Random Facts 22 - 1920-50 Slang

1920's Lingo & Jargon
And How (I strongly agree), Applesauce (an expletive), Attaboy/Attagirl (well done), Baby (sweetheart), Balled Up (confused, messed up), Baloney (nonsense), Bank's Closed (no kissing or making out), Beercat (a hotblooded girl), Beat it (scam or get lost), Beat one's gums (idle chatter), Bee's Knees (an extraordinary person, thing, idea), Beef (a complaint or to complain), Beeswax (business), Bell Bottom (a sailor), Bible Belt (area in the South and Midwest where Fundamentalism flourishes), Big Cheese (important or influential person; boss), Big Six (a strong man, six-cylinder engines were new), Billboard (a flashy man or woman), Bimbo (a tough guy), Blind Date, Bootleg (illegal liquor), Breezer (a convertable), Brillo (someone who lives fast and spends money freely), Bum's rush (ejection by force from an establishment), Bump Off (murder, kill), Butt me (give me a cigarette), Button shining (close dancing), Cake-eater (a ladies man), Cash (a kiss, or check - kiss now or later?), Cat's Meow/Cat's Pajamas (Something splendid or stylish), Charlie (a man with a moustache), Choice bit of calico (an attractive female), Clam (a dollar), Corn shredder (a man who's an awkward dancer), Crush (An infatuation), Dame (a female), Dapper (a Flapper's dad), Dead soldier (an empty bear bottle), Dog jock (a man who walks his wife's dogs), Dogs (feet), Doll (an attractive woman, dolled up-dressy), Don't know from nothing (don't have any information), Don't take any wooden nickels (Don't do anything stupid), Double-cross (to cheat, stab in the back), Dough (money), Face stretcher (an older woman trying to look young), Father time (any man older than 30), Fig leaf (one piece bathing suit), Fire alarm (a divorced woman), Fire extinguisher (a chaperone), Flapper (A stylish, brash, hedonistic young woman with short skirts & shorter hair), Frame (to give false evidence , to set up someone), Giggle Water (an intoxicating beverage; alcohol), Gold Digger (a woman who associates with or marries a man for his wealth), Go Chase Yourself (get lost, scram), Goofy (in love, attracted to), Hair of the Dog (a shot of alcohol), Handcuff (an engagement ring), High hat (a snob. tp snub), Hooch (bootleg liquor), Hood (hoodlum), It (sex appeal), Jack (money), Jalopy (Old car), Java/Joe (coffee), John (a toilet), Killjoy, Kisser (Mouth), Left holding the bag (to be cheated out of one's fair share, to be blamed for something), Level with me (be honest), Line (insincere flattery), Live wire (a lively person), Moll (a gangster's girl), Mop (a hankerchief), Mrs. Grundy (a priggish or extremely tight-laced person), Neck (kissing with passion), Nifty (great, excellent), Now you're on the trolley! (Now you've got it, now you're right), Nobody Home (describes some one who is dumb), Oliver Twist (a good dancer), On the lam (fleeing from police), On the level (legitimate, honest), On the up and up (on the level), Once in a dirty while (from time to time), Owl (a person who's out late), Panther sweat (whiskey), Pet (Same as neck, but more so), Petting pantry (a movie theater), Pipe Down (stop talking), Priscilla (a girl who prefers to stay home), Prune Pit (anything that's old fashioned), Putting on the Ritz/Ritzy (after the Ritz hotel in Paris; doing something in high style), Rag-a-muffin (a dirty or disheveled individual), Razz (to make fun of), Real McCoy (The genuine article), Sap (a fool), Says you (a reaction of disbelief), Sharpshooter (a young man who spends a lot and dresses well), Sheba (a woman with sex appeal, from the move Queen of Sheba), Sheik (a man with sex appeal, from the Valentino movies), Shiv (a knife), Sinker (a doughnut), Spiffy (an elegant appearance), Spill an earful (talk too much), Spoon (to neck, or at least talk of love), Struggle buggy (the backseat of a car), Stuck On (having a crush on), Sugar Daddy, Swanky (ritzy), Swell (wonderful, also a rich man), Ten minutes (an exceptionally tough hard-boiled man), That's No Baloney, Tomato (a female), Torpedo (a hired gun), Upchuck (to vomit when one has drunk too much), What's eating you (what's wrong), Whoopee (to have a good time), You slay me (that's funny).
1930's Lingo & Jargon (Depression, Swing Dancing & the Mob)
Abercrombie (a know-it-all), Abyssinia (I'll be seeing you), All wet (no good), Ameche (a telephone, after Don Ameche who starred in 1939's the Story of Alexander Graham Bell), Big it (a conceited person), Blow your wig (become very excited), Bouncing Betty (a car, especially a ford), Brodie (a mistake), Cat (a fan of swing music), Chase yourself (get lost), Check or Checker (a dollar), Chicago overcoat (a coffin), City juice (a glass of water), Clam-bake (wild swing music), Copper (a policeman), Crumb (a loser), Dead hoofer (a bad dancer), Drag a hoof (dance), Egg (a crude person), Frog-skin (a dollar), Grounder (a cigarette picked off the ground), Hit a flick (go to a movie), Hot squat (the electric chair), Hump (a cigarette, may be after the picture of a camel on a pack), In your Hat (I don't believe that), Jungle (a hobo camp), Mitt me kid (congratulate me), Off the boat (out of style), Off the cob (corny), Pearl driver (a dish washer), Pip (an attractive person), Suds (money), Sweet Patootie (an attractive woman), Wet Sock (a social misfit).
