Top Pop Culture Terms Every Young Adult Should Use in Conversation

Television, movies, and music have an undeniable impact on American culture. The popular culture gems created by these media outlets often far outlive the popularity of the actual show, film, or singer. On occasion, terms birthed in pop culture make there way into one's everyday vocabulary.

This occurred to me the other day when my wife and I were having a conversation in the car. I pointed out the window and said, "Hey, that house has their Mike Seaver apartment for rent." She responded "Cool! Hey, look at that guy mowing his lawn in a Bill Cosby sweater. What's up with that? It's hot outside." Although the conversation was far from deep, it was interesting to step back and realize we had both used pop culture terms in everyday conversation without even blinking an eye. These and other such pop culture terms have come to mean so much more than the movies, shows, and singers every imagined. They have come to represent something more vividly and concisely than was previously possible. So, here is a brief list of pop culture terms that have since entered the casual lexicon of my wife and me, average 30 something's living in America's pop culture caldron.

Mike Seaver Apartment -- /[micse-ver uh-pahrt-muh nt] - noun

An obvious reference to the much loved sitcom, Growing Pains, a Mike Seaver apartment is a small living area above a garage. As seen on the show, once Mike matured to near manhood, he set up residence in the studio apartment over the family's garage. As a result, any such over-the-garage living quarters has come to bear his name.

Bill Cosby Sweater -- / [bil kawz-bee swet-er] - noun

The Cosby show ran for 8 seasons overlapping the 80's and 90's. But through it all, Bill never let us down with his wardrobe. Ask any Cosby Show fan and she'll tell you that a Bill Cosby sweater is an oversized, brightly colored, garishly patterned sweater often worn by Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable. Nowadays, any over-the-top, wild, colorful sweater can fall into the category of Bill Cosby Sweaters.

Daisy Dukes -- /[dey-zee dookz] -noun.