| A Gas |
A lot of fun. |
| All show and no go. |
Referenced to a car that had all the pretty chrome goodies,
but wouldn't get out of its own way |
| Ape |
Used with "Go", "Gone" or "Went". To explode or go completely irate. Example: "When my parents saw my report card, they went ape. |
| BA |
Bare Ass |
| Bad |
Awesome. |
| Badass |
A tough guy. A guy you really don't want to mess with. |
| Bag |
To Steal. Example: Who bagged my towel? ; also see Score
Also; "What's your bag" meaning what's your problem or where are you coming from. |
| Ball |
To party, as in Little Richards "Good Golly Miss Molly, Sho Like To Ball".
Later, it meant having intercourse. |
| Bean Wagon |
A Lowered all the way around, usually Hispanic owned Chevy, but could be anything. |
| Beat Feet |
Leave the scene in a hurry. |
| Birth Control Seats |
Bucket Seats |
| Bitchin |
Good, Exciting, Awesome. |
| Blast |
A Great Time. Example: "We had a blast at the Prom". |
| Blew the doors off |
Easily beat the other car in a race. |
| Blitzed |
Drunk |
Blown
|
A
car engine that has a blower (supercharger) installed. Goes between the
intake manifold and the carburetors/injectors. The blower made it go
faster, which was always good. |
| Blue Flamer |
Take a B.A. ( also in the slang section ) and add a big fart...then ignite it with a match.. |
| Bogart |
To "hog" something. |
| Bone Yard |
Auto wrecking yard; Junk yard. |
| Boogie |
See Cut Out |
| Book |
Leave the area. |
| Bookin' |
Going real fast, usually in a car. |
| Bread |
Money |
| Brew (Brewski) |
Beer |
| Brody |
Also, Brody Out; To skid in a half circle with the brakes locked up. |
| Brody Knob |
See "Suicide Knob" |
| Buddha Head |
Someone of Asian descent. (Pre-Political Correctness) |
| Bug out |
Leave the premises |
| Bummed out |
Depressed |
| Bummer, What a |
How depressing |
Burn Rubber
|
To accelerate hard spinning the tires, making noise, and billows of smoke come from the rear of the vehicle. |
| Candyass |
A real wimp or an uncool thing. |
 |
| Cat |
A guy. |
| Cherry |
Pristine, Totally Clean. Example: "That rod is cherry"! |
| Chick |
A girl or a woman. |
| Chicken, To play |
Two cars race toward each other; the first to
pull to the side is the chicken (coward)
|
Chinese Fire Drill
|
Stop
at a Red Light. Everyone on the Driver's side would run around and get
in on the Passenger's side. Everyone on the Passenger's side would run
around and get in on the Driver's side. |
| Choice |
Really cool or bitchin. Example: "That girl with the tight sweater is really choice." |
Choose Off
|
To pick a fight or a race; as in, "John is going to choose-off Bob in a
race for pinks". Or, "Ralph chose-off Bertha after school and she
kicked his butt." |
Chop
|
To cut down verbally.Example: "Man, you're so ugly, you gotta slip up on a glass to get a drink of water." (Now that was a "chop".) |
| Chopped |
A section is cut out horizontally through the roof pillars of a car to
lower the roof. |
| Chrome Dome |
A bald guy. |
| Church Key |
Before poptops, a Beer or Soda can was opened with one of these. |
| Circus Wagon |
A car, usually lowered, with an outlandish paint job, but in lousy shape, mechanically |
| "Climb it, Tarzan" |
An act of defiance. Said while giving someone "the bird". |
| Cool |
Nice. |
| Cool Head |
Nice Guy |
| Cooties |
Someone who wasn't cool had them. No one ever saw them, but you knew who had them. |
| Cop a Feel |
Touch a girls "parts", sometimes pretending it was an accident |
| Copasetic |
Very good; all right, as in no problems. Example: Everything is copasetic. |
| Crash |
Go to bed; go to sleep. |
