These pill formulas, which a person could apparently concoct at home using some seriously suspicious-sounding ingredients, were said to remedy the chills that came from fevers. The idea of a “chill pill” brings medication to mind, and according to Atlas Obscura, chill pills were a real thing back in the 19th century. Its origin: This rhyming idiom came to prominence on college campuses early in the decade, says Green’s Dictionary of Slang. As the Online Etymology Dictionary reports, “it meant both ‘excellent’ and ‘disgusting.'” Ah, the nuances of language! Take a Chill Pill But contrary to what you might assume, something that’s “totally gnarly” isn’t necessarily bad - it all depends on the context. The 1982 teen movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High launched “gnarly” into the mainstream, as the lovable slacker Spicoli (Sean Penn in one of his first on-screen roles) spoke the word in an unforgettable fashion. In its original iteration, gnarly referred to things that were knotty and rugged, and surfers claimed the word to describe dangerous waves. Its origin: Like “totally tubular,” “totally gnarly” dates back to the 17th century and has its slang roots in surf culture. What it means: That’s disgusting OR That’s excellent. Something that’s “totally tubular” isn’t tube-shaped - rather, it’s just a creative way to express approval. Surfing has long been a popular pastime in sunny California, and the phrase was soon picked up by Valley girls, in the process losing its original reference to tubes. In the ’60s and ’70s, surfers started using it to describe “a hollow, curling wave, ideal for riding,” according to the Online Etymology Dictionary. Over 300 years later, the word took on a whole new meaning. ![]() Its origin: The word “tubular,” which means “having the form of or consisting of a tube,” was first used in 1673, according to Merriam-Webster. The idiom gained broader recognition through avant-garde rocker Frank Zappa’s 1982 hit “Valley Girl,” which featured his teen daughter, Moon, doing her very best Val-speak. “Gag me with a spoon” is a Valley girl phrase used to indicate disgust - as being gagged with a spoon definitely sounds unpleasant. These early-’80s teens lived in California’s San Fernando Valley and were known for hanging out at the mall and speaking in a breezy cadence peppered with the words “like” and “totally.” Valley girls were also fond of phrases that seemed to end with a question mark, even when they weren’t questions this is known as uptalk, and it’s often associated with young women. Its origin: “Gag me with a spoon” was one of many ’80s phrases rooted in the distinct dialect of Valley girls.
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