This year Clueless will turn 29 years old. But age is just a number, this 1995 hit is still a classic movie in the eyes of many and has provided us with a library of iconic words and phrases — which has since born the ‘Clueless Slang Dictionary’.
Let’s take a look back at 16 Clueless slang terms used in the iconic 90s movie.
Clueless Slang Definition
As if
Anyone who’s watched Clueless can agree, this catchphrase is at the top of our iconic list. Cher uses it a lot in situations where she wants the other person not to expect something to happen. It’s like “no way” or “in your dreams”.
Baldwin
This one is used to refer to an attractive man. The name comes from the popular and good-looking Baldwin brothers.
Barney
A boring lame guy. The Flintstones couple could be the inspiration behind this slang and the next one:
Betty
While Barney refers to a lame guy, Betty, on the other hand, is a pretty lady. It can be read as a reference to the Flintstones and also as an honouring way of remembering the famous pin-up Betty Page.
Boinkfest
This one seems self-explanatory, but in case you’ve not caught on it is a fabulous way of saying ‘doing the deed’
Jeepin’
Cheating. In other words: you better not be. We can speculate that the name might come from Cher’s Jeep, either way, it’s a catchy little word.
Cake boy
A guy who is into guys, not girls. We see this word being used in the movie in a fun sequence when Cher realizes Christian isn’t interested in her in the way she expected him to be.
Buggin
There’s a chance this one came before ‘trippin’, since it carries a similar meaning. It could also read as freaking out or losing your mind.
Herbal refreshment
That’s how the newcomer Tai refers to drugs (mostly weed) when talking to Cher and Dion. It’s also a guaranteed laugh-out-loud moment when Tai is clearly confused as the girls talk about grabbing a Coke.
I’m Outty! (or Audi)
In the movie, our beloved Cher uses it as a reference to ‘I’m leaving.” As for it being “audi’ or “outty’ the internet debates over the two possibilities. While ‘outie’ would be, clearly, out of here, ‘audi’ could be a reference to the phrase ‘I’m Audi 500’ from Reality Bites, which was released a year before Clueless.
Kato
We can hear Cher calling her stepbrother this name when they’re both in the kitchen. Josh is comfortably standing in front of the fridge in a flannel while Cher takes a carrot stick and judges the scene. The term might come from Kato Kaelin, a witness from the O.J. Simposon trial who was living in Simpson’s house. That would be calling Josh some kind of parasite.
Loadies
Since Tai is a newcomer Cher gives her a tour of the diverse groups that are part of the campus. Loadies is the term Cher uses to describe the kids who might be interested in certain substances and lying down freely in the fields.
Monet
A not really attractive person, if you look closely. Cher says ‘She’s a full-on Monet. It’s like a painting, see? From far away, it’s ok, but up close, it’s a big old mess.’
Postal
Another way to refer to losing it or flipping out.
Surf the crimson wave
We all know Cher had tons of creativity when coming up with new terms to describe daily life events. This one is how she revealed that she was in the middle of her menstrual cycle.
Toe-up
The moment Cher and Dion lay eyes on Tai they identify her as a ‘toe up’. In a more recent slang word, we can describe it as a ‘hot mess’. In other words, the girls strongly believed Tai needed a makeover.
So there you have it 16 of the best Clueless slang terms — do you also feel nostalgic after these definitions? We certainly do!
How to watch Clueless
Clueless is now available to stream on Binge, Stan and Paramount+.
Know your chick flicks?
The only way you will be able to pass our chick flicks quiz is if you are a psychic, have a 5th sense or have ESPN or something.
Fire up the group chat with your BFFs and challenge them to the ultimate and most FETCH chick flicks quiz.