When Words Get Attitude: A Little History Behind “Shut Up,” “Smokin’,” and “Sick”

There’s a funny thing that happens when you spend your days painting in Colorado — surrounded by mountains, soft winter light, and the gentle chaos of creating whimsical guinea pig paintings that somehow make people smile before they even know why. Folks will look at one of my furry little muses or a Colorado landscape and say, “Jill, this is sick,” or call me an “epic painter.”

At first, I laughed and thought, What does this even mean? I grew up with “sick” meaning the opposite of a compliment. But language has a way of evolving, especially in art, music, and youth culture. Words that once sounded harsh or strange can suddenly become the highest praise — and honestly, I kind of love that.

It got me thinking about how slang shifts over time, how certain words catch fire in different genres, and how expressions like “shut up,” “smokin’,” and “sick” became part of our everyday creative vocabulary. So today, I’m taking a little detour from the easel to explore where these punchy, attitude‑filled words came from and how they ended up in our modern compliments.

“Shut Up”: From Locked Away to Pop‑Culture Punchline

Bold strokes, big reactions — the kind that make you say ‘shut up’ in total disbelief.

Believe it or not, “shut up” didn’t originally mean “stop talking.” In the 1400s, it meant to lock someone away or confine them — literally to “shut” someone “up” inside a space.

It wasn’t until the 1800s that the phrase shifted into the command we know today: telling someone to stop speaking. Jane Austen even used it in this sense in 1814.

When it became slang

By the 20th century, “shut up” had evolved again — this time into a playful, exaggerated expression of disbelief or amazement. Think:“Shut up — no way!”

Genres that embraced it

• Teen comedies

• Sitcoms

• Pop‑culture dialogue

• California ValSpeak

Examples

• “Shut up, that’s amazing.”

• “Shut up — you met them?” 

  
  

 “Smokin’”: A Word That Sizzles

When your art sizzles with personality, ‘smokin’’ feels like the only word that sticks

“Smokin’” is one of those slang terms that instantly conjures heat, speed, or style. While “smoking” has been around for centuries in the literal sense, the clipped, apostrophe‑dropped “smokin’” became a slangy compliment in American English — especially in entertainment and music.

Where it shows up

• Rock and roll culture

• Jazz and blues slang

• Car culture (“smokin’ engines”)

• Compliments (“you look smokin’”)

• High‑energy performance descriptions

Examples

• “That guitar solo was smokin’.”

• “You look absolutely smokin’ tonight.”

• “That car is smokin’ fast.”

  
  

“Sick”: When Bad Became Brilliant

Apparently my guinea pig paintings are ‘sick’ now — and honestly, I’m here for it

Few slang flips are as dramatic as “sick.” Traditionally negative, the word took on a positive, high‑energy meaning in youth and extreme‑sports culture.

When it turned positive

The Oxford English Dictionary records positive uses of “sick” as early as 1983, and likely earlier. It gained traction in:

• Skateboarding culture

• Snowboarding and extreme sports

• Hip‑hop and street culture

• Alternative and punk scenes

By the 2000s, “sick” had gone mainstream — a go‑to word for anything impressive, daring, or skillful.

Examples

• “That trick was sick.”

• “Your new tattoo is sick.”

• “This beat is sick.”

  
  

Why These Words Stick

Slang is like paint — expressive, messy, and sometimes surprisingly beautiful.

Slang thrives when it’s:

• Short

• Expressive

• Full of attitude

• Spread through music, movies, and youth culture

“Shut up,” “smokin’,” and “sick” each hit that sweet spot — they’re punchy, emotional, and adaptable. They also reflect the eras and communities that shaped them, from 1800s literature to 1980s skate parks to modern pop culture.

And now, somehow, they’ve made their way into the world of whimsical guinea pig paintings in Colorado — which might be my favorite twist of all.