Friday, March 4, 2011

Some people call me Maurice....

I've been at my mom's since Tuesday which explains why I've been mostly incommunicado from the blogosphere this week. I faked you out with my Hodgepodge posts, didn't I? Can't let the criminal element know I'm out of town....I'm certain they sit around reading my blog.

Anyway, I'm home now and it's Friday afternoon and I've opened my email inbox and my blog inbox and my facebook and WOW!...a lot happens when you don't check in regularly. I'll catch up this weekend but today I wanted to join Flashback Friday over on Linda's blog. You can read the full prompt here but essentially she's asked about what sorts of fads and expressions were popular when we were growing up. Since it's such a huge topic I've decided to focus on the expressions because I'm kinda all about words here.



I consider myself a child of the 1970's. My birthday and age aren't really a secret since I wrote a post or ten about my BIG day back in September. I'll go ahead and save you the trouble of doing the math and tell you I turned 10 years old in 1970. I'm sure my undying love of music from that decade is all tied up with the fact that it was the soundtrack to my adolescence. And also because it's the best music ever. Period.

When I read the prompt I started thinking about what words and expressions were popular back in the day and there were zillions. It's possible a few of them seeped so deeply into my vocabulary that I continue to periodically throw them out there today, not so much in public but definitely in my own home.

I asked my hubs what expressions he remembered and the first word that popped out of his mouth was, guess what? Psyche! I already wrote about his love of that term here so I won't rehash it now but wow, has it been around for 30+ years? Were the 70's more than three decades ago? Am I old?

C.B. radios were a big thing back in the 70's and came with their own lingo, some of which spilled over into everyday speech...Hey Good Buddy, Smokies (police officers) and especially 'Keep on Truckin' although I am pretty certain I never uttered the words, 'Keep on Truckin'. I mean, C.B. radios were big out on the interstate highways but not so much in the leafy suburbs of southern NJ.

The television show Saturday Night Live debuted in the 70's and many popular expressions made their way into our everyday speech as a result...'Well, ex-cuuuuuuuuuuuuse me!' was huge. Steve Martin used it regularly and thus so did teenage America. He also used the phrase, "Everything copasetic?" and I still like that one.

Another word you heard a lot in the 70's was 'turkey' as in, 'Don't be a turkey.' Insulting, but usually meant in a joking way.

We could still take a joke in the 1970s.

How about the word, 'bummer'? Do people still use this word...besides me I mean? I definitely used this one growing up...'that's a bummer', 'what a bummer', or just plain 'bummer'. Oh, and also ripoff...that was huge. Because when you're a teenager and parents put the kibosh on your fun it felt good to shout, 'What a rip-off!!!' as you were sent to your room.

Another word that was huge back in the day was 'duh' or even better, 'no duh'. Said whenever someone stated the obvious which must have been often because I remember it becoming really tiresome. And it had to be said in a particular tone so that the person on the receiving end would be made to feel like an idiot.

Evidently Charlie Sheen is bringing it back, as in-'I'm a winner, duh.'

He's seriously not right.
No duh.

Speaking of drugs, ahem...when it comes to words the drug culture of the 70's also added to our vocabulary. I have a crystal clear memory of riding somewhere in the car with my sweet mom when Steve Miller's-The Joker started playing on the radio. My mom looked at me, her innocent and naive thirteen year old daughter, and asked, 'What's a toker?' I remember feeling nervous and embarrassed as I did my best to explain. Did I even know?

More importantly, what's 'the Pompatus of Love?' and why didn't she ask me that one. Isn't that the question most people ask when they hear The Joker? I still can't answer.

I could go on and on but I need to book. This was cool-city and I was stoked to be part of Flashback Friday today...it rocked to the max. I hope your weekend is decent and you get to hang and chill with your peeps.

Oh seriously, I never talked like that.

Okay, maybe that last bit might have been me but for the most part while I didn't use a lot of slang I did hear a lot of slang and those words and expressions are all tangled up with my childhood memories.

Have I mentioned my favorite thing about the decade was the music?

17 comments:

  1. Even though, I'm probably more of a child of the 80s than the 70s..I'll give you a hint..I'll be 38 this month. ;) I really remember alot of this stuff. And, it's so funny, because my dad calls my kids "Ya little turkey" all the time, LOL. Aaahh..those wre the days. I enjoyed this post so much Joyce, thanks for sharing! Hope you enjoyed your time with your mom!

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  2. So funny. "We could still take a joke in the seventies" made me laugh out loud.

    I am right there with you, my friend. This year is my big birthday. My new van came with a 3-month XM subscription and I discovered there's a '70s station. Oh my, talk about the good ol' days!

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  3. I'm so glad you joined in today! I'd forgotten about some of the "sayings" that you mentioned! Some of your post made me laugh out loud--such fun memories! I agree with you--the 70's music is the best ever!!!

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  4. I remember all of those, mainly because I was teaching high school in the '70's. I think we all relate to the music when we were 10, which is why I love listening to the '50's of 5 on Sirius satellite radio.

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  5. Oh, Joyce, you have brought back so many memories! I also remember CB radios, my brother got one and we had a blast listening to reports of "Smokies" (police speed traps). An earlier form of Social Media perhaps?

    I also love 70's music, the Sirius 70's station is the first button on my car radio! I remember 8 tracks, streaking (never saw it and never participated, just heard reports) and platform shoes.

    My favorite word from the 70's? Funky! A classic.

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  6. You do have a way with word. We all knew that. Duh! :)
    Loved reading your memories. Since we moved back to P. when I was turning teenager, I didn´t get a chance to use the slang, but I do remember them well.

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  7. I was a new mom in the 70s, but I remember (almost) all of the expressions you used. I was a huge Steve Martin fan.
    The "chill out" 60s still hold some interesting memories for me.

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  8. That was awesome! I can remember a lot of those, I think my siblings used many of them. My life's sound track came straight from the early 80's. I remember my sibs saying that someone was a "clepto" if they took something that wasn't theirs and "let's get booking" when they needed to am-scray. If I had time to think of a few more, I would add them here, but I have make like a tree and leave. :)

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  9. Hope you had a great time at your mom's. Isn't it fun to look back and remember key things from growing up? I wasborn in the 70's, but really consider myself a child of the 80's.

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  10. Hubby & I were flashed-back to the Beastie Boys tonight. Remember Brass Monkey? Haha

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  11. I think we can classify this weeks Flashback as a real flash back to the 1970's...we can all remember with a smile but I think I am perfectly happy right where I am now!

    Blessings
    R

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  12. I call people turkeys often and bummer is always said in our family. My ma in law is big on it. :)

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  13. I was born in 1970 and I remember a lot of these. We had a lot of "valley talk" in the 80's and now when I hear it all I can think is "Gag me with a spoon!"

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  14. Loved this post! I was 10 in 1968, so the 70s were a big part of my life. I don't even cringe when I look back at the styles and hair! And you are so right about the music. Nothing like it since. Thanks for the smiles!

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  15. I had a CB in my '77 camaro...wish I still had that car. Funny how we still sing the words to the songs, but some of them I JUST now sense. Fleetwood Mac and the BeeGees have been on the Bio-channel and that REALLY makes me feel old.

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