Embedded in communities wearing shell suits and rocking perms, the 1980s vocabulary was unlike that of any other decade.
Yielding sayings that would make Gen Z cringe and crinkle their brows with confusion, the decade of decadence was in a world of its own when it came to its signature phrases.
Coining terms like “wannabe”, “bonus”, and “safe as milk”, some words stood the test of time while others died out with the end of the decade.
Here are some of the phrases from the 1980s that fizzled out in the UK, never to be heard again…
‘That’s well skill!’
In a world where terms like “sick,” “cool,” and “lit” were yet to be adapted into everyday vocabulary, the 80s had a unique way of sharing its approval for things.
In that era, people referred to something that was akin to cool as being “skill” and would regularly say, “That’s well skill, mate.”
The phrase was sometimes shortened to “skillo pads” or “skillo,” but by the time the 90s came, it was deemed too uncool to say.
‘Bonus’
While now we understand the word “bonus” to mean an additional add-on to something or an extra bump to a paycheck at the end of the year, in the 80s it meant something different.
In that era, people used the word to express feelings of pure satisfaction, akin to how we use “result” or “yes!” today.
‘Chinny reckon’
Instead of calling someone a “liar”, in the 80s it was more common to hear the phrase, “chinny reckon” when you felt that someone was telling a fib.
The phrase was accompanied by a gesture that involved stroking an imaginary chin and either saying the phrase or additionally muttering “Jimmy Hill”, after the famous football presenter known for his prominent chin.
‘Safe as milk’
In 2026, if you are up to date with slang terms, you should be familiar with the idea that “safe” is used to describe a sentiment of agreement in the place of affirmative words like “okay” or “perfect”.
However, the slang term didn’t begin as just one word, but rather originated as a full sentence. In the 80s, when confirming plans, people would likely reply to a question with “safe as milk”, instead of simply “yes”.
© Getty Images‘Fancy a chew?’
Similarly to the modern-day slang term of having “beef” with someone, in the 80s, “fancy a chew?” was used to challenge someone to a fight.
‘Don’t have a cow, man!’
The late 80s saw the explosion of The Simpsons, and with it came the adoption by British children of phrases from the cartoon.
In a faux-American accent, children of that era could be heard telling their parents or teachers to calm down with “Don’t have a cow, man!”. However, by 1991, the novelty had worn off.
‘Naff’
Made cool by Princess Anne in 1982, when she famously told the media to “naff off”, the word quickly became a staple of the 80s and was used to describe anything viewed as tacky, cheap, or rubbish.
Photographers later revealed they fabricated that the princess said the word and said: “The truth is, we made up the ‘naff’ word to cover up another word.”
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