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1970s - The seventies; 1980s - The eighties; 1990s - The nineties.

What do you call year 2000 and 2010?

If someone who is older says a joke that was funny in eighties. I mostly hear right after: "You won't get it, it's a nineties thing."

But what if I make a pun over 20 years, that is funny now, but won't be in future? What do I say? "You won't get it, it's __ thing."

Guest
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    Guest, the "how do you call" wording is incorrect in English. You should replace the how with what. You would benefit from reading the discussion at this link http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/150325/how-do-we-call-something-in-english – Tristan r Apr 20 '14 at 17:30
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    No. It's not duplicate. You point out thread that tells how do you call first decade. I ask for this one and following decades. Thanks @Tristanr – Guest Apr 20 '14 at 17:33
  • Welcome to Stackexchange, where you explain people, that linked thread is not duplicate/answer; you explain why and then they mark your topic as duplicate. – Guest Apr 22 '14 at 21:31

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This has vexed some for quite awhile now. As one columnist opined in 2009:

When the 10-year span starting with 2000 began, there was much consternation over what we would label the period, a convention that has become necessary for things like nostalgic miniseries titles and radio flashback weekends.

The Zips? The Zilches? The Naughts? The Aughts?

The Double-Os? The 2000s?

All of them had flaws and none, as the decades closes, has stuck.

(Steve Johnson, Chicago Tribune, April 14, 2009)

That said, back to your question:

But what if I make a pun over 20 years, that is funny now, but won't be in future? What do I say? "You won't get it, it's __ thing."

It's worth pointing out that, if you don't like Naughts, Aughts, Zips, or Zilches, you're not required to refer to a decade numerically. How about:

You wouldn't get it; it's a millennial thing.

At least one dictionary lists, as a definition of millennial:

A person from the generation which grew up in the 90's and 2000's.

Many people in education use this term to refer to learners who grew up during the age of the internet. They don't remember a time without cell phones, email, and social networks, because those things had proliferated by the time they were early enough to start forming memories.

The millennial generation has come to college. This is a new breed of students likely to challenge paradigms in higher education. Howe and Strauss (2000) affirm that millennial students started entering college in 2000. Thus, it becomes relevant, given their particular characteristics, to address the challenges that this new generation pose to higher education.

(Rivera & Huertas, Millennials: Challenges and Implications to Higher Education, 2006)

So, twenty years from now:

You: Oh, man, that is so funny! It's like, “Dude, your mama's on Facebook now!”
Your young nephew: Huh? What are you talking about?
You: Sorry, you wouldn't get it. It's a millennial thing.

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J.R.
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In popular culture "The Noughties" is used quite a bit when talking about the 2000-2009 period and I've heard the term "Teenies" used for 2010-19.

Mark R
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