100 years of pop America: The look, the lingo, the cars

1900-10
Quick take: A woman could get arrested for smoking in public.

Fads: Ping pong and speeding.

Fashion: Formal and romantic, with shoulders (both sexes) broad and padded. The look? Gibson Girl.

Slang: Artillery (as in beans) ... atta boy! ... beat it ... Chi (Chicago) ... do the bear (court a girl) ... give the shake (as in hands) ... Gone through Hades with his hat off (audicious) ... lu-lu (excellent) ... on the marry ... scallywampus (a good for nothing) ... zowie!

Driving forces: '01 Oldsmobile Runabout, Ford Model T.

Reality check: It was a slower time, but not entirely innocent. Snow and coke were both slang for cocaine.

1911-20
Big debuts: Tinker toys and lincoln logs.

Fads: Harem trousers and the Ouija board. Dance fads: the fox trot and the tango.

Fashion: For women, a looser look with simple, straight lines - and ankles showing. For men, stripes: striped trousers for day wear, striped blazers at night.

Slang: Oh, boy! ... give the glad hand (shake) ... baby vamp (a popular girl) ... crumb (an unpopular girl) ... the altar (toilet) ... keep your shirt on ... clout the sphere (hit the ball) ... hurry up and get born (get with it) ... get hep (or hip) ... snow again, kid, I've lost your drift (say it again).

Driving forces: 1912 Cadillac.

Point to ponder: Movie attendance estimate - 30 million weekly. (In the '80s, it was 20 million weekly.)

1921-30
Quick take: Illiteracy hit a new low of 6 percent, but teachers made just $970. The average salary was $1,236.

Fads: Marathons, especially flagpole sitting. Dance fads: the Charleston, the black bottom and the shimmy.

Fashion: For women, lithe and lean, with dropped waists. Hemlines jagged and dipped in 1921, smoothed and hit the knees in '25. The 'do? Bobbed. For men, white linen or raccoon coats, depending on the season.

Slang: Oh, baby! ... give it air (don't be silly) ... snappy piece of work (a popular girl) ... oil can, or pickle (unpopular girl) ... regular fellow (an agreeable young man) ... regular guy (one given to spending) ... pos-a-lootly ... the real McCoy.

Driving forces: '27 Ford Model A.

A word on flappers: Some say the term referred to loose galoshes women wore that "flapped." But in 1890s England, a flapper was a very young prostitute, and in 1920, "flappers" meant ears. Regardless, flappers came to signify fast, modern women who wore their hair and hemlines short and tended toward jazz - the first to forge a generation gap.

1931-1940
Quick take: The Dick and Jane reading books debuted in 1931.

Fads: Monopoly, horse racing, the Yankees and big band.

Fashion: If you were rich and female, long, flowing and draping was the look - with new attention to curves. The rest of womankind wore basic, zip-up dresses with waistlines and three-quarter hemlines. Mens' pants were wide and high-waisted.

Slang: Oh, yeah! ... to bug (as in surveillance) ... match me, big boy! (give me a light).

Driving forces: '32 Ford Delux V-8, '36 Cord 810.

Reality check: Unemployment hit 25 percent.

1941-50
Big debuts: Frozen dinners, Tupperware, aluminum foil and the slinky.

Fads: Kilroy was everywhere - so were the jitterbug and pin-ups.

Fashion: Nothing said "daring man" quite like the zoot suit. For women, Dior's New Look obliterated wartime's puffed-shouldered-knee-skimming look. Extravagant, swirling skirts, tiny waists and high, high heels ruled.

Slang: To bug (as in to bother) ... all hot and bothered (as in get excited) ... bite the dust ... java ... the runaround ... hubba, hubba.

Driving forces: '49 Volkswagon Beetle, '42 Jeep.

Reality check: Only 55 percent of U.S. homes had indoor plumbing.

1951-60
Big debuts: Barbie, silly putty, hula hoops, "American Bandstand."

Fads: Cocktails, clubbing (New York's El Morocco was it), bomb shelters, the drive-in and flying-saucer watching.

Fashion: Poodle skirts and sweater sets to capris, pencil skirts and the boxy suit. If you were male, conservative gray flannel was the choice - unless you were Gary Cooper. The film star introduced stonewashed jeans - beat 'em on rocks himself, designer Bill Blass says.

