How “righteous” is a slang word – Breastplate of Righteousness, Preview

This past week I started something new, teaching English as a Second Language with students in Conestoga Valley SEEDS’ classes held at my church.  It was so much fun talking about our sometimes crazy English language. This past week, for example, we learned the nuances between “although,” “even though,” “though,” and “because.” English can be confusing!

What also makes language-learning sometimes confusing is that language changes.  Some words and phrases go out of use and into the dustbin of history. New words and phrases are created daily.  Do you know, for example, these top slang words (see full list here) of 2023?

Boujee.  “Bourgeois” is a noun, and “boujee” is its slang adjectival form meaning, “rich, luxurious, special, fancy.”  Example: “She’s so boujee with that Louis Vuitton bag.”

Bussin’.  This is an adjective meaning, “Amazing, really good.”  Example: “Those potato chips are bussin’.”

Extra.  This common word is now being used as an adjective meaning, “Dramatic, attention-grabbing, too much.”  Example: “You don’t have to be so extra about it!”

Shook.  Another common word, but now used as an adjective for “Stunned, shocked.”  Example: “The war in Israel has me shook.”

Have you heard any of those?  Yes?  No?  Maybe?  How about this blast from the past?

Righteous.  This spiritual word became slang for “excellent.”  I always thought it was a 1960s hippie term that got new life as a 1980s surfer dude term.  But I did some research suggesting that it was used as slang for “excellent” or “smooth” or “cool” even earlier than that, in 1930s jazz culture and by swingers in the 1940s.

Interestingly, that slang use of “righteous” isn’t far off from its original meaning.  And that is what we are going to study this coming week on the blog.  Our current blog series is about the Armor of God in Ephesians 6:10-20, and this coming week we’re going to learn about the Breastplate of Righteousness. 

What does it mean to be righteous?  We certainly don’t want to be self-righteous, do we? How do we become righteous? Is it even possible? No one can really be righteous, can they? We’ll begin talking about it in the next post.