| Crop Duster |
A car with loud glasspacks. |
| Cruising |
Driving up and down the same street looking for races, girls, guys, etc. |
| Cut Out |
To leave without ceremony. As in, "Bob, this party is a drag. I'm gonna cut out." |
| Cut Outs |
Additions
to the exhaust system that would let you open the exhaust pipe in front
of the muffler to let the engine breathe easier, thus adding horsepower
and a whole lot of noise. |
| Daddy-O |
Actually a 50's term for Man. |
|
| Daddy's Car |
A car that was very conservative looking; that might be owned by your parents. |
| Dagoed |
To lower a car in the front. (See Rake) |
Decked
|
A term used to indicate that the trunk handle had been removed, the holes filled, sanded smooth and primed. (See Nosed) |
| Decked Out |
Dressed up. |
| Deuce |
A 1932 Ford. As in, "She's my Little Deuce Coupe, you don't know what I got". |
| Dibs |
Most always used with "Got". Example: I "got dibs" on that Coke bottle. Meaning you owned that Coke bottle. |
| Dig |
Do you understand? |
| Ditz |
An Idiot |
| Don't Flip Your Wig |
See "Don't have a Cow". |
Don't have a Cow
|
Used when someone was "going ape" or perhaps being a "spaz."
Example: So I took your book by mistake, don't have a cow about it. |
| Don't Sweat It |
Don't worry about it; stop bothering me |
Drag
|
To race another car a short distance (sometimes one block, sometimes
two or three blocks) from a standing start at a stoplight when the
light turned green. The term originally comes from the phrase "main
drag", a combination of "main" or main street in town, and "drag" which
referred to a car that was lowered in the back and dragged the ground
if it hit a bump while racing or was just so low that it touched the
ground if the street was not perfectly level. |
| A Drag |
Someone or something that's boring or un-enlightening |
| Drawing Designs |
Usually some guy looking a girl over REAL good. Example: Ron was really drawing designs on Carolyn at the party last night. |
Duck Butt, Duck Tail or DA
|
A
way of combing your hair in the back. Instead of combing your hair
straight down in the back, you would comb both sides in towards the
middle and then, with
the end of the comb, part it down the middle. |
| Dude |
In the 60's, a dude was a geek or a panty waist. |
Easy
|
Another way of saying Goodbye. Example: "Easy, Man!!".
Also a girl who was a sure thing, sexually. Example: That girl Bob took out last night was "Easy". |
| "El Stinko" |
El Segundo. |
| Fab |
Great, fantastic, fabulous. |
|
| Far Out |
Excellent, cool. |
| Fink |
A tattle tale. Example: You're such a fink. Why do you always tell mom everything I do? |
| Five Finger Discount |
Anything obtained by theft. |
| Five-Oh-Two |
Drunk Driving (502 was the State penal code number for the drunk driving infraction at that time) |
| Flake |
A useless person. |
| Flake Off |
Get outta here. |
| Flat Top |
A very short hair cut, usually cut extra close on top. |
| Flat Top with Fenders |
A flat top with long sides. |
| Flee the Scene |
See Bug Out |
| Flip Flops |
Thongs (that went on your feet) |
| Flippers |
Dodge Lancers or Olds Fiesta Hub Caps. |
| Flower Child |
A Hippie |
| Fox |
An outstanding looking girl or woman. |
| Freak Out |
Temporary loss of control due to an unpleasant event. |
| Funky |
Neat, Cool; also gone bad. Example: I think that milk is funky. |
| "F**kin' A" |
This was simply the vulgar form of, "I concur". |
| Fuzz |
The Police |
| Get or Lay Rubber |
To
leave some rubber on the street while accelerating in a vehicle. A term
used usually with first, second, third, or fourth gear.
