( N ) One Dollar Bill. Let's Eat out Tonight; I Have a Couple of Aces Burning a Hole In

1920’s Slang

• ace

( n ) One dollar bill. Let's eat out tonight; I have a couple of aces burning a hole in my pocket.

• all wet

( ap ) Wrong. You're all wet. The New York Giants didn't win the 1937 World Series.

1920s

• And how!

( int )An interjection of strong agreement.Did I have a good time? And how!.

• Applesauce!

( int ) Nonsense! Applesauce! The New York Yankees won the 1937 World Series.

• attaboy

( int ) Well done! Attaboy, Greg. You show them!

• attagirl

( int ) Well done! Attagirl, Gwen. You show them!

• baloney

( n ) Nonsense! That's a lot of baloney and you know it! None of it is true.

• bearcat

( n ) A sexy or seductive woman. Man, that Cindy Lou is a lot of fun! What a bearcat that woman is!

• beat one's gums

( vp )To talk.We were just sitting around, beating our gums about nothing.

• beef

( n ) A complaint. Why are you complaining? What's your beef?

• bee's knees

( np )Something excellent, outstanding.Mavis, that new perfume you got is the bee's knees!

• beeswax

( n ) Business. What's my name? None of your beeswax.

• bell-bottom

( n ) A sailor. She has dated every bell-bottom in San Diego.

• big cheese

( np )An important person.He thinks that he is a big cheese just because he has a new Oldsmobile.

• big shot

( np )An important person.He thinks that he is a big shot just because he drives around in a Caddie.

• big six

( np )A strong man.He's a big six in my book any day.

• bird

( n ) An eccentric. You never know what that old bird is going to do next.

• bluenose

( n ) A puritanical person, a prude. The party was filled with so many prudes and bluenoses nobody had any fun.

• boocoo

( adj )Much, a lot.I don't have boocoo time to help you with that.

• boocoos

( n ) A large amount. I had boocoos of money before the market crashed.

• bootleg

( adj ) Illegal, smuggled. His dad made enough money running bootleg liquor to open a bank before Prohibition ended.

• bozo

( n ) A stupid or foolish person. That bozo doesn't know ham from a hammer.

• breezer

( n ) A convertible car. Let's put the top down on the breezer and let the wind blow through our hair.

• Bronx cheer

( np )Blowing air through the closed lips to make a disgusting sound.When he cut in front of the taxi, he received a Bronx cheer from the cabbie.

• Buddy Roe

( int )A threatening form of address for a male in the South.Look out, Buddy Roe, or you'll get into trouble!

• bull session

( np )An informal conversation.The boys got together at Raphael's for an all-night bull-session.

• bump off

( v ) To kill. The boss thought we ought to bump off the informer.

• bum's rush

( np )Ejection by force.Stanley became so obnoxious, we had to give him the bum's rush to get him out.

• caper

( n ) A crime. Sturgeon thought he was a master mind but the cops caught up with him after 4 or 5 capers.

• carry a torch

( vp )To love someone.Maxwell's carrying a torch for Madeleine.

• cat's meow

( np )Something excellent, outstanding.Wow, Kathleen! That new hat is the cat's meow.

• cat's pajamas

( np )Something excellent, outstanding.I hear LaVern's new Duisenberg is the cat's pajamas.

• chassis

( n ) The female figure. She is a lovely lady with a classy chassis.

• cheaters

( n ) Eyeglasses. He can't see past the end of his nose without his cheaters.

• clam

( n ) A dollar. Hey, this suit cost me 20 clams!

• clip

( v ) To steal. He clips something every time he goes into a store.

• copacetic

( adj ) OK, alright. Everything between me and my baby is copacetic.

• crackers

( adj )Crazy, insane.He offered me $250 for my Stutz-Bearcat. He must be crackers!

• daddy

( n ) A rich male protector who usually expects favors from his female charge. Tillie has a (sugar) daddy who takes care of all her bills.

• dame

( n ) A female (offensive). She's a swell dame; I like her a lot.

• dick

( n ) A private investigator. Sally hired a private dick to tail her husband.

