Kids' Guide to 80s Slang

This is post number 3 in the series “30 Days of Tales from the Loop,” a celebration of the game set in an 80s that never was.

Even players who grew up in the 80s could probably use a refresher course in period slang. Let this be your guide to sprinkling your Kid’s dialogue with colorful phrases. I’ve provided Tales from the Loop-appropriate examples for each entry.

• 411 - Information; 411 was the number for telephone directory assistance in the US. “We’ve gotta get the 411 about sasquatch feeding habits before our new buddy decides to eat US!"
• As if! - No way. “You? A computer genius? As if!"
• Awesome - Something exceptionally good. “You should have seen the explosion! It was awesome!"
• Bad - Something especially cool. “I gotta get some Ray-Bans like those. They’re so bad!"
• Bag Your Face - I suggest you put a bag over your face, either because you are unattractive or I wish you’d shut up. “Bag your face, Tina! If I say I saw an alien, then I saw an alien!"
• Barf Me Out - That totally disgusts me. “Did you see what was left of that cow? Barf me out!"
• Bodacious - Extremely attractive. “So what if she’s a robot? She’s still totally bodacious."
• Bogus - Extra bad. “Homework on a Friday? That’s so bogus!"
• Book / Book It - To flee. “Here come the clones again. Let’s book it!"
• Bitchin’ - Superb. “So our school got flung into another dimension? Bitchin’!"
• Cool Beans - Cool. “You like comic books, too? Cool beans!"
• Don't Have a Cow - Remain calm. “Don’t have a cow, Mom. It’s just a little blood."
• Dweeb - Someone uncool. “I know Johnny’s a dweeb, but who else do we know that can translate this Latin spell?"
• Eat My Shorts - An insult. “Haha! Eat my shorts, robot!"
• Fer Sure - Absolutely. “Will I go to the dance with you? Fer sure!"
• Gag Me With a Spoon - You’re being disgusting. “Oh, gag me with a spoon! If I see another one of those hairy purple bugs I’m gonna barf!"
• Get Bent - Go away / leave me alone. “Get bent, Steve. Can’t you see Mary's upset?"
• Gnarly - Superb. “I’ve never seen such a gnarly bike!"
• Grody / Grody to the Max - Disgusting. “Dude, it pulled his arm right off. It was grody to the max!"
• Gross Me Out the Door - You’re being extra disgusting. “Stop telling me about the arm! Gross me out the door!"
• I’m So Sure - Expression of sarcastic disbelief. “A girlfriend? Todd? I’m so sure."
• Later Days - See you later. “I’ll meet you back at the hideout. Later days."
• Like - Wildcard. “That was, like, the deepest underground I’ve ever been."
• Most Triumphant - Impressive. “Did you see how Bernie outsmarted that T-Rex? It was most triumphant!"
• No Duh - Obviously. “Oh, you think he’ll notice his gun is missing? Like, no duh! But we have to take it!"
• Omigod - A run-together exclamation to a higher power. “Like, omigod, where did you get that metal hand?"
• Psych - Reversal of what was just said. “Sure, Cindy, you can tag along with us. We’d love to have a 6-year-old slowing us down. Psych!"
• Radical - Extremely cool. “Radical! It’s a time portal!"
• Righteous - Amazingly cool. “I don’t know what that pill did to you, Jenny, but those are some righteous wings."
• Stoked - Very excited. “This is proof of psychic phenomena! And just in time for my science project! I’m so stoked!"
• Take A Chill Pill / Chill Out / Chill - Calm down. “Take a chill pill, Mrs. Cook! We were only borrowing the Necronomicon!"
• Totally - Exceedingly or absolutely. “We are TOTALLY going to flunk the math test if we don’t get away from this cult before school starts."
• Tubular - Excellent, cool, or otherwise rad. “These hoverboards are totally tubular!"
• What’s Your Damage? - What’s wrong with you? “You tore apart my boom box to make some weird contraption? What’s your damage, you little dweeb?"
• Wicked - Excellent. “I just had a wicked idea! Let’s send our clones to school while we hit the arcade!"