The strange thing here is that Marty McFly is using the slang “heavy” and Doc Brown doesn’t understand it. Yet the use of heavy to mean “profound, serious” started in Jazz in 1937. So Doc would have grown up with the word, and by the 80’s I wonder if it was really all that popular anymore.
McFly is using 50’s slang in the '50s but the guy from the '50s doesn’t get the slang. Maybe because he’s not hip.
The only time I have ever heard the word copacetic and only reason I know it exists is because of a song that probably only dinosaurs and hipsters listen to anymore: Bound For The Floor.
Other than that, I’ve never heard it used in any context. So I’mma agree that it’s definitely an old person word ( or a pretentious “I’m BeTtEr ThAn YoU” kinda word ).
“Knee high to a grasshopper” (short)
“Beyond the pale” (outside social norms, I think. Maybe just strange)
“Dance maven”
“I’ll just do that in my copious free time…” (sarcastically, because you are too busy)
“Copacetic” (it’s all good)
“Heavy” (meaning important, grave)
I learned all of these thirty years ago from a man in his fifties. He was full of interesting expressions.
You just don’t get it, you keep it copacetic…
If the question is things “only” old people say, you have to exclude phrases old people say that were repopularized through media.
For example this is a really quotable line from Back to the Future, so kids would pick it up.
Heavy? Is there something wrong with the earths gravity??
The strange thing here is that Marty McFly is using the slang “heavy” and Doc Brown doesn’t understand it. Yet the use of heavy to mean “profound, serious” started in Jazz in 1937. So Doc would have grown up with the word, and by the 80’s I wonder if it was really all that popular anymore. McFly is using 50’s slang in the '50s but the guy from the '50s doesn’t get the slang. Maybe because he’s not hip.
40 year old movies are not really a major influence on slang & pop culture…
Lmao, k
I’ve started saying “beyond the pale” and “copacetic” after playing Disco Elysium
The only time I have ever heard the word copacetic and only reason I know it exists is because of a song that probably only dinosaurs and hipsters listen to anymore: Bound For The Floor.
Other than that, I’ve never heard it used in any context. So I’mma agree that it’s definitely an old person word ( or a pretentious “I’m BeTtEr ThAn YoU” kinda word ).
Copacetic has an interesting history. I heard about it in a video I can’t currently find, but this article gives some history: wordorigins.org