A C
ab-so-lute-ly: affirmative, yes cake-eater: a lady's man
absent treatment: dancing with a timid partner canceled stamp: A shy girl at a dance or party
air tight: very attractive caper: a criminal act or robbery.
Airedale: an unattractive man Carry a Torch: To have a crush on someone
alarm clock: a chaperone cash: a kiss
all wet: incorrect Cash or check?: Do we kiss now or later?
And how!: I strongly agree! cast a kitten: to have a fit. Used in both
ankle: to walk, i.e.. "Let's ankle!" humorous and serious situations. i.e. "Stop
applesauce: flattery, nonsense, i.e.. "Aw, tickling me or I'll cast a kitten!" Also, "have
applesauce!" kittens."
Attaboy!: well done!; also, Attagirl! cat's meow: great, also "cat's pajamas" and
"cat's whiskers"
Cat's Pajamas: Same as cat's meow
B Charlie: a man with a mustache 61. chassis:
baby: sweetheart. Also denotes something of the female body
high value or respect. cheaters: eye glasses
baby grand: heavily built man check: Kiss me later.
baby vamp: an attractive or popular female, chewing gum: double-speak, or ambiguous
student. talk.
balled up: confused, messed up. chin music: gossip
baloney: Nonsense! choice bit of calico: attractive female, student.
banana oil!: I doubt that! chopper: a Thompson Sub-Machine Gun, due to
Bank's closed: no kissing or making out i.e. the damage its heavy .45 caliber rounds did to
"Sorry, mac, bank's closed." the human body.
bearcat: a fiery girl clam: a dollar
beat it: scram, get lost. coffin varnish: bootleg liquor, often poisonous.
beat one's gums: idle chatter copacetic: excellent
bee's knee's: terrific; a fad expression. Dozens of crasher: a person who attends a party
"animal anatomy" variations existed such as: uninvited
elephant's eyebrows, gnat's whistle, eel's hips, crush: infatuation
etc.
beef: a complaint or to complain.
beeswax: business, i.e. "None of your beeswax." D
bell bottom: a sailor Daddy: a young woman's boyfriend, especially
bent: drunk if he's rich
berries: (1) perfect (2) money daddy-o: a term of address
Bible Belt: Area in the South and Midwest where dame: a female. Did not gain widespread use
Fundamentalism flourishes until the 1930's.
big cheese: important person dapper: a Flapper's dad
big six: a strong man; from auto advertising, for darb: a great person or thing. "That movie was
the new and powerful six cylinder engines. darb."
big timer: A charming and romantic man dead soldier: an empty beer bottle.
billboard: a flashy man or woman deb: a debutant.
bimbo: a tough guy declaration of independence: a divorce
bird: general term for a man or woman, dewdropper: a young man who sleeps all day
sometimes meaning "odd," i.e. "What a funny old and doesn't have a job
bird." dimbox: a taxi
Blind Date: going out with someone you do not dogs: feet
know doll: an attractive woman.
blooey: the condition when one has gone to dolled up: dressed up
pieces don't know from nothing: doesn't have any
blotto: drunk, especially to an extreme information
blue serge: a sweetheart don't take any wooden nickels: don't do
bootleg: illegal liquor anything stupid.
breezer: a convertible car doublecross: to cheat, stab in the back.
Bronx Cheer: A loud spluttering noise, used to dough: money
indicate disapproval. Same as raspberry
bunk: nonsense
D G
drugstore cowboy: A well-dressed man who goof:
loiters in public areas trying to pick up a stupid or bumbling person,
women. a boyfriend, flapper.
dry up: shut up, get lost goofy: in love
ducky: very good greenland: a park
dud up: to dress up grubber: one who borrows cigarettes
dumb Dora: an absolute idiot, a dumbbell, grummy: depressed grungy: envious
especially a woman; flapper. hair of the dog: a shot of alcohol.
handcuff: engagement ring
hard-boiled: tough, as in, a tough guy, ie: "he
E sure is hard-boiled!"