Example: "Bob's 49 Ford is pretty fast. He can get second gear rubber." |
| Gimme some skin |
Shake hands |
|
| Ginchy |
Form of this word made famous by Ed Kookie Byrnes in the song, "Kookie, Kookie, lend me you comb". (Baby, you're the Ginchiest!" |
| Go All The Way |
Have sex with. |
| Going Steady |
If you were "Going Steady", you were dating only one special person. |
| Golden |
See Cherry. |
| Gone |
Cool,
groovy, neat, neato; said of a person, as in He's a real gone cat. Or
you could say, I'm gone over him. (wowed, infatuated, totally sold on). |
| Gnarly |
Originally
a difficult or large wave (He wiped out on a gnarly wave),later
anything big or difficult (The Chemistry test was gnarly.), then later
an expletive of approval (That custom paint job is gnarly!) |
| Greaser |
A guy that used too much grease in his hair. Usually "LB Butch Wax" or "Pomade" |
| Gremmy(sp) |
A rookie surfer. |
| Groovy |
Nice, "Cool" or Neat. Used commonly among hippies in the 60's. |
| Groady (grow'- tee): |
A shortened version of grotesque. When we went to wash
the car (by hand at the park) we wore our grotees. Also, someone's dorm room
if it was "trashed" out would be called grotey. |
| Gross |
anything disgusting, unacceptable, rude or
unpleasant. |
| Glasspacks |
Mufflers that are packed with fiberglass to muffle the sound. They came in
different lengths. The shorter the glasspacks, the louder the car. |
| Gutt Waddin' |
Any type of cheap fast food, to fill you up and take the hunger away. Example:"I'm going to Skippys to get some Gut Waddin." |
| Hacked |
Angry,
disgusted, mad, ticked off, etc. Sometimes used in reference to
parents. "My Old Man is really hacked at me about my grades...." |
| Hairy |
Large; out of control. Example: "Check out the hairy slicks on that Chevy. |
|
| Hangin' |
Awesome, Cool. |
| Hangin' a B.A. |
A
car full of guys pulls up to another car (usually full of girls) and
one of the guys pulls down his pants, bends over, and sticks his "bare
ass" out the window. |
| Hang Loose |
Relax; Take it easy. |
| Haulin (Ass) |
See Bookin' |
| Hauls Ass |
A car that really moves. Example: "Since Ron put the new engine in his car, it really hauls ass!" |
| Heat |
The Cops |
| Heavy |
Deep, Cool, Chaotic, Sad, Controversial |
| Hep |
With it. A person who understands the situation. |
| Hip |
Very good,cool. |
| Hodad |
A non-surfer, usually someone who just hangs around the beach. |
| Hook |
Steal |
| Hopped Up |
See Souped Up |
| Hunk |
What a girl would call a good looking guy |
| "It's El Segundo" |
That refinery smell is stinking up Hawthorne again. |
| Ivy Leaguers |
A type of men's pants with no pleats, made of polished cotton,
and with a buckle in the back. |
|
| Jacked Up |
 To Raise the front end of a car. Done to transfer weight to the rear wheels for drag racing or just to make your car look cool. Car shown with Collector Headers.
|
| Jam |
To leave the area, (See "Cut Out") Example: "Hey John, this party is going to get busted. I'm going to jam!" |
| Jazzed |
Elated, Excited; "This is going to be a great reunion. I'm really
jazzed about going." |
| Jelly Roll |
Another way of combing your hair. You comb it up and forward on both sides
and bring it together in the middle of the forehead. |
| Jinx, You Owe Me A Coke!! |
When two people said the same thing at the same time, one would slug the other on the shoulder and say these 6 little words.
