The middle years of the 20th century gave us some wonderfully colourful expressions. I am 83, and I still giggle when I recall them.
I yearn for a rich and growing English language filled with creative, fun words. Yet here we are in 2026, seemingly stuck with the extremely overused adjective “awesome”.
For a little taste of the 1950s and ’60s, I reached for Lost for Words by Hugh Lunn, published in 2006. Enjoy this list of words from days gone by to express pleasure or positivity:
• Tickled pink
• Going along swimmingly
• Crackerjack
• Dinky-di
• Good-oh
• Happy as a pig in mud
• Proud as Punch
• Walking on cloud nine
• On top of the world
• Happy as a sandboy
• Happy as a dog with half a dozen tails and a street full of lamp posts
• She’ll be apples
• Bonzer
• Better than a slap in the face with a wet fish
• Better than a poke in the eye with a burnt stick
• Goody, goody gumdrops
• A ripper
• A corker
• A bottler
• A bobby-dazzler
• A humdinger
• A ripsnorter
• Super-duper
• Hunky-dory
