While we might criticise children today for their use of ‘bare’ slang language, that us grown ups definitely don’t think are ‘on fleek’, language has always been a fluid thing. Each age has brought its own language, and words go from hot to not as quickly as flapper dresses and flares.
Last week I went to see an amateur production from Shine Theatre, Cardiff, a theatre group that my daughter is involved in, as they put on ‘Putting on the Ritz’. Included in the programme was a list of 1920s vocabulary, and it sent me on a hunt for the language of the Jazz Age.
Language fascinates me and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed researching this piece. If you ever really wanted to talk like Gatsby, then here’s how!
All wet
An erroneous idea or individual.
“He’s all wet, he is.”
And how!
I strongly agree.
“Is it time for cocktails?” “And how!’
Applesauce
Flattery, nonsense.
“Aww, applesauce, you’re just saying that.”
Attaboy/Attagirl
Well done
“Attaboy, you cracked it.”
Baby Grand
A heavily built man.
“I tried to stop him, Sam but he was a baby grand of a man.”
Balled Up
Confused, messed up.
“It all got balled up, Joe. The shooters came from nowhere”
Baloney
Nonsense
“It’s all baloney, we know you’re double crossing us.”
Bank’s Closed
No kissing or making out.
“Get your hands off her in here, the bank’s closed.”
Bee’s Knees
The best, terrific.
“I can’t take my eyes off her, she’s the bee’s knees.”
Beef
A complaint
“You tell him if he has a beef with me, I’ll be at the Jazz Club from 9!”
Bell Bottom
A Sailor.
“The Bell Bottoms came in last night, it was a busy evening in here.”
Big Six
A tough guy (from the new 6 cylinder engines of the day)
“You better watch out for him, he’s the big six! ”
Breezer
A convertible car
“Oh, Sally, he treats me like a princess and he drives a breezer! ”
Bronx Cheer
A noise of disapproval, like blowing a raspberry.
“She won’t play here again after that Bronx cheer.”
Bum’s Rush
To be forcible ejected
“he started getting rowdy and the owner gave him the bum’s rush! ”
Caper
A criminal act or robbery
“He was caught on a right caper.”
Cast a kitten
To throw a fit
“Ok, calm down, don’t cast a kitten!”
Chassis
A woman’s body
“That flapper dress is showing off her fine chassis”
Cheaters
Glasses/spectacles
“Did you see him in those cheaters? You couldn’t miss him.”
Darb
The person with all the money who can front the bill
“order what you want to , Joe’s the darb.”
Dead soldier
An empty beer bottle
“Can I clear your dead soldiers, guys?”
Dewdropper
A young, jobless man who sleeps all day
“You offered that dewdropper a job?”
Dogs
Feet
“Let’s see those dogs out on the dancefloor!”
Don’t take any wooden nickels
Don’t do anything stupid
“Make sure you don’t take any wooden nickels tonight!”
Drugstore Cowboy
A well dressed man who loiters and tries to pick up women.
“Watch that one, he’s a right drugstore cowboy!”
Edge
Intoxication, a buzz
“I’ve got an edge tonight.”
Egg
A person who lives a big life
“There’s never a dull moment, he’s such an egg.”
Face Stretcher
An older woman trying to look young
“Don’t be fooled by the lighting and make up, she’s a face stretcher.”
Fire Extinguisher
A chaperone
“I didn’t get a look in, her brother was playing fire extinguisher.”
Floor Flusher
An insatiable dancer
“The floor flusher hasn’t been off the dance floor all night!”
Fly Boy
A glamorous term for an aviator
“He was a fly boy in the war, and I can’t get enough of him.”
Gams
A woman’s legs
“Daisy has some fine gams.”
Giggle Water
Alcohol
“Ignore her, she’s been on the giggle water.”
Gin Mill
A bar
“We’re all meeting in the Gin Mill at 9, doll!”
Glad rags
Nice clothes
“She has her glad rags on and she’s ready for dancing!”
Gold Digger
A women who targets rich men
“It’s well known what a gold digger she is!”
Goofy
In love
“You’ll get no sense out of him, he’s goofy for Daisy!”
Hard Boiled
A tough guy
“I wouldn’t mess with him, he’s hard boiled.”
Hay Burner
A gas guzzling car/ a losing horse
“My hot tip turned into a hayburner.”
Heavy Sugar
A lot of money
“Oh, he’s playing with the heavy sugar now!”
Heeler
A bad dancer
“It doesn’t matter how much the suit cost, you’re such a heeler, you’ll never get the gals.”
Hit on all sixes
To give 100% (another reference to the 6-cylinder engine)
“Hey, you’re hitting on all sixes tonight!”
Hood
Hoodlum
“Hey, get that hood out of here!”
Iron
Motorcycle
“He headed out of state on his iron.”
Iron one’s shoelaces
Go to the restroom
“I’ll be right back, I’m just going to iron one’s laces.”
Jake
All good
“Yeah don’t worry, everything’s jake.”
Jalopy
Car
“I can’t believe he drives that jalopy.”
Jitney
A car employed as a private bus
“We’ll just take a jitney.”
Juice Joint
A speakeasy
“We’ll meet you at the juice joint.”
Killjoy
A solemn person
“You don’t have to be such a killjoy!”
Kisser
Mouth
“Shut it or Ill punch you in the kisser.”
Mrs. Grundy
A priggish or tight laced person
“You have no chance, she’s such a Mrs. Grundy!”
Moll
A gangster’s girl
“She’s Sam’s moll, I’d leave her well alone.”
On the lam
Fleeing from the police
“he’s been on the lam for a month now!”
Orchid
An expensive item
“It’s an orchid but she’s worth it.”
Ossified
Drunk
“He’s not driving, he’s ossified!”
Oyster Fruit
Pearls
“Did you see the size of that oyster fruit on Daisy’s neck?”
Palooka
A below average fighter or man (from Joe Palooka)
“He’s such a palooka!”
Panther sweat
Whiskey
“They were serving some fine panther sweat last night.”
Rag-a-muffin
A dirty or scruffy person
“Stay clear, he’s a rag-a-muffin!”
Razz
To make fun of
“Don’t razz him, he hates it!”
Ritzy
Elegant, high style (after the hotel)
“Let’s go tonight, it’s so Ritzy!!”
Rubes
Money or dollars
“He’s flashing the rubes again!”
Sap
A fool; an idiot
“Just ignore him, he’s such a sap!”
Scram
Ask someone to leave immediately
“Just scram will you!”
Shiv
A knife (also a verb)
“He just tried to shiv me in the alley, Joe!”
Speakeasy
An illegal bar selling alcohol
“I was out at the speakeasy until the early hours!”
Spifflicated
Drunk
“Drunk? He was completely spifflicated!”
Struggle Buggy
The backseat of a car, every parents worse nightmare
“We knew we shouldn’t but we jumped into the struggle buggy and continued!”
Whoopee
To have a good time
“You missed a great time last night, we had a whoopee!”
Wise Guy
Someone who thinks he’s clever/smart
“You think you’re such a wise guy!”
Yap
Mouth
“Would you shut your yap already!”
You slay me
That’s funny
“Oh Gatsby, you slay me!”
Over the last (almost) 100 years, many of these words and phrases have fallen out of usage, but some are still used today and they all originated in the decadent Jazz Age!
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