I don't think anyone ever paid up. |
| Jump Bad |
Looking for a fight - acting
tough. As in "I think Jim was drunk last night, he tried to jump bad
with everybody!" |
| Keen or Keen-o |
Someone or something that was Cool. |
| Kibosh |
To quickly put a stop to; Put the Kibosh on |
| Kipe |
To steal. |
| Kissee |
A cross between kiss-ass and sissy. |
| Kiss up |
The proverbial "Teachers Pet". This person who would do anything to
please the teacher. |
| Knocked Up |
Pregnant |
| Kybo |
The bathroom. Stood for Keep Your Bowels Open. |
| Later |
Goodbye; See you later |
|
| Lay A Patch/Strip |
To accelerate leaving a strip or patch of rubber behind on
the road. |
| Lay it on me |
Speak your piece. |
| Lay some scratch |
To burn rubber in a vehicle. Example: That car is so powerful it can get second gear scratch. |
| Lead Sled |
Lead was used prior to Bondo to fill in the holes and to do body work.
A lead sled was a car that had extensive body fill work done with lead. |
| Light'em Up |
See Burn rubber |
| Lip Flappin' |
Talking about things of little importance. |
| Loaded |
Intoxicated |
| Lowered |
To drop a car all the way around. Car shown with Lake Pipes
|
| Make Out |
Usually a kissing session in a parked car at a Drive In or other secluded place. |
| "Meanwhile Back At The Ranch" |
Used when someone who was telling a story would
ramble off to another subject. So, the term was used by the listener to get
the storyteller back on track. The term itself was no doubt linked to "the
Western," which was TV's dominant genre in the late 50s and early 60s.
Bonanza, Have Gun Will Travel, Rawhide, The Virginian and many more shows. |
| Meat |
As in, "Hey Meat"; A jocks term for "Guy" or "Man" |
| Melvin |
See Wedgie; Example: "Jimmy the Fink was smarting off to Billy, so I sneaked up behind him and gave him a Melvin." |
| Midnight Auto Supply |
Car parts obtained through theft. |
| Mirror Warmer |
Usually,
a piece of pastel blue or pink cashmere that was attached to elastic
and was placed around the perimeter of your inside rear view mirror. It
was usually your girl friends idea. |
| Moon |
To drop your pants, bend over, and show your bare butt. (See "Hangin a B.A.") |
| Moons (Baby Moons) |
Chrome hubcaps that were smooth and domed. They fit the inner part of the wheel, leaving room for beauty rings. |
| Neat (Neato) |
Nice; Sharp |
| Nifty |
Meaning "Cool" but usually said by someone who wasn't. |
| Nosed |
A
term used to indicate that the hood ornament had been removed and the
holes filled with bondo. The spot was sanded smooth and at least
primed. (See Decked) |
| Old Lady |
Your Mother. |
|
| Old Man |
Your Father. |
| On the Make |
Usually after a break up of steadies, a guy or girl who was "on the make" was looking very hard for a new mate.
Also, someone who's looking for another someone, sexually. |
| Outta Sight |
Fantastic, Awesome. Example: Hey Kathleen, that tie dyed top your wearing is "outta sight". |
| Pad |
Someone's house. Example: There wasn't much to do so we all hung out at
John's pad, drank Cokes and listened to records. |
| Padiddle |
A
word "called" by someone that has just seen a car with one headlight.
The caller then receives a kiss from the person of their choice. |
| Padunkle |
Same as a Padiddle only it refers to a car with one taillight. |
| Pants |
An
activity where usually two or more boys physically remove the pants
from another boy so as to cause him embarrassment in a group setting. |
| Panty Waist |
A mama's boy or a geek. |
| Paper Shaker |
Pom Pom Girl |
| Passion Pit |
Drive-in Theater |
| Peel Out |
(See Lay A Patch/Strip) |
| Peepers |
Glasses |
| Peggers |
A type of men's pants, very similar to today's dockers, but with a
cuff. |
| PG |
Pregnant |
| Pig |
Cop |
| Pig Out |
Over eat |
| Pin |
To look hard at someone. Example: Hey Bob, That guy over there is really pinning you. |
| Port Holer |
57 T-bird |
| Pound |
If someone was going to beat up someone else you said he was going to
"pound" the other person. For an example, Joe caught Jim with the hubcaps
that he stole from Joe's '50 Merc last night. He'll probably pound him
after school. |
| Primo |
First class. |
| Rake |
 Also "On a Rake". To lower the front end of a car.
