Has any slang word survived the generations as well as "cool"?

[Gidney N Cloyd]

Has "cool" ever been un-cool?

[TuxedoKat]

1. That's an interesting question

Also, how long has "cool" been cool? I do know that the word "nincompoop" has been used since Nathaniel Hawthorne's time, something that surprised me when I found that out.

[Joe Shlabotnik]

3. I always thought it was from the 1920's jazz scene

but a quick google search offered this:

"The earliest record found so far is from 1884 in the phrase ‘Dat’s cool!’. After that the next is 1902 from the lyrics of a song from the Black and White minstrel show: “de way we dress is cooler”.

Calvin Coolidge Campaigned with the slogan "keep cool with Coolidge", so it must have been accepted in the main stream vernacular by then.

[RZM]

5. Of course Coolidge campaigned in the days before air conditioning

That also might have something to do with the slogan

I despise the heat. Come to think of it, it feels kind of hot in my place right now and it's only 52 here in Columbus!

[nolabear]

2. "Okay"

Various ideas what it means but it really is slang.

[bluesbassman]

4. Probably none that have stayed as true to form as "cool".

I've been using the word as long as I can remember, and my teenagers and their friends all use it now.

[chollybocker]

6. "Dude" dates back to late 19th century.

iirc, a dandyish cowboy.

[russspeakeasy]

7. Cool !

[trueblue2007]

8. NEAT .... Gees, that is really neat!

BUMMER.


GOSH, THAT IS SUCH A BUMMER

[datasuspect]

9. blow job?

[RedCloud]

10. Here's a whole bunch from the roaring 20's.

I'm too lazy to write them.

http://local.aaca.org/bntc/slang/slang.htm

[Gidney N Cloyd]

11. Interesting mix. A ton of those have gone in and out, like swell and spiffy.

Some seem more than just the kind of slang that goes in and out of favor, like 'beef.'
There's a bunch there I'd use just to be funny without risking sounding unhip, like calling some club a "swanky joint."