Talk Like A Parent
If something was extremely cool, your parents might have described it as “all that and _______________.”
A BAG OF CHIPS
Before Wi-Fi, connecting to the internet often tied up this household device.
THE TELEPHONE
Your parents may have danced to this Village People song by spelling four letters with their arms.
Y.M.C.A.
On Friday night, your parents might wander around this store looking at movie boxes and hoping their first choice was still available.
BLOCKBUSTER
These plush collectible animals became such a craze that adults convinced themselves some would eventually be worth a fortune.
BEANIE BABIES
If someone shouted “My bad!” they were admitting this.
IT WAS MY FAULT
This three-letter messaging service let you create a screen name, post an away message, and chat with friends after school.
AIM (AOL instant messenger)
Before earbuds, these portable music players were famous for skipping if you bumped them too much while listening to a CD.
DISCMAN OR WALKMAN
Before Netflix streaming, forgetting to do this to a VHS tape before returning it was considered extremely inconsiderate.
Long before smartphone games, Nokia users passed the time controlling a growing creature while desperately trying not to run into themselves in this classic cellphone game.
SNAKE
If your parent said something was “da bomb,” they meant this.
IT WAS REALLY GOOD
Early computer users heard this famous three-word alert when a new message arrived. It later became the title of a hit movie.
YOU'VE GOT MAIL
This girl group told everyone what they “really, really want” in 1996.
THE SPICE GIRLS
Before everyone had a cellphone, parents could give their teenager one of these devices that alerted them and displayed a phone number to call.
PAGER OR BEEPER
A worldwide technology scare known as Y2K had people worried computers would malfunction because many systems represented years using only two digits. What year were people preparing to enter?
2000
If someone said to you, “Don't look a gift horse in the mouth,” they were basically telling you this.
DON'T COMPLAIN ABOUT SOMETHING YOU GOT FOR FREE
If someone picked up the phone while you were online, this unfortunate thing could happen.
YOU WERE DISCONNECTED
Before Spotify, your parents might carefully select 12–18 favorite songs and put them onto a blank CD. This was the term used for recording those songs onto the disc.
BURN
If your friend wasn't home, you could leave a message with their parents or record one on this device connected to the home phone.
ANSWERING MACHINE
Long before TikTok dances, kids battled with small plastic toys in an arena while yelling “Let it rip!”
BEYBLADES
Complete this: “Whatever! Talk to the hand, cause the face ______.”
AIN'T LISTENING
Before Google became a verb, this search engine used a butler as its mascot and encouraged users to type their searches as questions.
ASK JEEVES
Every afternoon, teenagers could watch Carson Daly count down the day's biggest music videos on this MTV show.
Total Request Live (TRL)
Before Google settled every argument instantly, families might reach for this multi-volume set of books to look up the answer.
ENCYCLOPEDIA
These pocket-sized digital pets needed to be fed, cleaned, and cared for—and could even “die” if their owners neglected them.
TAMAGOTCHI