The Most Popular Slang Word The Year You Were Born

Every year, hundreds of words are added to the dictionary. Yes, language evolves and changes, just like everything around us. And because the world is changing, new words are made up to name the latest things. For example, new technologies usually lead to a slew of brand-new buzzwords, and so do scientific and medical advances. Of course, those words eventually make their way into the dictionary. But surprisingly, so do more informal, conversational terms, like slang words.

Some slang comes from books or movies. Other slang words have unknown origins. Some terms are descriptive, and others are simply a mash-up of other words. But no matter the origin, we all use slang. Sometimes, we even date ourselves by using slang from years ago — whether on purpose or just out of habit. 

Then there are slang words that become part of our everyday language and continue in popular use for many years. In fact, you may be surprised how long ago some of these slang words were added to the dictionary. We've consulted Merriam Webster's Time Traveler to find the slang word that was added to the dictionary the year you were born. So whether you're 74 or 34, or anywhere in between, here's the slang word that defined the year you were born.