German slang adjective meaning 'cool,' 'awesome,' or 'great'; originally meant 'lustful' but evolved into positive slang among young Germans.
From Middle High German geil 'lustful, wanton,' related to Old English gal 'wanton.' The semantic evolution from 'lustful' to 'awesome' occurred in German youth slang during the late 20th century, similar to how 'bad' became 'good' in English slang.
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