Herein is contained an alphabetical
listing of slang words used in the 1920's. The twenties were the first
decade to emphasize youth culture over the older generations, and the flapper
sub-culture had a tremendous influence on main stream America; many new
words and phrases were coined by these liberated women. These are the most
common words and phrases of the time, many of which we still use today!
-ski, -avous: these are two suffixes
(derived from Russian and French, respectively) used in flapper parlance
to “dress up” normal words. The suffix could be added to any word. There
was only one hard and fast rule: if you responded to a question containing
a suffix, you had to use the same part of speech somehow. Example: “Would
you like a drink-avous?” “No thanks, I’m on the wagon-avous.” “The sun-ski
is so bright!” “Put on a hat-ski.”
A
ab-so-lute-ly: affirmative
all wet: incorrect
And how!: I strongly agree!
ankle: to walk, i.e.. "Let's ankle!"
apple sauce: flattery, nonsense,
i.e.. "Aw, applesauce!"
Attaboy!: well done!; also, Attagirl!
B
baby: sweetheart. Also denotes something
of high value or respect.
baby grand: heavily built man
baby vamp: an attractive or popular
female, student.
balled up: confused, messed up.
baloney: Nonsense!
Bank's closed.: no kissing or making
out ie. "Sorry, mac, bank's closed."
beat it: scram, get lost.
beat one's gums: idle chatter
bee's knee's: terrific; a fad expression.
Dozens of "animal anatomy" variations existed: elephant's eyebrows, gnat's
whistle, eel's hips, etc.
beef: a complaint or to complain.
beeswax: business, i.e. "None of
your beeswax." Student.
bell bottom: a sailor
berries: (1) perfect (2) money
big cheese: important person
big six: a strong man; from auto
advertising, for the new and powerful six cylinder engines.
bimbo: a tough guy
bird: general term for a man or
woman, sometimes meaning "odd," i.e. "What a funny old bird."
bootleg: illeagal liquor
breezer (1925): a convertable car
bump off: to kill
bum's rush, the: ejection by force
from an establishment
bunny (1925): a term of endearment
applied to the lost, confused, etc. Often coupled with "poor little."
bus: any old or worn out car.
C
cake-eater: a lady's man
caper: a criminal act or robbery.
cat's meow: great, also "cat's
pajamas" and "cat's whiskers"
cash: a kiss
Cash or check?: Do we kiss now
or later?
cast a kitten: to have a fit. Used
in both humorous and serious situations. i.e. "Stop tickling me or I'll
cast a kitten!" Also, "have kittens."
cheaters: eye glasses
check: Kiss me later.
chewing gum: double-speak, or ambiguous
talk.
chopper: a Thompson Sub-Machine
Gun, due to the damage its heavy .45 caliber rounds did to the human body.
clam: a dollar
coffin varnish: bootleg liquor,
often poisonous.
copacetic: excellent
crasher: a person who attends a
party uninvited
crush: infatuation
D
dapper: a Flapper's dad
darb: a great person or thing.
"That movie was darb."
deb: a debutant.
dewdropper: a young man who sleeps
all day and doesn't have a job
dick: a private investigator. Coined
around 1900, the term finds major recognition in the 20's.
dogs: feet
dolled up: dressed up
don't know from nothing: doesn't
have any information
don't take any wooden nickels:
don't do anything stupid..
doublecross: to cheat, stab in
the back.
dough: money
drugstore cowboy: A well-dressed
man who loiters in public areas trying to pick up women.
dry up: shut up, get lost
ducky: very good
E
earful: enough
edge: intoxication, a buzz. i.e.
"I've got an edge."
egg: a person who lives the big
life
Ethel: an effeminate male.
F
fella: fellow. As common in its
day as "man," "dude," or "guy" is today. "That John sure is a swell fella."
fire extinguisher: a chaperone
fish: (1) a college freshman (2)
a first timer in prison
flat tire: a bore
flivver: a Model T; after 1928,
also could mean any broken down car.
floorflusher: an insatiable dancer
flour lover: a girl with too much
face powder
fly boy: a glamorous term for an
aviator
For crying out loud!: same usage
as today
four-flusher: a person who feigns
wealth while mooching off others.
G
gams (1930): legs
gatecrasher: see "crasher"
get-up (1930): an outfit.
get a wiggle on: get a move on,
get going
get in a lather: get worked up,
angry
gimp: cripple; one who walks with
a limp. Gangster Dion O’Bannion was called Gimpy due to his noticeable
limp.
gin mill: a seller of hard liquor;
a cheap speakeasy
glad rags: "going out on the town"
clothes
go chase yourself: get lost, scram
goods, the: (1) the right material,
or a person who has it (2) the facts, the truth, i.e. "Make sure the cops
don't get the goods on you."
goofy: in love
grummy: depressed
grungy: envious
H
handcuff: engagement ring
hard-boiled: tough, as in, a tough
guy, ie: "he sure is hard-boiled!"
hayburner: (1) a gas guzzling car
(2) a horse one loses money on
heavy sugar (1929): a lot of money
heebie-jeebies (1926): "the shakes,"
named after a hit song.
heeler: a poor dancer
high hat: a snob.
hip to the jive: cool, trendy
hit on all sixes: to perform 100
per cent; as "hitting on all six cylinders"; perhaps a more common variation
in these days of four cylinder engines was "hit on all fours". See "big
six".
hooch: booze
hood (late 20s): hoodlum
hope chest: pack of cigarettes
Hot dawg!: Great!; also: "Hot socks!"
