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It sneaked into the vernacular by becoming what linguists call a 'camouflaged form' of speech, said Michael Adams, professor of English at Indiana University and author of 'Slayer Slang: A Buffy the Vampire Slayer Lexicon.' Though the phrase has become widely identified with Stewart, it appeared on several other television shows dating back to the early 1990s, including 'Mad About You' and 'Friends.' But it didn't achieve widespread popularity until the beginning of the current decade, when it began to appear on 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer.' Not so long ago, every other sentence trailed off into 'yada yada yada.' Before that, everyone had 'been there, done that.' And more recently, if you asked too many questions about something, you might be told quite simply: 'It is what it is.'īut how do these phrases come into vogue? It helps, of course, to have a celebrity standard bearer.įor the phrase 'not so much,' that would be Stewart, host of Comedy Central's 'Daily Show.' He famously gives the words an expert, drawn-out delivery, pausing to consider whether the subject at hand passes muster before nailing it with a 'not so much.'

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'Not so much' is just one of a series of contagious phrases to take hold in recent years. 'You can almost mentally see someone hurling the idea into the trash can,' Anders, 54, said of the phrase. Helen Anders, the copy editor who wrote the American-Statesman headline, said she first heard the phrase when her 20-something daughter used it to slough off the idea of dating a potential suitor: 'Yeah, not so much,' her daughter said. Since him, not so much.'Įverywhere you look these days, it seems someone is dismissing something with those three loaded words. As with many other eras of the past, some of the slang words from the '50s are still being used today.The front page of a recent issue of the Austin American-Statesman asks of congressional lobbying shenanigans: 'Scandal breeds reform? Not so much.'Īn entry on the media gossip site observes, 'Tom Cruise can conquer the world?but a car door, not so much.'Īnd the talk-show host Jon Stewart responds this way when asked which Democrat he saw stepping forward to lead the party: On the other end, there was the business of communism and the radicalism of the American teenager. On one end, there was homogeneity in America.

#SNAPPY TOM OLD PHRASE PLUS#

There were drive-in movies, Howard Johnson's and those primal golden arches that embody all things American - McDonald’s was born.Īll of this, plus the brooding idea of McCarthyism and the rising Red Scare of Communism in the undertow, gave 1950s slang a covert language all its own. After all, it had taken a decade to rebound from the depression. It was during this era that America had become more of a homogeneous nation, resilient to change. It was a time where patriarchy reigned supreme the quintessential role of a woman was that of a mother and housewife. The evolution of television ushered in shows that embodied the spirit of the era, such as The Ozzie and Harriet Show, Father Knows Best and Leave it to Beaver. The 1950s was an age of consumerism, with even babies targeted as potential customers. kick - something that's fun (as in 'to get a kick' out of something).gangbusters - anything that’s successful.can - toilet or bathroom (In 1940s slang, “can” referred to a jail or prison.).

burn rubber - to quickly cause a vehicle to accelerate.big tickle - something that’s really funny.beatnik - youth with a relaxed fun-loving lifestyle, including alcohol, drugs, a great music scene, and their own beatnik slang.bake a biscuit - to make a record album.This led to a lot of slang for everyday experiences. Teenagers were going steady and always inventing new words to hide their teenage love affairs. They began living the suburban lifestyle in family homes complete with front lawns, small backyards and garages. The American Dream became a reality for many families during this prosperous decade. wet rag - someone who is boring or who puts a damper on others' fun.

square - a person who conforms to traditional social norms.party pooper - someone who’s not fun to be around.hip /hipster - someone who is cool and with the times.greaser - a guy who used a lot of hair grease a tough guy in general.fast - person who quickly allowed dating relationships to become physical.bird dog - someone who tries to steal your girlfriend.back seat bingo - making out in the back seat of a car.beatnik - a young person who's into the beat lifestyle (music, drugs, booze, etc.).Explore some of the many ways people were discussed during this colorful era. It has long been said that, during this time, one baby was born every seven seconds in the United States. These were the years that the baby boomers were conceived.

Snappy tom old phrase