Times change – and so does the language we use. Slang terminology is always evolving with each and every generation.

Take a look at some of the funniest relationship lingo people commonly used throughout the 1900s.

Bank’s Closed

While the traditional and literal meaning of this phrase is the inability to go to the bank, in the 1920s, it meant two people couldn’t kiss each other.

When you think about it, though, it does make some sense.

Most people want to be shown affection and kissed, like how they want money from the bank. If you can’t get it, the bank’s closed. Imagine saying this phrase to someone today?

Cooking With Gas

Wanting to be correct with how you do something is a feeling people have been searching for since the beginning.

In the 1940s, one way to describe someone doing something well was by saying they cooked with gas.

In 2024, Gen-Z and Millennials have brought back part of the phrase, “To cook,” when something is done especially well by someone. Thanks to the 1940s, people can use this updated phrase. 

Fine as Wine

This phrase feels like it’s been modified and used today, but the base is till there. Fine as wine is what you’d call someone who’s attractive to you.

The rhyming is what usually gets people going and excited to talk about the person they see when they walk up to them.

There’s no saying whether or not this specific phrase is going to completely come back, but there’s certainly a chance it does. 

All Show and No Go

The idea of judging based on looks has been around since the dawn of time. One way to describe someone good looking in the 1970s was by saying they were all show and no go.

Over time, this phrase has evolved to all show when describing how someone looks. However, that’s usually followed by a claim that the person offers nothing else other than their looks. 

Brick House

There aren’t as many iconic songs as “Brick House.” The song was released in the 1970s, which makes sense because it’s when this slang was popularized.

It means a woman who’s… not skinny. The trend of wanting a woman to look like this became more and more common as time progressed, thanks in large part to slang terms like this. 

Scrub

There’s not a bigger insult to give someone from the 1990s than scrub. That person is a loser who brings nothing to the table.

They aren’t trying to amount to anything or change themselves for the better in any way.

TLC wrote a song about not wanting a scrub as a man. It helps this was popularized recently, but it’s still around and used frequently by multiple generations.

Date

In 2024, a date is a good thing. It’s when people come together and enjoy the company of others.

However, in the 1910s, it meant someone who wasn’t smart. It’s amazing to see how far society has come to completely change the meaning of the word.

For example, “The date messed up the homework project again. What are we going to do about him?”

Juice Joint

Speakeasys were once an integral part of society. Once the police and law enforcement knew the name, another had to be created.

The phrase juice joint was coined to help people refer to speakeasies whenever there were police around.

Over time, the need for speakeasies, and phrases like this, disappeared once alcohol was legal again.