Most slang disappears fast. Think about how many words sounded trendy for a couple months and then vanished forever. But according to a linguist on the PBS series “Otherwords”, one word has stood the test of time.
And the word is . . . “cool.”
She says “cool” has been popular for more than a century, which is pretty impressive for slang.
Part of the reason is how flexible it is. “Cool” can describe somebody laid back, or stylish, or impressive, or just likable. You can say “cool it”, or ask, “are we cool?” Or even eat some Cool Ranch Doritos.
The linguist says that very few slang words can adapt that well across generations. Somehow your grandparents, your parents, and your kids all agree on at least one thing: The word cool is still cool.
(You can watch the video on the word “cool” here.)
