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What slang term did you learn as a kid that is no longer in use?
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this post was submitted on 17 Mar 2026
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Asklemmy
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Because it started in grade school, and grade school kids were not aware of the word "psych." So they spelt it how it sounded. Sike or syke, they're both equally incorrect, but the point is the kids who used them were using them correctly.
The only thing remotely weird about it was when they learned the word "psych" and thought they meant two different things (like they don't believe "psyching someone out" is a thing, like it does not click for them).
To add to the confusion: For 2 weeks/year I help out the local ballet studio with stage crew. We have this big white backdrop curtain, and colorful lights are pointed directly at the curtain to make dramatic and moody changes to the background during certain dances. When I heard the name of these, I assumed it was the "psyche curtain" and "psyche lights" because that's how it is pronounced.
Turns out the box is marked "Cyc." I have to assume that the people that sold the curtain are way less amateur than I am, so I would like to add this third potential spelling.
OMG, I haven't thought about one of those since I stopped taking ballet. Learned all those French spellings, never thought about how to spell the "Cyc" curtain/scrim, only that we were to stay well clear of it because it was super expensive and can't be repaired. (Expensive bc huge seamless fabric stretched on a curved frame, and any repair would ruin the seamless illusion.)
Cyc is short for cyclorama. A way of lighting a backdrop which kind of wraps around a stage, that wrap around effect which lead to the name.
I had always assumed it was humorously mis-spelling the word. Like people who would spell it "kool".
Could be. I just figured since it started in grade school, it wasn't intentional.