SAFE ADJECTIVE (YOUTH CULTURE)

In young people's slang: good, sound, having street cred (see cred°). Etymology: A sense shift which possibly arises from the sensitivity of young people involved in street culture to peer pressure, and in particular to ridicule from peers: a person or thing that is safe is one that meets with approval. History and Usage: Safe became a popular adjective of general approbation towards the end of the eighties, especially in the phrase well safe. As a piece of slang used among a small group of people it was naturally limited largely to spoken use, and rarely appeared in printed sources. British Knights, Nike Jordans and Nike SEs are 'well safe', but copies like Nicks are the object of pure derision. New Statesman 16 Feb. 1990, p. 12