• dog

( n ) A foot. Boy, are my dogs tired

• Don't take any wooden nickels

( phr ) Don't do anything stupid. When you go to the big city, Luke, don't take any wooden nickels.

• doozy

( n ) Something excellent, outstanding. He came home with a doozy of a knot on his head.

• dumb Dora

( np )A stupid female.What a dumb Dora she is: when her husband asked if she like the new China, she replied, 'No, I hate the communists.'.

• earful

( n ) A significant statement. When Russell came home plastered, his wife gave him an earful that he will never forget.

• egg

( n ) A person who lives well. Oh, you never want to miss Lucien's parties; he's a very good egg.

• fall guy

( np )A scapegoat.The dumped all the evidence in Preston's locker, deciding to let him be the fall guy.

• fin

( n ) 5-dollar bill. Hey, Wayland, loan me a fin until payday.

• fire extinguisher

( np )A chaperone.Priscilla was so hot, she could never go out without a fire extinguisher.

• fix

( n ) A bribe, bribery. The cops never pick up Joey because the fix is in.

• fix

( v ) To bribe. Barney fixed the judge in his case, so he got off Scot free.

• flapper

( n ) An exciting woman in short, stylish skirts and short hair. In her youth Purity was one of the best known flappers in town.

• flat

( adj )Out of air.The cause of the jostling was a flat tire.

• flat tire

( np )A stupid female.I took that flat tire out once--never again!

• flivver

( n ) A Model T Ford. Sure, he's hot: he took me out in his dad's flivver.

• fly boy

( np )An aviator, someone in the Air Force.Prunella is going with some fly boy out at the base.

• frame

( n ) To give false evidence. My best friend tried to frame me for flushing the cherry bomb down the john by putting the rest of them in my locker.

• gam

( n ) A woman's leg. She has a great figure and even greater gams.

• get a wiggle on

( vp ) Speed up. We're going to be late for the ballet--get a wiggle on!

• giggle-water

( np )Liquor or other alcoholic beverage.He poured me a glass of some kind of giggle water and that's the last thing I remember.

• gin mill

( np )A bar.She dragged me down to some gin mill where her sister sang and hoofed.

• glad rags

( np )Dressy clothes.Hey, Daisy, put on some glad rags and I'll take you to a ritzy night club.

• gold digger

( n ) A female after a man's money. She doesn't love him; she is just a gold-digger after his money.

• gold-digger

( n ) A woman trying to marry a wealthy man. Do you really love me or are you just another gold-digger after my money?

• goofy

( adj )Crazy, insane.He gonegoofy over Alice.

• grand

( n ) A thousand dollars. His salary is twenty grand a month.

• handcuff

( n ) An engagement ring. I love the woman but she'll never get the handcuff on me.

• hard-boiled

( adj )Tough and cold.Harry's a hard-boiled cop who doesn't take anything from anybody.

• hayburner

( n ) A gas-guzzling car. He has a cool set of wheels but his dad drives a hayburner.

• heat

( n ) A gun. Watch out for John, he's strapped with heat.

• heater

( n ) A gun. The mobster had a lump in his coat that suggested a heater.

• heebie-jeebies

( n ) Nervousness. Just thinking about the dentist gives me the heebie-jeebies.

• heist

( n ) An armed robbery. There was a heist at the bank today.

• hick

( n ) A clumsy, unsophisticated person from the country. Patsy is dating some hick who wears a straw hat.

• high-hat

( v ) To snub someone. When I asked her out, she high-hatted me and walked away.

• hit on all sixes

( vp )To perform perfectly.We lost last night because our star player was not hitting on all sixes.

1920s

• hit the road

( vp )To leave.Man, it's 11 o'clock; time for us to hit the road.

• hood

( n ) A hoodlum, gangster. It is a nice neighborhood except for a couple of hoods who live down the block.

• hoofer

( n ) A dancer. He's dating some hoofer at Radio City Hall.

• Hoopty-doo!

( int )An interjection of celebration.Hoopty-doo! Fred got a promotion and a big raise!