earful: enough harp: an Irishman
Edisoned: questioned hayburner: (1) a gas guzzling car (2) a horse
egg: a person who lives the big life one loses money on
embalmer: a bootlegger heavy sugar: a lot of money
heebie-jeebies: "the shakes," named after a hit
F song.
heeler: a poor dancer
face stretcher: an old woman trying to look hen coup: a beauty parlor
young high hat: a snob, haughty, unapproachable
Father Time: any man over 30 hike: a walk.
fella: fellow. As common in its day as "man," hip to the jive: cool, trendy
"dude," or "guy" is today. "That John sure is hit on all sixes: to perform 100 percent; as
a swell fella." "hitting on all six cylinders"; perhaps
fire extinguisher: a chaperone a more common variation in these days of four
fish: (1) a college freshman (2) a first timer cylinder engines was "hit on all fours".
in See "big six".
prison hokum: nonsense
flapper: the modern woman of the 1920s. hooch: booze
flat tire: a bore hood: hoodlum
flivver: a Ford Model T; after 1928, also hooey: nonsense.
could hoof: to walk
mean any broken down car. hoofer: Dancer or chorus girl
floorflusher: an insatiable dancer hope chest: pack of cigarettes
flour lover: a girl with too much face hopped up: under the influence of drugs
powder hopper: a dancer
fly boy: a glamorous term for an aviator horn in: to get into a dance without an
For crying out loud!: same usage as today invitation
four-flusher: a person who feigns wealth Hot dawg!: Great!; also: "Hot socks!" Rarely
while mooching off others. spelled as shown outside of flapper
Frame: To give false evidence , to set up circles until popularized by 1940s comic strips.
someone hot sketch: a card or cut-up
Hotsy – Totsy: Pleasing
G
gams: legs
gatecrasher: see "crasher"
I
"I have to go see a man about a dog.": "I've got
get-up: an outfit. to leave now," often meaning to go buy
get a wiggle on: get a move on, get going whiskey.
get in a lather: get worked up, angry icy mitt: rejection
giggle water: booze insured: engaged
gin mill: a seller of hard liquor; a cheap iron: a motorcycle, among motorcycle
speakeasy enthusiasts
glad rags: "going out on the town" clothes iron one’s shoelaces: to go to the restroom
go chase yourself: get lost, scram. ish kabibble: a retort meaning "I should care."
gold-digger: a woman who pursues men for
their money.
goods, the: (1) the right material, or a
person who has it (2) the facts, the truth,
J M
jack: money moonshine: homemade whiskey
Jake: great, ie. "Everything's Jake." mop: a handkerchief
Jalopy: a dumpy old car Mrs. Grundy: A priggish or extremely tight-
Jane: any female laced person
java: coffee munitions: face powder
jeepers creepers: exclamation
jerk soda: to dispense soda from a tap;
thus, "soda jerk" N
jitney: a car employed as a private bus. neck: to kiss passionately
Fare was usually five-cents; also called a necker: a girl who wraps her arms around
"Nickel." her boyfriend's neck.
joe: coffee Nerts!: I am amazed!
Joe Brooks: a perfectly dressed person; nifty: great, excellent
student. Nobody Home: Describes someone who is
john: a toilet dumb noodle juice: tea
joint: establishment or club, usually selling Not so good!: I personally disapprove.
alcohol "Now you're on the trolley!” Now you've got
juice joint: a speakeasy it, now you're right.
K O
kale: money Oh yeah!: I doubt it!
keen: appealing oil burner: a person who chews gum
killjoy: a solemn person old boy: a male term of address, used in
kisser: mouth conversation with other males. Denoted
kneeduster: skirt acceptance in a social environment. Also
know one's onions: to know one's business "old man" "old fruit." "How's everything old
or what one is talking about boy?"