Rarely spelled as shown outside of flapper circles until popularized by
1940s comic strips.
hot sketch: a card or cut-up
I
"I have to go see a man about a
dog.": "I've got to leave now," often meaning to go buy whiskey.
icy mitt: rejection
insured: engaged
iron (1925): a motorcycle, among
motorcycle enthusiasts
iron one’s shoelaces: to go to
the restroom
ish kabibble (1925): a retort meaning
"I should care." Was the name of a musician in the Kay Kayser Orchestra
of the 1930s.
J
jack: money
Jake: great, ie. "Everything's
Jake."
Jalopy: a dumpy old car
Jane: any female
java: coffee
jerk soda: to dispense soda from
a tap; thus, "soda jerk"
jitney: a car employed as a private
bus. Fare was usually five-cents; also called a "nickel."
joe: coffee
Joe Brooks: a perfectly dressed
person; student.
john: a toilet
joint: establishment
juice joint: a speakeasy
K
kale: money
keen: appealing
killjoy: a solemn person
know one's onions: to know one's
business or what one is talking about
L
lay off: cut the crap
left holding the bag: (1) to be
cheated out of one's fair share (2) to be blamed for something
let George do it: a work evading
phrase
level with me: be honest
line: a false story, as in "to
feed one a line."
live wire: a lively person
lollapalooza (1930): a humdinger
M
manacle: wedding ring
mazuma: money
milquetoast (1924): a very timid
person; from the comic book character Casper Milquetoast, a hen-pecked
male.
mind your potatoes: mind your own
business.
mooch: to leave
moonshine: homemade whiskey
mop: a handkerchief
munitions: face powder
N
nifty: great, excellent
noodle juice: tea
Not so good!: I personally disapprove.
"Now you're on the trolley!": Now
you've got it, now you're right.
O
off one's nuts: crazy
Oh yeah!: I doubt it!
old boy: a male term of address,
used in conversation with other males. Denoted acceptance in a social environment.
Also "old man" "old fruit." "How's everything old boy?"
Oliver Twist: a skilled dance
on the lam: fleeing from police
on the level: legitimate, honest
on the up and up: on the level
orchid: an expensive item
owl: a person who's out late
P
palooka: (1) a below-average or
average boxer (2) a social outsider, from the comic strip character Joe
Palooka, who came from humble ethnic roots
panic: to produce a big reaction
from one's audience
percolate: (1) to boil over (2)
As of 1925, to run smoothly; "perk"
piffle: baloney
piker: (1) a cheapskate (2) a coward
pill: (1) a teacher (2) an unlikable
person
pinch: to arrest. Pinched: to be
arrested.
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 (and its namesake Caesar Ritz); doing something in
high style. Also "ritzy."
R
rag-a-muffin: a dirty or disheveled
individual
rain pitchforks: a downpour
razz: to make fun of
Real McCoy: a genuine item
regular: normal, typical, average;
"Regular fella."
Reuben: an unsophisticated 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: a reaction of disbelief
scratch: money
screaming meemies: the shakes
sheba: one's girlfriend
sheik: one's boyfriend
shiv: a knife
simolean: a dollar
sinker: a doughnut
sitting pretty: in a prime position
smoke-eater: a smoker
smudger: a close dancer
sockdollager: an action having
a great impact
so's your old man: a reply of irritation
speakeasy: a bar selling illeagal
liquor
spill: to talk
spoon: to neck, or at least talk
of love
static: (1) empty talk (2) conflicting
opinion
stilts: legs
struggle: modern dance
stuck on: in love, student.
swanky: (1) good (2) elegant
swell: (1) good (2) a high class
person
T
take someone for a ride: to take
someone to a deserted location and murder them.
tasty: appealing
teenager: not a common term until
1930; before then, the term was "young adults."
tell it to Sweeney: tell it to
someone who'll believe it.
Tin Pan Alley: the music industry
in New York, located between 48th and 52nd Streets
torpedo: a hired thug or hitman
U
unreal: special
upchuck: to vomit
upstage: snobby
V
voot: money
W
water-proof: a face that doesn't
require make-up
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!
Composed by: David Larkins
Suggestions? Additions? Be sure
to email: dlarkins@earthlink.net
Sources:
Dalzel, Tom. Flappers 2 Rappers:
American Youth Slang. (Springfield: Merriam-Webster, 1996). Entries used
on this page are duplicated with permission.
McCutcheon, Marc. The Writer's
Guide to Everyday Life from Prohibition through Word War II. (Cincinnati:
Writer's Digest Books, 1995). Permission pending.
Contributors:
"Andrew"
Andrew Chiong
Kim Freant
Daniel Hecker
Ivan Hild
"Kisses210"
Ed Lubin
"Maximillian"
Jeff Shannon
Jo Stallworth
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