The Roaring 20's 20's Slang |
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ab-so-lute-ly: affirmative all wet: wrong And how!: I strongly agree! ankle: to walk, i.e.. "Let's ankle!" Attaboy!: well done!; also, Attagirl! B baby: sweetheart. baby grand: heavily built man baby vamp: a pretty or popular female, student. balled up: messed up. baloney: Nonsense! beat it: get lost. beat one's gums: idle talk bee's knee's: great; a fad expression. Dozens of "animal anatomy" variations existed: elephant's eyebrows, gnat's whistle, eel's hips, etc. beef: a problem beeswax: business, i.e. "None of your beeswax." Student. bell bottom: a sailor bent: drunk berries: (1) perfect (2) money big shot: important person big six: a strong man bimbo: a tough guy bird: general term for a man or woman, sometimes meaning "odd," i.e. "What a funny old bird." blotto (1930 at the latest): drunk, especially to an extreme blow: (1) a wild party (2) to leave bohunk: a derogatory name for an Eastern European immigrant. Out of use by 1930, except in anti-immigrant groups, like the KKK. bootleg: illeagal liquor breezer (1925): a topless automobile bubs: breasts bug-eyed Betty (1927): an unattractive girl, student. bull: (1) a law-enforcement official, including FBI. (2) nonesense, bullshit (3) to talk idly, to exaggerate bump off: to kill bum's rush, the: to eject from an establishment bunny (1925): a term of endearment applied to the lost, disoriented. Often coupled with "poor little." bus: any old or worn out automobile. bushwa: a euphemism for "bullshit" Butt me.: I'll take a smoke D daddy: a young woman's wealthy boyfriend or lover daddy-o: a term of address; mainly a negro term. dame: a female. Did not gain widespread use until the 1930's. dapper: a Flapper's dad darb: a great person or thing. "That movie was darb." dead soldier: an empty beer bottle. deb: a debutant. dewdropper: a young man who sleeps all day and doesn't have a job dinge: a derogatory term for a negro. Out of use by 1930. dogs: feet doll: an attractive woman. dolled up: dressed up don't know from nothing: doesn't have any information don't take any wooden dimes: don't do anything stupid. dope: drugs dough: money dry up: shut up, get lost dumb Dora: an absolute idiot, a dumbbell E earful: enough edge: a buzz. i.e. "I've got an edge." egg: a person who lives the big life Ethel: an effeminate male. F fag: a smoke. Also, starting around 1920, a homosexual. fella: fellow. as "man," "dude," or "guy" is today. "That John sure is a swell fella." fish: (1) a freshman (2) a first timer in prison flat tire: a bore flivver: a Model T; after 1928, also any broken down automobile. fly boy: a glamorous term for an aviator four-flusher: a person who feigns wealth while mooching off others. fried: drunk G gams (1930): legs gay: happy or lively; no connection to homosexuality. See "fag." get-up (1930): an outfit. get a wiggle on: get a move on, get going get in a lather: get worked up, angry giggle water: booze gimp: one who walks with a limp. Gangster Dion Bannion was called Gimpy due to his noticeable limp. gin mill: a seller of hard liquor; a speakeas gold-digger (1925): a woman who pursues men for their money. goods, the: (1) the right material, or a person who has it (2) the truth, i.e. "Make sure the authorities don't get the goods on you." goof: (1) a stupid or bumbling person, (2) a boyfriend, flapper. goofy: in love grummy: depressed grungy: envious H hair of the dog (1925): a shot of booze. half seas over: drunk, also "half under." hard-boiled: tough, as in, a tough guy, ie: "he sure is hard-boiled!" harp: an Irishman hayburner: (1) a gas guzzling automobile (2) a horse one loses money on heavy sugar (1929): a lot of money heebie-jeebies (1926): "the shakes," named after a hit song. high hat: a snob. hip to the jive: trendy hood (late 20s): hoodlum hooey: bullshit, nonsense. Very popular from 1925 to 1930, used somewhat thereafter. hop: (1) opiate or marijuana (2) a teen party hopped up: under the influence of drugs Hot dawg!: Great! Rarely spelled as shown outside of flapper groups until popularized in 1940s I "I have to go see a man about a dog.": "I've got to leave now," often meaning to go buy whiskey. insured: engaged J jack: money Jake: great, ie. "Everything's Jake." Jalopy: a dumpy old automobile Jane: any female jerk soda: to dispense soda from a tap; thus, "soda jerk" jigaboo: a derogatory term for a negro jitney: an automobile employed as a private bus. Joe Brooks: a well dressed person; student. john: a toilet joint: establishment juice joint: a speakeasy K kale: money keen: appealing kike: a derogatory term for a Jewish person killjoy: a solemn person knock up: to make pregnant know one's onions: to know one's business or what one is talking about L left holding the bag: to be blamed for something let George do it: a work evading phrase level with me: be honest limey: a British soldier from World War I line: a false story, as in "to feed one a line." live wire: a lively person lollapalooza (1930): a humdinger lollygagger: (1) a young man who enjoys making out (2) an idle person M mazuma: money milquetoast (1924): a very timid person mind your potatoes: mind your own business. moonshine: homemade whiskey N nifty: great nookie: sex Not so good!: I personally disapprove. "Now you're on the trolley!": Now you've got it, now you're right. O ofay: a negro expression for Whites Oh yeah!: I doubt it! old boy: a male term of address, used with other males. Also "old man" "old fruit." "How's everything old boy?" on a toot: a drinking binge on the lam: fleeing from authorities on the level: legitimate, honest on the up and up: on the level ossified: drunk owl: a person who's out late P palooka: (1) a below-average or average boxer (2) an outsider panther sweat (1925): whiskey pet: making out petting pantry: movie theater piffle: baloney piker: a coward pill: (1) a teacher (2) an unlikable person pinko: liberal pipe down: stop talking pos-i-lute-ly: affirmative, also "pos-i-tive-ly" punch the bag: small talk putting on the ritz: after the Ritz Hotel in Paris; doing something in high style. Also "ritzy." Q quiff: a slut R rag-a-muffin: a dirty or disheveled individual razz: to make fun of regular: normal, typical, average; "Regular fella." Reuben: a country bumpkin. Also "rube" Rhatz!: How disappointing! rub: a student dance party rubes: money or dollars rummy: a drunken bum S sap: a fool, an idiot. Very common term in the 20s. says you: disbelief sheba: one's girlfriend sheik: one's boyfriend shiv: a knife simolean: a dollar sinker: a doughnut sitting pretty: in a prime position skirt: a female smarty: a flapper smoke-eater: a smoker so's your old man: a reply of irritation spade: yet another derogatory term for a negro speakeasy: a bar selling illegal liquor spill: to talk stilts: legs sugar daddy: older boyfriend who showers girlfriend with gifts in exchange for sex swanky: (1) good (2) elegant swell: (1) good (2) high class T take someone for a ride: to take someone to a deserted location and murder them. tasty: appealing tell it to Sweeney: tell it to someone who'll believe it. tight: attractive tomato: a "ripe" female torpedo: a hired thug or hitman U upstage: snobby V vamp: (1) an aggressive flirt (2) to seduce voot: money W wet blanket: see Killjoy wife: dorm roomate, student. What's eating you?: What's wrong? whoopee: wild fun Woof! Woof!: ridicule X Y You slay me!: That's funny! Z zozzled: drunk |
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