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Here are all those groovy terms that hippies use and what they mean. If you have something to add to this list, please let us know.  You can search this page by going to Edit, Find on your menu bar or Cntl-F, or just click on the letter below.

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Tab: A hit of Acid

Tantra: Yogic sexual practice that seeks to raise awareness by moving energy from the lower to higher chakras through the sexual act. 

Tapped Out: Out of money. "I'd lend you the dough, but I'm all tapped out."

Tao: "The way". Oriental philosophy adopted by many hippies.

Teach-In: In the early days of the anti-war movement, college professors held teach-ins where they explained the situation in Vietnam to students who then got active in the movement. In October, 1965, Jerry Rubin and the Vietnam Day Committee staged a 24 hour teach-in at U.C. Berkeley on the escalating war. 

Teeny Boppers: In the 60s, teenagers too young to be hippies, had their own social group. Teeny boppers presented a new market for the media to conquer.  They had their own music like the Partridge Family, The Cowsills, The Jackson 5,  and The Monkees.  Since big business couldn't sell to the hippies, they targeted their commercialism at this new group.  Older hippies used this term to describe this younger generation.

Tetrahydrocannabinol: See THC.

THC: Tetrahydrocannabinol. The active ingredient in marijuana that gets you high. One of several cannabinoids found in marijuana.  The percentage of THC in marijuana or hashish usually determines how strong it is.

Thing: Catch phrase for your obsession or something you enjoy.  "Liberating the mind through LSD is Leary's thing."

Threads: Clothes.

Tie Dye: Colorful abstract artwork usually done on clothing by dying fabric by tying it together.

Tiny Tim: Famous for his hit record, Tiptoe Through the Tulips, with his shrill falsetto he became a cultural icon of the hippy movement. Popular but unattractive, the mini-ukelele playing Tim eventually found love, Miss Vicki, and got married.

Together: All right.  O.K.  Once you sort out your problems, you're together.  "Get it together, man!"

Toke: A "hit" of marijuana. To smoke marijuana.

Tolerance: What results from prolonged recent use of drugs requiring one to use more to get the same effect.  "I've built up a tolerance to LSD, now I have to take at least 500 mikes to get off."

Trails: The visual effect usually seen while on a trip when something moves through your field a vision.  It seems like multiple images of the moving object as it passes by.

Travel Agent: Euphemism for an acid dealer.

Traveler: A person who takes psychedelic drugs.

Tricky Dick: Nickname for Richard Nixon.  He certainly earned it after his dirty tricks in the Watergate scandal.

Trip: A profound experience.  What you experience on LSD or other hallucinogen.  A dose of LSD.  Can also mean an unusual experience, "That was a trip!" or  when someone tries to blow your mind "He's laying a trip on you."

Trip Out: To get spaced out. To get really stoned. To trip on LSD or other hallucinogen.

Tripping: What you do on acid.  "I'm tripping my brains out"

Trippy: Something unusual or psychedelic.

Trips Festival: Stewart Brand produced this LSD party in San Francisco in January, 1966. It was a three day festival of music at Longshoreman's Hall with dancing and a light show that would simulate "an LSD experience without LSD". Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters showed up as this was the most public of the acid tests.  The success of this event inspired Bill Graham to start holding these parties on a regular basis at the Fillmore Auditorium.

"Tune In, Turn On, Drop Out" - Timothy Leary's famous quote encouraging young people to discover their true nature through LSD and drop out of society's program.

Turn On: Something that excites you. Also to get high.

Twiggy: 60's model who made being anorexic popular.  Twiggy modeled the latest colorful, psychedelic fashions on her extremely thin boy like frame.  Her slender build, big sad eyes and short haircut set her apart from other models of the day. Today she is an actress and has filled out a bit.

Underground: Something anti-establishment, working undercover or hidden.  Term applied to newspapers and comic books or other media that was directed towards freaks. These were often small publications that covered the hippy scene including radical politics, sex, drugs and rock and roll.  Berkeley Barb, Zap Comix, East Village Other. 

Uptight: Stressed out, tense.  "Hey don't get so uptight, it's no big deal!"

Unreal:  Something unbelievable. 

Vaporizer: Method of smoking cannabis by heating it until the THC vaporizes, without actually burning the marijuana.  Most vaporizers consist of a heating element, a glass dome, and a hose to smoke from.

Vibes: Short for vibrations. Used to describe the overall feeling or mood of a place, person or thing. "I kept puttin' out good vibes, but I still didn't get a ride!"

Vietnam War: The catalyst for the Peace Movement in America.  The compulsory draft took students to the killing fields of Southeast Asia who then returned to the U.S. in body bags by the tens of thousands.  The insensitive administrations refused to listen to protests and refused to provide a satisfactory explanation for the war.  This prolonged the war and eventually the U.S. pulled out leaving their Vietnamese allies to fend for themselves.  Make no mistake, the U.S. lost this war, but the government and people are now much more aware of the implications of foreign military involvement and the repercussions of sending young men to their death.

Vision: A dreamlike inspirational experience or scenario viewed in one's mind. Sometimes happens under the influence of psychedelic drugs. "I had a vision of you flying over the desert."

Visuals: The hallucinations or visual distortions experienced on a psychedelic trip.

