DC-area teen slang (1957)

[Benjamin Zimmer]

On Thu, 1 Sep 2005 04:04:45 -0400, Benjamin Zimmer wrote:

>Various antedatings in this article, e.g. "with it" (OED2 1962), "like
>wow" (HDAS 1958, OED2 1959),

The Tommy Sands single "Man, Like Wow" was released Sep. 23, 1957, a week
before the _Post_ article.

>"fungus among us" (HDAS 1960),

1954 _Post Standard_ (Syracuse, NY) 16/1 Some of the expressions are "such
rot," "real cool," "what are you, a bargain?", "he's out of it," "out to
lunch," "who needs it?", "there's a fungus among us."

>"fantabulous" (HDAS 1958, OED2 1959),

1953 _Chicago Tribune_ 23 Jun. 15 (advt.) "Fantabulous" is the word for a
Delta-C&S vacation.

>and "mystery meat" (HDAS/OED3 1968).
>
>-----
>http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?RQT=309&VName=HNP&did=121235300
>Washington Post, Sep 29, 1957, p. F1, col. 1-2
>Parents, you'd better get with it or you're going to find yourself O.T.L.
>when your teen-age sons and daughters start slinging the slang. Last
>year's teen lingo is definitely out of it and you'd better learn the new
>mystery words or you'll never be a frozen feline (the superlative of
>cool-cat).
[...]


--Ben Zimmer