Oliver Twist: a skilled dancer
on the lam: fleeing from police
L on the level: legitimate, honest
lalapazaza: a good sport on the up and up: on the level
lay off: cut the nonsense orchid: an expensive item
left holding the bag: (1) to be cheated out owl: a person who's out late
of one's fair share (2) to be blamed for
something
let George do it: a work evading phrase P
199. level with me: be honest palooka: (1) a below-average or average
limey: a British soldier or citizen, from World boxer (2) a social outsider, from the comic
War I line: a false story, as in "to feed one a strip character Joe Palooka, who came from
line." humble ethnic roots
live wire: a lively person 204. lollygagger: panic: to produce a big reaction from one's
an idle person audience
panther sweat: whiskey
peppy: vigorous, energetic
M percolate: (1) to boil over (2) As of 1925, to
mad money: carfare home to be used by a run smoothly; "perk"
flapper if she has a fight with her date. pet: necking
manacle: wedding ring petting pantry: movie theater
mazuma: money petting party: one or more couples making
meringue: personality out in a room or auto
Mick: a derogatory term for Irishmen piffle: baloney
Middle Aisle: To marry piker: (1) a cheapskate (2) a coward
milquetoast: a very timid person; from the pill: (1) a teacher (2) an unlikable person
comic book character Casper Milquetoast, a 249. pinch: to arrest. Pinched: to be
henpecked male. arrested. 250. pinko: liberal
mind your potatoes: mind your own
business.
Moll: A gangster's girl
P T
pipe down: stop talking take someone for a ride: to take someone
prom-trotter: a student who attends all school to a deserted location and murder
social functions them.
pos-i-lute-ly: affirmative, also "pos-i-tive-ly" tasty: appealing
prune pit: anything that is old-fashioned teenager: not a common term until
punch the bag: small talk 1930; before then, the term was "young
Pushover: A person easily convinced adults."
putting on the ritz: after the Ritz Hotel in Paris ten cent box: a taxi cab
(and its namesake Caesar Ritz); doing tell it to Sweeney: tell it to
something in high style. Also "ritzy." someone who'll believe it.
tight: attractive
Q Tin Pan Alley: the music industry
in New York, located between 48th and
quilt: a drink that warms one up
52nd Streets
tomato: a female
S torpedo: a hired thug or hitman
sap: a fool, an idiot. Very common term in the
20s.
says you: a reaction of disbelief
U
unreal: special
Scram: Ask someone to leave immediately
upchuck: to vomit
scratch: money
upstage: snobby
screaming meemies: the shakes
screw: get lost, get out, etc. Occasionally, in
pre 1930 talkies (such as The Broadway V
Melody) screw is used to tell a character to vamp: a seducer of men, an aggressive flirt
leave. voot: money
screwy: crazy; "You're screwy!"
sheba: one's girlfriend
sheik: one's boyfriend W
shiv: a knife water-proof: a face that doesn't require
simolean: a dollar make-up
sinker: a doughnut weasel: a young man who steals a girl from
sitting pretty: in a prime position her boyfriend
skirt: an attractive female wet blanket: see Killjoy
smarty: a cute flapper wife: dorm roommate, student.
smoke-eater: a smoker What's eating you?: What's wrong?
smudger: a close dancer whoopee: wild fun
snake charmer: a woman involved in windsucker: a braggart
bootlegging Woof! Woof!: ridicule
sockdollager: an action having a great impact wurp: a killjoy
so's your old man: a reply of irritation
speakeasy: a bar selling illegal liquor
Spiffy: An elegant appearance Y
spill: to talk You slay me!: That's funny!
splifficated: drunk
spoon: to neck, or at least talk of love
squirrel: to hide
Z
static: (1) empty talk (2) conflicting opinion zozzled: drunk
stilts: legs
streeted: thrown out of a party
struggle: modern dance
Struggle Buggy: the backseat of a car.
stuck on: having a crush on; in love.
stutter bus: a truck
sugar daddy: older boyfriend who showers
girlfriend with gifts
swanky: (1) good (2) elegant