(Shown with Scavenger pipes) Example: "Carl's short has a bitchin' rake." |
| Race for Pinks |
Also race for pink slips. Meaning two people race and the winner gets the others car. |
|
| Rags |
Clothes |
| Rap |
Talk |
| Rat Fink |
(See Fink) |
| Raunchy |
Raw, Rank, Disgusting |
| Real Gone Cat |
Someone who marches to his own drummer. Example: The Fonz is a real gone cat. |
| Right On |
I agree; I concur |
| Righteous |
Extremely
fine, beautiful. For guys it was generally used when talking about
the most important areas of our lives; cars and women.
|
| Ripped Off |
To have something stolen, or to have stolen something |
| Rule |
As in, "Hodads Rule"; To take ownership of |
| Sad |
An expression of disapproval. Example: "That cat is really sad." |
| Sano |
Usually referring to someones car, or part of ones car, as being pristine: "Ron did a sano job on his 56 Chevy".
also "Super Sano" (Very Pristine) |
| Scarf |
To eat very fast. Example:"I'm going to scarf this hot dog". |
| Scheming |
When someone is really interested in the opposite sex. Example: "Jim is really scheming on Jill" |
| Score |
To obtain something valuable or necessary; (Let's go score some pizza.); Also to go all the way with a girl. |
| Scratch |
Money |
| Screwed, Got |
Cheated out of something |
| Screwed up |
Made a mistake; messed up in the head; intoxicated |
| Sectioned |
A section is cut out horizontally through the body of a car to give it a lower sleeker look |
| Sex Pot |
A sexy or seductive woman. |
| Shades |
Sunglasses |
| Shag Ass |
Let's get out of here. Example: "Let's shag ass before the cops get here." |
| Shake it, Don't Break it! |
Said to a girl who had an awesome wiggle in her walk. |
| Shotgun |
A place of honor in the front seat of a car nearest the door.
Usually reserved for the coolest guy in the group besides the driver of the
car. If there is a doubt, before entering the car someone will call shotgun
and then everyone will argue as to who actually will ride shotgun. |
| Skag |
An ugly girl. |
| Skank |
See Skag |
| Skanky |
Gross, Disgusting |
| Skirt |
Girl |
| Skuzz |
Lowdown; undesirable |
| Skuzz Bucket |
An ugly car |
| Slut |
A promiscuous girl |
| So Fine |
Another cool or bitchin' thing. "That girl in my science class is
so fine". |
| Smokem' |
"Let's see you burn rubber" |
| Solid |
Something that is ok or all right. |
| Sosh |
Meaning a person who is stuck-up, snooty, and thinks they are better than everyone else. Example: "That girl wearing those fuzzy bobby-sox is a real sosh!" (Now, in the 90's, we know of course, that fuzzy bobby-sox DO indicate superiority.) |
| So Tough |
See Tough |
| Souped Up |
A car that's had the engine modified to go fast. Example: "Bob really souped up his car. It did the quarter in 14.5 seconds!" |
| Spaz |
Used as a put down, or to describe someone who was acting retarded. |
| Split |
See Cut Out |
| Sponge |
One
big need. Everything you get comes from those around you. AKA; bum.
