TV Comedians
Nifty 50s
The Sounds of the 1980s
Things Change
RIP, Dead Slang
100

She substituted for Johnny Carson until she received her own talk show

Who is Joan Rivers? She called Carson to tell him the news that she would start her own talk show, and he hung up on her and never spoke to her again.

100

The decade saw people move to these places on the outskirts of cities.

What are the suburbs? It was sometimes cheaper to pay a mortgage on a suburban home than it was to rent in the city.

100

Lionel Richie performed “Endless Love” as a duo with this former Supreme.

Who is Diana Ross?

100

You wore these to keep your legs warm in the 1950s; now they’re all the rage in fashion, but they’re skintight instead of baggy.

What are leggings?

100

) If you were about to get into a fight, you would be cruisin’ for one of these

What is a bruisin’? Cruisin’ for a bruisin’.

200

She got her start on Groucho Marx’s You Bet Your Life and soared to fame with her housewife routine, which included quips about her marriage to her fictional husband, Fang. According to biography.com, she is known for her “eccentric costumes, overdone makeup and trademark laugh.”

 Who is Phyllis Diller? She got her break during the mid-1950s. By the 1960s, she was appearing on stage as an actress. In 1970, she took over Carol Channing’s Broadway role in Hello, Dolly!

200

Children born throughout the decade of the 1950s belong to this generation.

What is baby boomer? Boomers were born from 1946 to 1964.

200

Stevie Wonder “just called to say” this

What is “I love you”? The 1984 hit tune was “I Just Called to Say I Love You.”

200

Everyone used to have a dedicated camera, but this device has replaced them for all but professional photographers and serious amateurs.

What is a smartphone (or similar)?

200

When everything was going swell and you had no cares, it was said you had it made in this outdoor condition.

What is the shade? Made in the shade.

300

This comedian, who often substituted for Johnny Carson, was known for his jokes about marriage and everyday life.

Who is Alan King? He once said, “If you stop and think about it, nearly all great humor is at the expense of someone or something.”

300

Returning soldiers from World War II financed homes and attended college through 1956 as a result of this bill.

What is the G.I. Bill? Its official title was the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944. In 1966, the bill was extended to all veterans, including those who did not serve in a war.

300

) Bonnie Tyler’s hit “Total Eclipse of the [missing word]” was one of the decade’s top hits.

What is heart?

300

Indoor plumbing is nothing new for most of us, but some rural citizens are still using these facilities not attached to the house.

What are outhouses? Outhouses are stll commonly used for camping and hiking and portable outhouses are used today for events, such as concerts or parades.

300

Another way to say a car peeled out was that it burned this.

What is rubber? Drivers of muscle cars often showed their muscle by burning rubber.

400

He had a variety hour named for him, and he was famous for his characters “Freddie the Freeloader” and “Clem Kadiddlehopper.”

Who is Red Skelton? The show was The Red Skelton Show and then changed to The Red Skelton Hour when it expanded from 30 minutes to an hour. The show won three Emmy Awards.

400

This Frankie had a string of hits in the 1950s and was best known for Rawhide’s theme song.

Who is Laine? His hits include “That’s My Desire,” “Mule Train,” and “Stars and Stripes Forever.”

400

This woman with wild hair recorded the hit tune “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.”

Who is Cyndi Lauper?

400

Incandescent bulbs have given way to any one of these.

What is compact fluorescent (CFL), halogen, or LED? They are supposed to last longer and save energy and money.

400

When you had to tell your mother something bad, you might tell her not to flip this accessory.

What is her wig? Flip your wig.

500

Many of the famous male Jewish comedians of the 1950s and ’60s got their start in this region of New York.

What is the Catskill Mountains? The region was full of familycentric summer resorts with live entertainment during that period.

500

This popular TV sitcom was set in two apartments at 328 Chauncey Street in the Bensonhurst area of Brooklyn, New York.

What is The Honeymooners? This is the break that made Jackie Gleason a star. The show began life as a sketch on Cavalcade of Stars.

500

 It is Lionel Richie’s salutation.

What is “Hello”?

500

Today we use strollers, but mid-century mothers walked their tots in these.

What are perambulators?

500

Today, we LOL, or laugh out loud; back when, we used to bust one of these.

What is gut? Bust a gut.

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