• horse

( v ) To play with carelessly. I don't have time to horse around; let's get down to business.

• horse feathers

( int )Nonsense.Horse feathers! You never dated Clara Bow!

• hot

( adj ) Fast (music). I like my jazz hot, not cool.

• hot seat

( np )The electric chair.Marcus got the hot seat for murder.

• hotsy-totsy

( adj )Seemingly excellent, outstanding.He thinks that just because he drives some hotsy-totsy Stutz Bearcar, he's the cat's meow.

• hype

( v ) To swindle by overcharging or short-changing. I think they hyped me back there at the store.

• it

( n ) Sex appeal. Whatever <IT< it.

• jack

( n ) Money. He's a nice-looking guy but he doesn't have enough <JACK< span me.< for>

• jalopy

( n ) An old, beat-up car. Where did you get that old <JALOPY< span

• jane

( n ) Any female. He picked up some <JANE< span night.< last bar the at

• jazz

( v ) To enhance, make more decorative. He <JAZZED< span the and antenna.< on tail fox a spotlight with car his up>

• jive

( n ) Fast jazz of the 20s-30s. I know a little club where they play jive until 2 in the morning.

• jive

( v ) To mislead, deceive. Don't try to jive me, man. I know what's what.

• jive

( v ) To play fast jazz of the 20s-30s. He had a group that would jive all night.

• jive

( n ) Worthless, crazy, or unpleasant talk. Don't talk that jive to me, turkey; I don't believe a word you say.

• joe

( n ) Coffee. Give me a cup of joe, Joe, and a piece of Mabel's crabapple pie or whatever it is. Also Java

• john

( n ) A toilet or the toilet. When he flushed the john, he was surprised to see his cap disappearing down the hole.

• juice joint

( n ) A speakeasy. For five years Myrtle ran a juice-joint until they caught her for selling bootleg hootch.

• killjoy

( n ) A squelcher. My parents are killjoys who don't want me to wear so many beads.

• kisser

( n ) Mouth. Watch what you say, Bub, or I'll pop you one in the kisser.

• kosher

( adj ) Fair. Well, the deal to trade your car for his motorcycle doesn't sound kosher to me.

• level

( n ) Honest, truthful. Level with me: did you really take Jeanette MacDonald out?

• line

( n ) Flirtatious talk designed to pick up a date. He fed me this line about how many banks he owned which didn't work when I saw the jalopy he was driving.

• Mrs. Grundy

( np )A priggish or prudish person. She is such a Mrs. Grundy that she refuses to go into the water.

• Now you're on the trolley!

( phr ) Now you have caught on. Yeah, Yeah! Monday comes BEFORE Tuesday. Now you're on the trolley!

• nudnik

( n ) An irritating person. Get that nudnik out of here; I can't stand her.

• off the deep end

( pp ) To lose control of yourself, go crazy. Billy Ray went off the deep end when his wife left him.

• oil can

( n ) A stupid female. I took that oil can out once--never again!

• on the lam

( pp )Fleeing from the law. Morgan was on the lam for five years, then spent five more in the joint.

• on the level

( pp ) Honest, truthful. On the level, now, did you take Mary Pickford out to supper?

• on the up and up

( pp ) Honest, truthful. I think he is on the up and up when he says he owns 27 banks.

• over the edge

( pp )Crazy, insane. I think another bit of bad news would push Billy Ray over the edge.

• palooka

( n ) A strong male. I'm just waiting for the right palooka to come along and sweep me off my feet.

• pig

( n ) Glutton. He is a pig at parties.

pill

( n ) An unlikable person. She is a bitter pill to take with her uppity attitude and all.

• pinch

( v ) To capture or arrest. I heard

) Something excellent, outstanding. Gwendolyn always pays the bill; she's a pip.

• pipe down

( v ) Be quiet. Pipe down! I want to hear what the president is saying.

• pull rank

( vp )To force someone to do something because you have the authority to do so. I didn't want to go but the boss pulled rank on me and made me.

