Opinion
Education Opinion

Sex and Drugs Rock and Roll--A World View?

By Eric Black — February 24, 1982 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

barley n., beer. Also barley pop.

box n., a large portable tape player possessing enormous ability to aggravate pedestrians and bus passengers. Also boom box (archaic), tune box, sweet box.

brewski n., beer. This term has been around a while and is on its way out.

crib n., house, home, esp. one’s own home.

deece adj., short form of decent, a general term of approbation having nothing whatsoever to do with decency but meaning fine, all right, sweet, but not cosmic.

doorknob n., a dumb or thick person. “Someone who fails remedial gym.”

duckies n., money, dough, green, bones, skin. (Bread, as a term for money, which was absolutely the rage in the late 60’s, has completely disappeared from use.)

kegger n., a party at which beer is imbibed.

kick v.,n., adj., started out as a verb for what soccer players do. Became a noun earlier this century meaning a good time, a pleasant experience, a rush. Now an adjective to modify a noun that produces such an experience.

max n. or adj., the best, the most awesome, mega, ultra, formerly dyno (archaic). Deriving from maximum, esp. as in “it’s the max.”

queer adj., does not necessarily refer to affectional preference. Describes the behavior of nurds, twinkies, sophomores, or freshmen.

rag v., to bother by nagging, esp. ragging on, as in “quit ragging on me.”

rents n., Parents. Possibly derived from the book and film “A Clockwork Orange.”

ride n., a car. A rough ride is an impressive car. Absolutely no one calls a car “wheels” anymore.

ripped adj., drunk or stoned.

sex and drugs and rock ‘n’ roll idiom, a worldview. The meaning of life, popular both as graffiti and as an expression to slip into a conversation whenever there is an opening.

tsup, short form of “What’s up.” Not so much a question as a greeting. Usually followed by “man.”

tunes n., songs.

wasted adj., see ripped.

yucks pl.n., good times, fun. The party was such yucks.

A version of this article appeared in the February 24, 1982 edition of Education Week as Sex and Drugs Rock and Roll--A World View?

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Special Education Webinar
Bridging the Math Gap: What’s New in Dyscalculia Identification, Instruction & State Action
Discover the latest dyscalculia research insights, state-level policy trends, and classroom strategies to make math more accessible for all.
Content provided by TouchMath
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School Climate & Safety Webinar
Belonging as a Leadership Strategy for Today’s Schools
Belonging isn’t a slogan—it’s a leadership strategy. Learn what research shows actually works to improve attendance, culture, and learning.
Content provided by Harmony Academy
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Too Many Initiatives, Not Enough Alignment: A Change Management Playbook for Leaders
Learn how leadership teams can increase alignment and evaluate every program, practice, and purchase against a clear strategic plan.
Content provided by Otus

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Opinion The Opinions EdWeek Readers Care About: The Year’s 10 Most-Read
The opinion content readers visited most in 2025.
2 min read
Collage of the illustrations form the top 4 most read opinion essays of 2025.
Education Week + Getty Images
Education Quiz Did You Follow This Week’s Education News? Take This Quiz
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Education Quiz How Did the SNAP Lapse Affect Schools? Take This Weekly Quiz
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Education Quiz New Data on School Cellphone Bans: How Much Do You Know?
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read