| Brief History of the Noisy Lexicography |
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Noisy_Introvert 12/17/2006 6:19 pm
Last Read:
3/16/2008 4:36 am
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First, there was, "Gross me out!" It was like the stem-cell of tween expressions. Many offshoots soon developed:
Gross me green
Gross me out the door (a favourite)
later:
Flip me out / flipped out
Freak me out (the door) / freaked out
"Gross me out" and its progeny soon burned out. Eventually the aesthetic switched from excess to efficiency, and the abbreviated and succinct, "gross" settled into the lexicon as a stalwart adjective, active to this day.
There was a time when "Excellent!" was it, long before Monty Burns made it all about the eggs.
During the developmentally stunted years of high school in the 80s, "gay" was very popular, as was its noun, "fag". Today, the less offensive "lame" has generally supplanted "gay" in most instances, except for the occasional slip-up, which is all the worse if it happens when you are talking to a gay friend. They usually understand, cuz they're gay, they're not lame.
For a mercifully brief period, and entirely due to the influence of an older brother who appeared much cooler than he was, there was the turbo expression:
"What grace! What skill! What pooooiiiiise!"
RIP, lame expression.
In the mid-80s came "Word." Kidz with street cred used it early on, followed by kidz from the 'burbs who bought the 45 by Cameo. Around 10 years later, "Word" made an ironic comeback, which was when the Noisy got on board. Somewhere along the line, "Word"recovered its initial caché, and the snark was dropped almost entirely from its intention and delivery. Nowadays it is used to convey enthusiasm for projects and activities that display a certain degree of cool.
And then there is AWESOME, the greatest, most versatile expression of all, not counting fúck. No one remembers exactly when AWESOME took hold, but years later, it shows no signs of the wear and tear most colloquialisms exhibit over time and mulitple uses.
Today, AWESOME is used to describe all manner of household products, divine beings, artistic endeavours, sexual performance, episodes of The O.C., and women's boots, to name just a few subjects of this diverse modifier. AWESOME is destined to stick around for a long, long time.
These things are lame.
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2349 posts
12/17/2006 6:53 pm
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What? You never used "Gag me!" or "Gag with a spoon!"
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4259 posts
12/17/2006 6:56 pm
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"Gay" was big in the eighties? Really? I thought it was a much more recent addition, as in late 90's. Maybe it was big in Canada first? Of course, being older and kid-less, I miss out on the latest thangs...
I am trying to bring EXCELLENT! back. WORD! Whether it succeeds or not, I shall persevere. As silly as the movies were, I always warmed to Bill & Ted's enthusiasm.
HI, NOISY!
BETTER TODAY?
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6577 posts
12/17/2006 7:17 pm
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merry, like, oh my god! You're like, totally right! I was hoping people would help fill out my memory a little bit. "Gag me" (and its many, many derivatives) was great - kind of like a blinding supernova of cool and then it was gone.
Also, "totally" - still kicking around in a less dominant fashion, and "like", same.
east to the west man, I always appreciate a word revival campaign. I had a boyfriend who was into bringing "chump" back. He needed a catchy song, I think. Anyway, yeah, I am better today. Thanks!
These things are lame.
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5648 posts
12/17/2006 8:37 pm
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Dude, ... you forgot Dude! I'll never forget the first time my son called me Dude! He was shot a look that seared through every inch of his being. Then I laughed. Then I stated, "Seriously, I'd rather you called me by my first name, than call me dude."  My son is a gem!!! And he calls me by my first name. Heh.
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1499 posts
12/17/2006 8:52 pm
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Hee hee. Thanks to your post, I am currently playing Frank Zappa's 'Valley Girl.' "Okay, fine. Fer sure, fer sure." "I'm like freaking out totally. Oh m'God!"
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1410 posts
12/17/2006 11:11 pm
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What about the great Canadian contribution, "hoser," now supplanted by the more obvious, less interesting, "loser"?
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12/18/2006 5:50 am
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Wha?
Besos!
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6577 posts
12/18/2006 5:56 am
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Lotus, how could I forget "Dude"?! Like The Dude, "dude" abides, surviving a dangerous level of saturation that it still struggles with to this day. Youngsters in particular like to experiment with "dude", the result often being searing looks from parents, teachers, and childless women who are at last comforted by their fruitless existence.
a-typ, welcome home, sister!!! Your remembrance of "Valley Girl" has jostled another great word out of my memory banks: "bitchin". God, I love that word. It's like, the bitchinest word in that song, fer sure!
herhang, "hoser" was kind of a made-up phenomenon. Other Cdn bloggers may choose to disagree, but prior to Bob and Doug, I'd never heard that word. (Nor had I ever heard anyone say "Take off!" ) It became a short-lived fad word during junior high era for me. I much prefer "loser".