Slang: Clue in ... hit the deck ... hit the sack ... play it cool ... the most ... copacetic ... pad ... everything's boss ... see you later, alligator.

Driving forces: '53 Ford F-100, '54 Chevrolet Corvette, '59 Cadillac El Dorado.

Sign of the times: The phrase "under God" was added to the pledge of allegiance.

1961-70
Big debuts: Skate boards, G.I. Joe and supermodels.

Fads: Bell bottoms, love beads, go-go boots and the Afro.

Fashion: Baby dolls and beehives to Saint Laurents' geometric minis and Sassoon's angled bob. Color was it, baby - even guys got to wear brights, albeit in polyester. Ties, when worn, were fat: up to 5 inches wide.

Slang: Blow smoke ... buy the farm ... groovy ... right on! ... peace, man ... threads (clothes) ... bread (money) ... moola (more money) ... old lady/old man (a love interest). Catch phrases: Make love, not war ... Flying fickle finger of fate.

Driving forces: '60-64 Chevrolet Corvair, '64 Ford Mustang.

Quote to ponder: "... the '60s were the Rolling Stones, not the Beatles." - Photographer David Bailey in November's Vogue.

1971-80
Quick take: The floppy disk debuted in 1970; Intel's microprocessor in 1971.

Fads: Mood rings, "Star Wars," Rubik's cube, smiley faces, pet rocks, roller skating, streaking, CB radios and disco (the place? Studio 54).

Fashion: Couture wasn't the thing: We had rayon, gold lame and spaghetti straps, wrap skirts, hot pants, dittos and toe socks. Add into the mix earth shoes and clogs, leisure suits and granny dresses. A high point: T-shirts and those Calvins.

Slang: Far out, man ... Oh, wow... buzz off ... duh! ... 10-4 (adios) ... excellent ... busted (in trouble) ... easy now (relax) ... booking (move fast)... bummer (too bad). Catch phrases: Dyn-o-mite! ... May the force be with you ... Sit on it ... Nanu, nanu ... Well, excuuuuuse me! ... Never mind.

Driving forces: '73 Honda Civic CVCC

Headline echoes: Vietnam, Watergate, Love Canel, Jim Jones, Three Mile Island.

1981-90
Big debuts: Rap and hip hop.

Fads: MTV, boom boxes, aerobics, leg warmers, the Muppets, soccer, nerds, preppies and video (games and flicks). For the business set: buyouts, takeovers and mega mergers. Dance fads: slamming, breaking, vogueing, moon walking.

Fashion: The mini made it back and 'gators graced Izods, but the power suit ruled: padded shoulders, narrow skirts and huge belts. Big sellers: work out wear, sneakers, anything Esprit.

Slang: Totally ... gnarly ... like, oh my God ... dude ... way... dweeb (a dork) ... psych! (fooled ya) ... down with that ... wicked good. Catch phrases: Shop 'til you drop .... Where's the beef? .... Don't worry, be happy ... You look maaarvelous.

Driving forces: '81 Plymouth Reliant/Dodge Aries, '84 Jeep Cherokee, '84 Plymouth Voyager.

New realities: AIDS and family shifts: more single-parent households, more two-income households.

1991-2000
Quick take: The Web debuted in '92; 3 million were online by '94; 1 billion will be by 2001.

Fads: Chat rooms, zines, e-commerce, moshing, in-line skating, tattoos, body piercing, beanie babies, computer games.

Fashion: Grunge spread in all its flannel glory - as did hip hop: the bigger, baggier and lower slung the better.

Slang: Yo! ... You da the man ... hangin' (as in out) ... dis (as in disrespect) ... peep (as in people) ... prairie dogging (looking over the cubicles) ... sweet ... whatever ... a hottie (one to get) ... eye candy ... bvi (bad visual image) ... as if! ... whack (crazy) ... old school ... phat (looks good). Catch phrases: You go, girl! ... What's up with that? ... Been there, done that ... Is that your final answer?

Driving forces: '91 Saturn, anything SUV.

Youthful contrasts: School shootings and the X-Games.

Sources: Vogue; "War Slang," by Paul Dickson; "Slang, Today and Yesterday," by Eric Partridge; Kingwood College Library's American Cultural History Web site; staff memory.

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