adjective Pop Culture

Tubular

/ˈtuːbjələr/ · adjective · slang

Totally excellent — peak Valley-girl and surfer praise from the Reagan era.

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Definitions

1

In surf origin, describing a perfect curling wave that forms a hollow tube you can ride inside.

“That wave barreled into a tubular section right off the point.”
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2

Excellent, awesome, or first-rate. A blanket term of approval in 80s teen slang.

“Your new ride is totally tubular!”
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3

Used to hype anything cool, often paired with 'totally' for full 80s effect.

“We scored tubular seats at the concert, third row center.”
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Tubular In A Sentence

OMG these high-tops are tubular, where'd you get them?
That party was tubular, everyone showed up.
Tubular news, man — we both got into the same school!

Origin & Usage

Surfer slang for riding inside the hollow 'tube' of a curling wave, which is the ultimate ride. The meaning generalized into all-purpose praise and became a Valley-girl staple after the 1982 song and film 'Valley Girl.'

Variants totally tubulartube
Tags #80s#american#surf#pop

People Also Ask

What does tubular mean in 80s slang?

It means excellent or awesome. It started with surfers describing perfect tube-shaped waves and became general teen praise.

Why do they say 'totally tubular'?

Pairing 'totally' with 'tubular' was a catchphrase of Valley-girl culture in the early 80s for maximum enthusiasm.

Do people still say tubular?

Rarely, and almost always as a deliberate retro or joking nod to 80s slang.

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