Can You Complete These Slang Phrases From the ’70s?

EDUCATION

By: Teresa McGlothlin

6 Min Quiz

Image: Tom Kelley Archive / Retrofile RF / Getty Images

About This Quiz

It's far out that you're here, man! Whether you're here because you were alive in the '70s or you simply dig the era, you'll be able to boogie down. Step into the past with us and see how you do at figuring out which word correctly completes the '70s phrase that you see. Of course, we hope the force will be with you. 

They say that all old trends come back again, and it doesn't stop at fashion. Even the phrases we use fall out of style and then come back into our vocabularies again. Don't let your fear of not knowing a lot about the time period stop you from playing along! You'll know a lot more of these phrases than you think you will. We're still using many of them now. 

After you see the fill-in-the-blank phrase, give your screen some skin by choosing the word you think makes sense. We've given you 35 chances to prove your '70s knowledge, but you'll have to choose carefully to get them all right. Do you think you can do it, or will you feel like you should have blown this taco stand when you had a chance? There's only one way to find out! 


Which word completes the '70s phrase, "Catch you on the ______?"

They didn't have mp3s or CDs during the '70s, but they did have vinyl records. "Catch you on the flipside" originated from when radio DJs would flip a record and play the B-side.

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During this quiz, you're going to "step into _____" with us. Where are you going?

Since we're talking about things they said in the '70s, we are going to "step into the past." All old trends come back again, and you'll want to drag some of these phrases into your everyday speech.

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It wouldn't be the '70s without a "Star Wars" reference. "May the _____ be with you." The what?

"May the Force be with you" has been a thing since it was first uttered in "Star Wars." Although it started in the '70s, it's not an uncommon thing to hear any of your friends say now.

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An attractive girl might have been called what kind of house in the phrase, "She's a ______ house?"

No one's really sure where the phrase "brick house" got its start describing attractive women. The Commodores made the phrase into a monster hit and a household way of putting things in 1977.

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Who or what were they sticking it to when they said, "Stick it to the _____" in the '70s?

Acts of teenage rebellion and getting something by the high school principal were usually described as "sticking it to the man." Back in the day, that was the way to say you got one over on someone in a position of authority.

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I was wondering if you could, "Do me a ______" and answer this question?

Sure, you could do someone a favor in the '70s, but they were more likely to ask you to do them a solid. A solid is more than a favor — a solid means that your word will be followed through until the end.

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You might still hear your dad say "______ beans" when he thinks something's great. What kind of beans are we talking about?

It's "cool beans" that you know enough about the '70s to complete these phrases. Hot beans and green beans were both readily available in the '70s, but "cool beans" was the way to say you were happy with something.

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You might let someone know you get their drift by saying "10-4, good ______." Good what?

With CB radio and trucker movies at an all-time high in the '70s, it was only natural for the lingo to bleed into everyday speech. "10-4, good buddy" was the way you would acknowledge that you understood what someone was saying.

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Could you tell Sam to "stop dipping in my ______?"

Telling Sam to "stopping dipping in your Kool-aid" is a '70s way of telling him to stop being so nosy. These days, we might tell Sam to mind his own business, but the '70s slang way of saying it is much more interesting.

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Calm down! Are you sure you don't need to "take a _____?"

Taking a break or a nap would certainly soothe your nerves, but calming down in the '70s was a rhyming affair. "Take a chill pill" was the way you would tell your friend to chill out.

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Did cousin Fred really "lay a ______" during the family dinner?

It happens to the best of us — even cousin Fred. When he "laid a gasser" during dinner, he was a victim of Aunt Mabel's baked beans. We're certain that he didn't mean to pass gas at the table.

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Do you like it? "Can you _____ it?"

You didn't just like things during the '70s, you dug them. If your friend was showing you something and asking for your approval, they might look at you and ask "can you dig it?"

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If you wanted to know someone's location, you might ask, "What's your ______?"

Whether '70s phrases were taken from popular TV shows or everyday life, they certainly were colorful. "What's your 20?" is taken from CB radio language — a popular pastime back then.

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What kind of animal completes the phrase "awesome _______?"

Throughout the ages, catchphrases have been filled with rhyming words. It's "awesome possum" that some many of them have stood the test of time. Will you add any of these '70s phrases to your vocabulary?

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You might look at a klutz and say, "smooth move, ______." What goes in the blank?

We're not going to try to explain this one too much. Just know that back in the '70s, a sarcastic way to point out someone's clumsiness would have been to say "smooth move, Ex-lax!"

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What shape finishes the '70s slang phrase, "Be there or be ______?"

You wouldn't find an RSVP on an informal '70s invitation. Instead, you would be reminded that declining the invitation would make you a total nerd with the phrase, "Be there or be square."