• punk

( n ) A young hooligan. All the punks in the neighborhood hang out at the pool hall.

• punk out

( v ) To back out from cowardice. We were going over Niagara Falls in a barrel but Jason punked out.

• pushover

( n ) A person easily convinced. Ask Zelda for 5 bucks: she's such a pushover, she'll give it to you.

• put on the Ritz

( vp )To do something in high style. I just got my bonus--tonight we're putting on the Ritz.

• rag

( n ) Newspaper. We get very little international news in our local rag.

• razz

( v ) To tease, make fun of. The baseball fans started to razz the umpire.

• ritzy

( adj )Luxurious. She expected to be taken to a ritzy uptown club, not to a dive in the Bronx.

• rube

( n ) A clumsy, unsophisticated person from the country. I must have looked like some rube when I signed the contract to buy the Brooklyn Bridge.

• rubes

( n ) Money. I have to stay home tonight: no rubes.

• sap

( v ) To hit, to club. The police sapped all the strikers and chased them away.

• Says You!

( int )An interjection of disbelief. It's going to rain tomorrow? Says you!

• scram

( v ) To leave. You're getting on my nerves, so. scram!

• Sheba

( n ) A sexy or seductive woman. She is just the Sheba I've been waiting for.

• sheik

( n ) A sexy man. Who is the sheik I saw her with last Friday?

• sinker

( n ) A doughnut. Hey, Joe! Give me a cup of joe and a couple of those week-old sinkers over there.

• slay

( phr ) Be very funny. What a story! You just slay me, Ferdie!

• smoke

( v ) To kill. The mob didn't like him muscling in on their territory, so they smoked him.

• speakeasy

( n ) An illicit bar selling bootleg liquor. Ebenezer ran a speakeasy until the cops discovered it and broke it up.

• steady

( n ) Boyfriend or girlfriend. Natalie's steady is a hunk who works as a lifeguard at the beach.

• steam up

( v ) To make angry, mad. Don't get so steamed up over the issue.

• Stick 'em up!

( phr ) Raise your hands. Drop that gun and stick 'em up!

• struggle buggy

( np )The backseat of a car. The struggle buggy is a parent's worst nightmare.

• swanky

( adj )Luxurious. They spent the night in a swanky hotel with a ritzy restaurant on the top floor.

• the berries

( n ) Something excellent, outstanding. You have to see the new exhibit at the art museum; it's the berries.

• the real McCoy

( np )Something genuine. That girl of his is not just good-looking; she's the real McCoy.

• torpedo

( n ) A hired killer. The torpedo she hired to off her husband turned out to be an undercover cop.

• twerp

( n ) Petty, immature brat. The little twerp told her mommie!

washed up

( adj ) Finished, done in. When the cops caught him, his criminal life was done in.

• wet blanket

( np )A squelcher. Ralph is such a wet blanket, I doubt you can get him to go a party.

• wet rag

( np )A squelcher. Arnold is such a wet rag he won't even dance.

• What's eating you?

( phr ) What is wrong with you? You don't want to see the Dodgers play? What's eating you?.

• Whoop-de-doo!

( int )An Interjection of happy surprise. Our final has been cancelled? Whoopty-doo!

• yahoo

( n ) A clumsy, unsophisticated person. Reba is going out with some yahoo from the sticks.

• garden path, the

( np )Misleading direction, deception. I'm afraid Grady has led you down the garden path, baby. You'll never get your money back.

• pick up

( v ) To try to get a stranger of the opposite sex to go home with you. Hey, let's go to the football game tonight and pick up a couple of girls.

• pick-up

( n ) You can always find pick-ups at a Hot 101 concert. You can always find pick-ups at a Hot 101 concert.

• hooey

( n ) Nonsense. All that stuff about inheriting a million dollars is just a lot of hooey.

• in hot water

( pp )In trouble. As his wife had predicted months earlier, Bradley's gambling finally got him in hot water.

• nerts

( adj )Crazy, insane. You are completely nerts if you think I will go with you.

• wheel

( n ) A leg. Letticia was convinced that her wheels were as good as anybody's.