26 old-time compliments we wish could come back

Do bugs even have ears? Who knows! But it still conjures up images of tiny adorable things and many older adults will remember this classic phrase from their childhood. Are you an entomophile (insect lover)?

Check out these 13 tricks to keep bugs away on picnics that will totally freak you out.

This surfer slang became popular in the 1980s, as a way of saying something was really cool. Imagine using this compliment after a colleague’s big presentation—it’s a lot more memorable than “well done”! Okay maybe don’t do that at work.

Follow these steps to kick-start a conversation with a compliment

This phrase dates back to the 1920s when it became popularised through gangster slang. Its meaning extends beyond “pretty” though, describing someone or something as very stylish and cool. Did you know that “gangster” was once an insult but today is used to compliment someone?

Gen-X’ers will remember this favourite saying from the 1980s with fondness. Who didn’t plan their schedule around The Simpsons or at least make sure to record it on VHS? Something might have been “bad” or “cool” but if it was really amazing then it was “radical”—totally radical was basically off-the-charts fantastic.

If you wanted to tell someone in the 1880s that something was the best, above everything else, you’d tell them it “takes the egg.” Those Victorians must have really loved their eggs!

Sometimes a marketing campaign takes on a life of its own, becoming part of everyday vernacular. This slogan, used in an ad campaign by the natural gas industry in the 1940s, was so catchy that by the 1950s it was being used as a compliment whenever someone had a great idea or was doing something really well.

Most people reading this will remember the 1990s, the era of Clueless and this epic compliment. Saying this to someone meant they were as good as a full meal deal plus an extra bag of chips. And who doesn’t love chips?

Apparently people in previous generations really thought insects were the cutest, as this is just one of many 1960s compliments that reference bugs. However, this isn’t just saying that someone is as cute as bees’ knees but when said about a thing, it also means high-quality or excellent. So if bees really have knees, apparently they are some top-notch joints!

In the late 1800s, “bricky” meant someone was strong, brave, and fearless—like a brick. We may not have the same reverence for building materials that they did back then but it does sound like something we’d want to be! You could also substitute “plucky” for a similar compliment.

Saying something today is “killer” is definitely a compliment and it may well refer back to this 1940’s era slang for fantastic or amazing. Why “diller”? Because rhyming is fun.