill! 

Today, we just say, “chill.” In the 90s, we told people to “Take a chill pill” when they needed to relax. 

25) Big Whoop 

Big Whoop means “big deal,” as in, “No big deal.” It’s used to dismiss something. 

Your parents: That’s it, mister, you’re grounded!
You: Big whoop!
Your parents: And that’s another two weeks of being grounded right there! 

How We Talked to Our Friends in the ’90s

26) What’s the 411? 

If you pick up your corded, see-through telephone and dial 4-1-1, you’ll be routed to Directory Assistance or so-called “Information.” It’s like a phone book that you can call to ask for someone’s phone number. Asking “What’s the 411?” is asking someone for information on a party, event, gossip, or anything you need the low-down on. 

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

27) Fo’ shizzle 

A variation of “for sure” made popular by Snoop Dogg (among other -izzle slang). 

28) Trippin’

Trippin’ is an excellent ’90s slang word that simply means that you’re not thinking straight. Someone can “trip” on psychedelics or other drugs, and “trippin’” 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. 

29) Buggin’ 

Buggin’ or buggin’ out means that you’re mentally freaking out. Something has you going out of your mind. 

30) I gotta bounce 

Another way to say, “I gotta go.” 

31) Home Slice

Your home slice is your friend! It’s a derivation of “homie” or “homeboy.” 

32) Home Skillet 

Home slice became home skillet, somehow. 

33) Catch you on the flip/flipside 

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. 

34) Ex-squeeze me 

Bratty form of saying “excuse me.” Let’s say you’re at the mall and a bunch of people are crowding the entrance to Claire’s. If you’re feeling particularly bold, you might say, “Ex-squeeeeeeze me,” and push your way through. 

’90s Pop Culture Slang

35) All that and a bag of chips 

The first TV reference to this incredible phrase comes from an episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, starring Will Smith, who said the line back in 1993. Taste magazine recalls 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? 

36) Gettin’ Jiggy 

Will Smith was really important to 90s slang words. In 1997, he released the song “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit’ It,” and we were all enamored with the idea. It means hanging loose, going with the flow—but in style. It’s partying, but not in a sloppy way. It’s gettin’ jiggy wit’ it. Na na na na na na na na.  

37) “I’ll Be Back” said like Arnold Schwarzenegger 

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

38) “Hasta La Vista, Baby,” also said like Arnold Schwarzenegger 

Same thing here, to mean “See you later.” 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. 

39) As if 

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

“As if” is just the beginning of a conditional phrase that drops the rest of the conditional. It’s meant negatively. “As if I would ever go out with you,” means “I would never go out with you.” And it can all be shortened to “as if.” 

40) Outtie 5,000 

Also popularized in the movie Clueless, saying “outtie” or “outtie five thousand,” meant that you were leaving. 

41) Scrub 

As TLC so tacitly put it: “I don’t want no scrubs / a scrub is a guy who can’t get no love from me / hangin’ out the passenger side of his best friend’s ride / tryin’ to get with me.” 

42) “That is so not cool.” 

If your feelings got hurt by someone, it was correct to say, “That is so not cool.” 

43) Psych / Sike! 

Did you just trick somebody? Quick! You better say, “Psych!” so they know that you’re just messing with them. It’s a way to say you “psyched someone out” by making them believe something that wasn’t true. 

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

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: 

• “Yeah, baby, yeah!”  
• “One million dollars!” 
• “How ‘bout no, Scott?” 
• “Throw me a frickin’ bone here!” …and so, so many more. 

’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.

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