If you grew up in the 1970s, you may remember hearing the word “lid” used in a way that had nothing to do with the top of a jar or a pot. In the slang of the era, “lid” could refer to a hat, especially a stylish one worn as part of someone’s outfit. Saying someone had a “cool lid” was a casual way of complimenting their hat or overall look.

The word had been used as slang for a hat long before the 1970s, but it remained familiar in American informal speech during that decade. Depending on the person and the setting, a “lid” could mean anything from a baseball cap to a dressier hat. Hats were still an important part of many people’s everyday wardrobes, making the expression easy to understand.

The 1970s also had plenty of memorable hat styles, from wide-brimmed designs and fedoras to colorful caps and casual sun hats. Fashion changed quickly, but calling a hat a “lid” gave the word a relaxed, playful feel.

Today, “lid” is much more commonly understood as a cover or top, so the slang meaning may sound strange to younger generations. For those who remember the ’70s, however, hearing someone call a hat a “lid” can bring back a little piece of the era’s everyday language—and perhaps a few memories of the fashions that came with it.