These things are lame.
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608 posts
12/18/2006 7:39 am
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*snort*
massive
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6577 posts
12/18/2006 7:55 am
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hey, Dali, Is *snort* a word/sound in the Dalilsis lexicography, or a reaction to mine? Anyway, I love "massive". It's a less-travelled word that can often sub in for AWESOME on those rare occasions when AWESOME needs a break.
These things are lame.
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12/18/2006 8:20 am
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Noisy, you are so weird
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98 posts
12/18/2006 8:48 am
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"SWEEET" is an expression my three kids, ages 22 -25, have been using for the last few years. It's a replacemnet for "excellent".
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6577 posts
12/18/2006 9:01 am
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Ah yes, betty. The classic one-size-fits-all put-down, "weird". Over the years I have appropriated this word, taken back the weird, as it were. People who aren't weird are typically boring and stupid. Is she weird? Hells yeah!
almost, "sweet" is sweet indeed. Like a metaphorical onomatopoiea, it is a word that sounds like its meaning. Okay, I think I'm being weird again.
These things are lame.
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2776 posts
12/18/2006 10:09 am
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where are my hoecakes?
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12/18/2006 10:25 am
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noisy-girl- when I was in high school it was "wussy"
Never fails that for as much as "times change", they really do remain the same!
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6577 posts
12/18/2006 10:31 am
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Right where you left them, fool.
These things are lame.
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3054 posts
12/18/2006 10:53 am
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don't forget the variation of Sweet!
SWEET! (pause) ness
my neice did that for a while
the general feeling among REAL Candadians is that
Bob and Doug are an abombination???
Red
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6577 posts
12/18/2006 1:39 pm
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Hey Cowboy, "wussy" is an early classic, to be sure. I'm pretty sure "wuss" is still kicking around. There's also the harsher (for its vaguely misogynist tone) "pussy", which, when delivered with a sneer is highly effective at silencing one's foes. Particularly if they are overbearing, homophobic twits whose worst nightmare is being likened to a woman in any way. Heh heh heh!
BigRed, SWEET...ness. Hm. Can't say as I ever employed the pause-ness. Seems like it could get old, fast. Any expressions that involve theatrics in the delivery usually flame out pretty quickly.
I don't think Canadians (just the one 'd', hee) view Bob and Doug as abominations, per se. I mean, they got the stubby beer bottles, the toques and "eh" right. I'm just sayin, "hoser" and "take off" felt a little made up to me. But you know, it's always great at Christmastime to hear their rendition of the "12 Days of Christmas" on Canadian radio. ("A beer! (pause) i-i-i-n a tree!" )
These things are lame.
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12/18/2006 2:42 pm
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righteous...
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1403 posts
12/18/2006 10:31 pm
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Wicked
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6577 posts
12/19/2006 8:24 am
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w_s/rg - it's so funny - the first thing I thought with both your comments was, hey, they really liked this post!
I will pull out "righteous" every now and again for variety. It was never a series regular but sometimes a guest appearance during sweeps will help boost the slang ratings.
I do like "wicked", especially in combination with AWESOME. That was a fave for awhile, I think late high school.
These things are lame.
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3216 posts
12/20/2006 6:17 am
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Currently in use, ad nauseam: amaaaaaazing! As in, "Oh, my god, that Jimmy Dean sausage and pancake on a stick is amaaaaaazing!" I find that I've rarely been amazed by any of the things that word has been used to describe in the last 5 years. However, I must admit that I haven't yet tried the JD delicacies, so that phrase may indeed pass my lips at the karaoke bash. 
Way back in the Stone Age, I hung out with a bunch of doofuses who decided to put a bunch together and came up with "Decent to the max and whatnot!" Somehow, as you can imagine, it never quite caught on....
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12/20/2006 7:29 am
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Yo, noisy. I have thought about the matter some more and have decided that even though you are truly weird,
you still RULE
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6577 posts
12/20/2006 8:40 am
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Shady, what do you mean, "Decent to the max and whatnot" never caught on? I've already used it 14 times this morning! I'm totally making that one happen.
ah, bettylove! You know what rules? How you incorporate your words into your posts! So, so, tubular. Except, even as a joke, I can not call you tubular, as it's such an incredibly stupid word. However, you are the rock to my rule.
These things are lame.
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3216 posts
12/20/2006 5:31 pm
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Bwaaaaahahahahaaaaa!!! 
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4571 posts
2/10/2007 12:02 am
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So...was "gay" as in "lame" part of your vocab there, Missy? Because, I'm gay...and not in a lame way...
*tapping toes, hands on hips...waiting for a reply*
...
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6577 posts
2/10/2007 9:56 am
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rg1k, I'm over it, I swear! I didn't know what I was saying back then!
These things are lame.
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