Kick it
To relax and hang out, usually with friends.
- Origin: Black American slang; Green’s earliest listed citation is from 1985
- On the Slang-o-matic wheel: Gen X (born 1965–1980). That is who the translator files it under, not a claim that this generation coined it.
What it means
To kick it means to hang out and relax, usually with friends and usually with no real plan. Kicking it at someone’s house is spending an easy afternoon there. Green’s Dictionary of Slang gives the sense as “to chatter, to gossip, to relax; often as kicking it.”
It is unrelated to the older phrase kick the bucket, which means to die. Green’s lists other meanings of kick it too, including playing music, but the relaxing sense is the one you will hear in everyday talk.
Where it comes from
Green’s marks this sense as originally Black American slang. Its earliest listed citation is dated 1985, a slang glossary that defines kickin’ it as “Kicked back. Relaxed. Taking it easy.” The next citations come from books published in the early 1990s.
Who says it now
The translator files kick it under Gen X, next to chill; many of Gen X were teenagers or young adults in the 1980s and 1990s. In our observation it has dated less than groovy or rad and often does not sound like a throwback.
Tone
Relaxed and friendly. It suggests low-key time with people you like, not a wild party. Not rude, just informal.
What adults hear, what kids mean
An older parent might hear “kick it” and think of kicking something, or of kick the bucket. A teenager who says “we’re just kicking it at Sam’s” most likely means hanging out. If you want details, ask who will be there; the phrase on its own does not suggest anything more.
How to use it
Kick it is casual, so it fits texts and conversation better than anything formal. You can kick it with someone, kick it at a place, or just be kicking it.
Two examples, written by us:
- Nothing big tonight. We are just going to kick it at Dana’s place.
- Want to kick it after practice?
How to answer it
“Want to kick it later?” is usually an invitation to hang out. Answer it like any invitation: “Sure, where?” or “Can’t tonight, maybe Saturday.”
Same idea, other generations
The Slang-o-matic wheel files Kick it under Gen X for the idea of hanging out and having fun. These are the words it files under the same idea, by generation. They are related, not always exact translations:
Related slang
- Rad (Gen X): Excellent, exciting. Short for radical.
- Bestie (Millennials): Your best friend.
- Outta sight (Boomers): Fantastic, wonderful; often an exclamation of delight.
Try the slang translatorAll slang by generation
Sources
Meanings and dates on this page come from these dictionaries. Each quote is copied word for word from the linked page.
- Green's Dictionary of Slang
“to chatter, to gossip, to relax; often as kicking it”
“1985 T.R. Houser Central Sl. 33: kickin’ it Kicked back. Relaxed. Taking it easy.”