Also practiced by those who are so stingy as not to spend their own
money. Someone who is always borrowing money or is always broke. A
spongy person |
| Square |
Someone who was not "Cool". Example: "Jerry's so square, all he does is his homework, watch TV, and he doesn't even like Elvis!" |
| Stacked |
Being well endowed, "Upstairs" Example: "Wow, that girl is really stacked!!" |
| Steady |
Boyfriend or Girlfriend |
| Stoked (as in I'm stoked) |
Excited |
| Stone |
A car that's pretty slow |
| Stoned |
Intoxicated |
| Stood Up |
When a guy (or girl) didn't show up for a date |
| Stuck Up |
Conceited |
| Stud |
See Hunk |
| Submarine Races |
A
place at the beach or PV, where you would park facing the ocean and
wait for the Submarines to start racing. Of course they wouldn't show
up, but while you were waiting, you'd make out....for hours until the
insides of your lips were raw. |
| Suicide Knob |
A knob placed on your steering wheel allowing you to drive with one hand, leaving the other free to put around your date. |
| Swampwater |
Half A&W Root Beer and half Orange Drink. |
| Swapping Spit |
Those passionate, "get down and really into it", French Kisses. |
| Swordfish Fights |
See Submarine Races |
| Swear to Buddha |
I guess we thought it was less irreverant than saying "I swear to God." |
| Sweat Hog |
A fat chick. |
| Sweat Parties |
Intense physical exercise after school to make up a non suit (strip) usually at the hands of Messrs Bravo and / or Sevier. |
| "Taco Wagon" |
See Bean Wagon |
|
| "T Bucket" |
A
hot rod made from a Model T Ford. A two seater, with lots of go. Norm
Grabowski, Tommy Ivo, and Edd "Kookie" Burns made them famous on TV.
They are still popular. |
| Teach |
A Teacher |
| "TCT" |
A Tosted Cheese Tortillas "Can only be found at Macayo's" |
| "The Beach" |
Lions Drag Strip in Long Beach |
| "The Bird" |
The Finger. |
| "The Digs" |
The Drags |
| "The Most" |
Something that is the best or the greatest (Superbitchin') |
| "The Ranch" |
Rancho High School |
| "The Man" |
Police |
| Thicker than a $5.00 malt |
Someone that's not too bright. Back then, malts were only 30 cents! |
| Think Fast |
It usually was used to tell you to get ready because someone
was tossing you something. |
| Thongs |
In the 60's, thongs were something you wore on your feet. |
| Threads |
Clothes |
| "Three On The Tree" |
A car with a three speed manual transmission and the shifter on the steering column. |
| Tooling |
To cruise or drive around without aim. As in: "There was nothing to do last night, so we just went tooling around." |
| Tough or Tuff |
Neat, cherry, great, bitchin'. - as in "Wow, she's really a tuff chic!" |
| Trollin' |
Cruising the Boulevard looking for girls. As in "Let's go trollin' for some chicks." |
| Truckin |
As in we're "Truckin" over to Joe's house to party, or Let's "Truck" on over to Holly's and scarf. |
| Twice Pipes |
Dual Exhaust |
| Twitchin' |
The word used instead of Bitchin', around your parents |
| Two-Six |
26th Street in Manhattan Beach. |
| Uncorked |
Running your car with the "Cut Outs" open. |
| Wedgees |
A shoe style. The sole and heel were one piece and on the same plane. |
| Wedgie |
When someone pulls your underwear up from the back and it ends up in the
crack all on it's own. Now they call it a thong and wear them on purpose |
| Wet Willie |
A trick played when someone wets their finger and puts it in your ear. |
| What's Your Bag, Man? |
What's your problem; where are you coming from? |
| Wicked |
Term of Admiration. Example:"That Chevy that Bob has is one wicked machine." |
| Wiggin' out |
Going crazy |
| Winnie |
As in, "He gave me the Winnie." Or "I got the Winnie." It could mean
many things. For example: The jerk didn't show up for our date last night!
Or, I got grounded for coming in late! When things really got bad, it was the "Big Winnie." |
| Wipe(d) out |
Originally,
to fall off a wave while surfing, later to crash one's vehicle and
severely damage it (He wiped his coupe out at the drags.), then later a
term for extreme fatigue (I'm wiped out, I'm gonna crash.) |
| Wiz, Take a |
Urinate |
| Woody |
An erection. |
| Woody Wagon |
A wood sided station wagon used to transport surfboards and surfers to and from the beach. |
| Zits |
Pimples. |
|
|