1940's Lingo & Jargon
Aquarium (a house or apartment), Bagpipe (someone who talks too much), Beagle (a hot dag), Beat (Broke), Boogieman (a jivester), Brighty (very smart), Brush (a moustache), PC (a boyfriend, prince charming), Buzz (to kiss), Cogs (sunglasses), Crazy (wonderful), Date bait (a good-looking girl), Dead presidents (money), Deadly (wonderful), Deuce of haircuts (two weeks), Drooly (a cute and popular guy), Eye (detective), Fall (to be convicted of a crime), Gas (to engage in idle conversation), Gobbledygook (inflated, unintelligible language), Hardware (glitzy jewelry), Herd (a pack of camels), Hinges (elbows), Ivory-dome (an intellectual), Jackson (a form of address like "buddy" or "Mac"), Jump (to dance to swing music), Old hat (out of style), Rolling (wealthy), Roost (a house or apartment), Slide your jive (to talk freely), Squirrel fever (a romantic urge), Teenager, Tumble (to dance), Wack (an eccentric person), Whiffle (a crew cut), Yank (a dentist).
Jive - 1940's Extension
Apple (big town), Barbeque (girlfriend, a beauty), Barrelhouse (free and easy), Battle (crone, hag), Beat it Out (play it hot), Beat up the Chops (to talk), Beef (to say, state), Blip (something very good), Blow the Top (overcome with emotion or delight), Buddy Ghee (fellow), Bust your Conk (aooky yourself diligently, break your neck), Clambake (every man for himself), Cooling (laying of, not working), Corny (old-fashioned, stale), Cubby (room, flat home), Cups (sleep), Cut Rate (low, cheap person), Dicty (high class, nifty, smart), Dime Note ($10 bill), Drape (a suit of clothes, dress), Dry Goods (dress, costume), Duke (hand, mitt), Fall Out (overcome with emotion), Faust (an ugly girl), Fews & Two (money or cash in small quantity), Frame (the body), Fruiting (fickle, fooling around with no particular object), Gate (a male person), Glims (the eyes), Got your Boots on (you know what its all about, you are wise), Got your Glasses on (you are ritzy or snooty, you fail to recognize your friends), Gutbucket (low down music), Hard (fine, good), Hep Cat (a guy who knows all the answers, understands Jive), Home-Cooking (something very nice), Icky (stupid person, not hip), In the Groove (perfect), Jack (name for all male friends), Jeff (a pest, a bore), Jelly (anything free, on the house), Jitter Bug (a swing fan), Kill Me (show me a good time, send me), Killer-Diller (a great thrill), Lay Your Racket (to jive, to sell an idea), Lead Sheet (a coat), Lily WHites (bed sheets), Main in Gray (the postman), Main on the Hitch (husband), Main Queen (favorite girlfriend, sweetheart), Mess (something good), Meter (quarter, 25 cents), Mezz (anything supreme, genuine), Mitt Pounding (aaplause), Mouse (pocket), Murder (something excellent or terrific), Neigho Pops (nothing doing, pal), Off the Cob (corney, out of date), Off Time Jive (a sorry excuse, saying the wrong thing), Pigeon (a young girl), Pink (a white person), Pops (salutation for all males), Pounders (policemen), Queen (a beautiful), Rug Cutter (a very good dancer), Salty (angry or ill-tempered), Send (to arouse the emotions, joyful), Set of Seven Brights (one week), Sharp (neat, smart, tricky), Slide Your Jib (talk freely), Solid (great, swell, okay), Square (an un-hip person), Stand One Up (to assume one is cut-rate), Take it Slow (be careful), Togged to the Bricks (dressed to kill), Trilly (to leave, to depart), Truck (to go somewhere), Whipped Up (worn out, exhausted), Wrong Riff (saying or doing the wrong thing).
1950's Lingo & Jargon
Ad-lib (to play the field), Big tickle (something funny), Blow our jets (get angry), Cast an eyeball (to look), Chariot (a car), Chrome-plated (dressed up), Classy chassis (a nice body), Cooties (Nonexistent germs), Cube (someone who's beyond square), Cut the Cheese (to fart), Fracture (to amuse in a big way), Iggle (to persuade), Knuckle sandwich (a punch in the face), Large Charge (something that's wonderful), Lumpy (okay, not great), Made in the shade (assured of success), Make the scene (attend event), Mental case (weirdo), Nerd (a social outcast), Nowhere (Inferior), Panic (something that's very funny), Passion pit (a drive-in theater), Punk out (back down from a fight), Ragtop (a convertable), Real gone (amazing), Sanitary (wonderful), Slip (give), Subterranean (a hipster), Unreal (exceptional), Wig out (go crazy).
Sources
Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Plunges into history Again, pg. 75, 101, 141 & 236.
Uncle John's Ultimate Bathroom Reader, 1996, pg. 93-94.
More 1920's - http://local.aaca.org/bntc/slang/slang.htm.