Warhol, Andy: Pop artist supreme, Andy was a scene himself.  He took the icons of popular culture and turned it into art.  Some of his most famous works feature Campbell's Soup Cans and Marilyn Monroe.  Andy filmed several low budget films of questionable quality including: Trash and Frankenstein (in 3D). 

Wasted: Very stoned to the point where you can't even move.  "We got so wasted on those buds we missed the Dead!"

Watergate - The scandal that brought down Nixon.  Nixon authorized the burglary of the offices of the Democratic Election Committee at the Watergate complex in Washington.  A series of blunders, cover-ups and tape recordings all led to Nixon.  He finally resigned before his term was over.

Wavy Gravy: aka Hugh Romney, Merry Prankster, Hog Farm leader, clown, Acid Test Graduate, and so much more.  A person who embodies the hippy spirit especially helping his fellow man. Now a flavor of Ben and Jerry's ice cream. At Woodstock '69, the Hog Farm helped feed the assembled multitude. Wavy Gravy announced from the stage, "What we have in mind is breakfast in bed for 400,000." 

Way Out: Something so far out there, it's almost unbelievable.

What's Happenin'?: What's going on?  A greeting.  "Hey man, what's happenin'?

Weathermen: An extremely radical group that split off from the SDS. Responsible for several bombings including banks. Their enemy was the establishment, big business and the government. A bomb destroyed their hideout in Greenwich Village, killing several members. The others ran away and hid for decades. 

Weather Underground: Less sexist term the Weathermen used to describe themselves.

Weed: Marijuana.

Where it's at!: The place with the happening "scene".  "Hey, babe, you're where it's at!"

White Lightning: Last of the finest Acid available.

White Panther Party: Founded by John Sinclair from Ann Arbor as a white middle class hippie movement to support the Black Panthers.

Whole Earth Catalog: Huge catalog for hippies founded, edited and published by Stewart Brand.  Contained information, products, business listings, illustrations.  Focused on ecology, living off the land, do-it-yourself, alternative everything.  A lot of ideas and contacts done with spirit.

Wicked: Something very good or very effective. 

Window Pane: A potent form of pure LSD in a tiny clear square of gelatin that melts in your mouth!

Wiped Out: Totally wasted on drugs.  Exhausted.

Wired: Over stimulated by drugs, including amphetamines and caffeine usually resulting in a hypersensitive, extremely alert state of mind.

Women's Liberation Movement: This movement united women seeking legalized abortion, subsidized childcare, equal pay for equal work, an end to job discrimination, an end to the war in Vietnam, an end to sexism, Lesbian rights, in general an end to the male dominated society.  Leaders in the movement were writers Gloria Steinem (who founded Ms. magazine), Betty Friedan, Kate Millet, and Anne Koedt.

Woodstock Music Festival: A three day outdoor event in Bethel, NY in 1969 that marked the peak of the flower power/hippie movement.  An unprecedented half a million people gathered on Yasgur's Farm to hear the likes of Richie Havens, Ravi Shankar, The Who, Crosby, Still and Nash (in their second public performance), Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and many more.  The festival was a paean of cooperation, harmony and peace.  There was no violence, but lots of marijuana and LSD.

Wow!: An exclamation of excitement.  "Wow! Did you see what Jimi did with his guitar?"

Yippies: Group founded by Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin and others in 1968, the Youth International Party for pranksters and activists.  They helped organize the protests at the Democratic Convention in Chicago in 1968 which ended up in a riot.  The Yippies got arrested and it became the trial of the Chicago 7.  The conspiracy charges were dismissed, but some were convicted of lesser offenses.

Yo Yo: A weekend hippie.

Yoga: Union. 3000 year old Hindu discipline that unites the mind and body, usually through a series of exercises that raise awareness, thus allowing spiritual insight and tranquility.  Many different kinds including Hatha (postures), Kundalini (breath), Bhakti (devotion), and Ashtanga. 

Young, Neil: Canadian musician got his big break writiing and singing with Buffalo Springfield. His popularity soared when he teamed up with Crosby, Stills & Nash. Neil went on to produce his own great solo recordings including After the Gold Rush and Harvest.  Neil's style ranges from hard rock, blues, folk ballads to country.  His heavy rock is credited with inspiring grunge music.  Some call him the grandfather of grunge.  His slightly off key vocals don't appeal to everyone, but when he's singing with CS&N, he fits right in!

Z: An ounce of marijuana (28 grams).

Zappa, Frank: Famous musician from the 60's and 70's.  His group The Mother's of Invention's first album, entitled "Freak Out" was very popular and way out, even for it's time.  Zappa's music was very wild, creative, but dissonant satire on society. Zappa coined many expressions and became a icon of the lack of respect for the establishment.  A popular college poster from the 60's showed Zappa with his long, wild and stringy hair sitting naked on a toilet.  The title was Frank Zappa Crappa.  Frank's children Dweezil (son) and Moon Unit (daughter) have dabbled with music too.  Despite Zappa's outward persona, his real personality was far different and at one point he became a vocal opponent against drugs, and he liked to make fun of hippies.

Zero-Zero: Very high quality Moroccan hashish.

Zippies: The Zippies were founded by Abbie Hoffman in early '72 as a revolutionary street army of Hippie Anarchist for the Miami Anti-Nixon Republican Convention. Abbie stated when asked about the name change from Yippies to Zippies he stated.."We have gone from A to Z !!! Also a new term for Hippies with computers and ravers.  Not to be confused with Zippy the Pinhead, a popular underground comic.

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