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You would express your desire to leave with the phrase, "Let's blow this taco ______." How would you finish it, though?

There's nothing worse than being somewhere you don't want to be! Back in the day, you would have pointed toward the Vista Cruiser and said, "Let's blow this taco stand!" Your friends would have been right behind you.

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If you didn't like something someone said, you might retort with, "Up your nose with a rubber _____." A rubber what?

"Up your nose with a rubber hose" was a '70s slang way of saying that you're offended and not interested in hearing what someone has to say. It's a far more polite way of telling someone to "get bent."

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You might understand after you "get the ______." What do you need to get?

If you wanted to dip in someone's Kool-aid and learn about their business, you would need to "get the skinny." Getting the skinny means the same thing as another '70s phrase — "get the lowdown."

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She looked at him and said, "Don't harsh my ______, man." What fills in the blank?

Sometimes, your friends can be a real drag. The next time one of them is getting on your nerves, look at them and say, "Don't harsh my mellow, man." If they don't know what it means, it will make them stop talking long enough for you to get a break.

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Which food is missing from the phrase "what a ______?"

Let's say that you're at a party and you're having a good time, but your friend is bringing down the vibe. Back in the '70s, you would have looked at other partygoers and said, "What a fry!"

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There's only one way to boogie! Did they boogie down, up or sideways in the '70s?

You didn't go to a party to have a good time in the '70s. You went to a party to "boogie down." Even if you were not planning to hit the dance floor, it's a way of saying that you were going to let it all hang out.

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If Eric Forman told Jackie to, "Sit on_____," what would he want her to sit on?

If Eric told Jackie to, "Sit on it," he really wouldn't want her to sit on anything. He would simply want her to be quiet. Back then, it was an alternative way to tell someone to stop talking.

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A '70s way of saying that someone is clueless is that they are "out to _____." Where are they?

Back during the '70s, you might have heard Bob from accounting say that the boss is "out to lunch." Bob wouldn't have been talking about going for food. He would have been insulting the boss's lack of knowledge.

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Where are you taking something when you take it "to the ______?"

You wouldn't want to do something halfway! You would want to take it "to the max." Whether you're going out to boogie down or trying to get the best grade, you would strive to make it the best you can.

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Who were they telling goodnight when they said, "Good night, ______" in the '70s?

Starting in 1971, "The Waltons" ruled the '70s television waves. Every episode ended with the Walton family saying goodnight to one another. It spawned the popular catchphrase, "Good night, John Boy."

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You might look at your ditzy friend and say, "You're so ______!" What are they?

Have you ever heard someone say something so ridiculous that it leaves you feeling a little stunned? In the '70s, they used the feeling to avoid telling someone that they were stupid. Instead, they would have said, "You're so stunned!"

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Which word completes the encouraging '70s phrase "keep on ______?"

You just "keep on truckin'" through this quiz, don't you? With the popularity of trucker films in the '70s, using trucker slang and film references were quite common.

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Before you open a bedroom door, you might ask, "Are you ______?"

It's only polite to see if someone is dressed before entering their bedroom. Before you go storming in, it's polite to ask, "Are you decent?" Depending on the answer, you'll know how to proceed.

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Which creature will you see again when you say, "See you later, ______?"

You would see a crocodile after while, but you would, "See you later, alligator." No one's really sure where the phrase started, but it's lasted since they made it popular during the '70s.

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"Don't have a _____, man." Don't have a what?

Although Bart Simpson frequently said, "Don't have a cow, man," the phrase originated in the '70s. It's another sly way of saying that you should remain calm and that you shouldn't freak out.

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If you wanted a handshake, you would have said, "Give me some _____." What would you be given?

If you met up with a friend or an acquaintance back in the '70s, you would have said, "Give me some skin." Whether you get a high five or handshake would depend on who you were asking.

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How would you finish this bummer of a phrase? "What a ______!"

If you didn't get this one right, you would have every reason to exclaim, "What a drag!" Once again, the '70s love for all things automotive — in this case, drag racing — spills over into the phrases of the time.

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"Don't be such a _____" is a '70s way of telling someone not to be foolish. Which word correctly finishes the phrase?

Even back in the '70s, it was commonplace to be dumbfounded by something one of your less than brainy friends has to say. Now, you have a new phrase for the situation! Bring back, "Don't be a tool, man," and bask in all the giggles you receive.

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You neighbor keeps trying to "pop a _____" on his new dirtbike. What is he popping?

We're back to that '70s love for all things motor vehicle again. If you were annoyed enough to look out the window to find the noise, you might see your neighbor "popping a wheelie" on his dirtbike.

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