Tubular lanyards are low-cost lanyards that carry your custom imprinted text or designs on sturdy polyester cords. They're made using loosely wound fiber that is diamond knit and formed into a tube for strength and durability. Since lanyards have been around for centuries, most people know exactly what they are, though the tubular type tends to cause confusion – something about the name.
Those who remember the '80s slang term "tubular" might mistakenly believe that these lanyards are the purely fun variety – the kind that are more radical than functional. But the truth is, tubular lanyards are both stylish and practical.
Unfortunately, sometimes slang terms cause mix-ups and lead to misconceptions. Here are some examples of slang that lived in a time when tubular meant cool.
Common '80s Slang
Bad – Michael Jackson used the word in his hit song. His album of the same name was released on August 31, 1987. Since the album sold around 30 million copies worldwide, most people of that era knew that being bad was actually a good thing.
BFF – If you called someone your BFF, you were likely saying something good, depending on who you are! Best friends forever often wore matching outfits, swapped braided friendship bracelets, and hung out at the mall for no good reason. Those '80s teens took great pride in being someone's BFF.
Bomb – Nowadays, it's safe to say you should never say this word in an airport, even if you are a child of the '80s. The term bomb refers to something favorable, something really cool and exciting. People have been known to exclaim the word upon receiving their custom imprinted tubular lanyards – but only if they ordered them from Direct Lanyards!
Chill – When you said something was chill in the '80s, it did not refer to the temperature. You probably did not need an extra layer of clothing or a light sweater. Similar to the slang word cool, chill was a compliment. But if you told someone to take a chill pill, you might be saying, "Calm down, you're being unreasonable."
Deadly – Today, you might use the word deadly to describe a poisonous snake, a dose of arsenic, or the potential consequence of forgetting a spouse's birthday. But in the '80s, deadly was a good thing. It was used to mean exceptionally cool.
Down – Today, when you tell someone you're down, you're either in a mental or physical pit of sorts. In the '80s, you used the word down to let someone know you were in agreement with a plan, or on board with an idea.
Sick – Sick, like the word bad, is another slang synonym for cool. If something was sick, it was not in need of medical attention. Although that's not to say your doctor would approve!
The above slang terms might be better understood by someone who used the slang way back when. If you were either too young then, too old to care, or too busy to bother, then you probably knew that the tubular in tubular lanyards was not our attempt to sound trendy. Although we freely admit that tubular lanyards are totally awesome!