, Md. —

In 1997, high school teens spoke a dialect that left adults puzzled: "phat" meant cool, "home skillet" was your friend and "da bomb" described someone who looked good.

While some adults raised eyebrows at these slang terms, one teacher embraced them, saying, "I think it's good, as long as they can distinguish between what is their language and the universal language."

When the bell rang, the students' verdict was in: the lesson was "sick," the vibe was "tight" and everyone was about to "bounce."

Watch the video to decode more phrases like "fake the funk" and "jocking."

If you enjoyed this video, explore more nostalgic finds in our archival playlist:

See Full Page