Slang

I love old slang. I think it's hilarious, and I expect that someday I'll have kids who will make fun of all the slang that I use...all those words that I think are leet, uber, awesome, and cool.

Here is some slang from a few different decades that I found quite entertaining. I hope we can bring some of these words/phrases back, cause they're the bee's knees.

1920s

All Wet - describes an erroneous idea or individual

Bank's Closed - no kissing or making out

Bearcat - a hot-blooded or fiery girl

Bee's Knees - An extraordinary person, thing, idea; the ultimate

Berries - That which is attractive or pleasing; similar to bee's knees

Big six - a strong man (from auto advertising, relates to the new (at the time) six cylinder engines)

Butt me - I'll take a cigarette

Cat's Pajamas- Something splendid or stylish; similar to the bee’s knees.

Chassis – The female body

Check – Kiss me later

Daddy - A young woman’s boyfriend or lover, especially if he’s rich.

Dame - A female

Dolled up – dressed up

Don’t take any wooden nickels - Don’t do anything stupid.

Flat Tire - A dull witted insipid, disappointing date.

Flapper - A stylish, brash, hedonistic young woman with short skirts and shorter hair.

Giggle water - alcohol.

Handcuff - engagement ring

Nifty - great excellent

Piker - A cheapskate

Struggle Buggy - the backseat of a car…well, you get it.

1930s
Behind the 8 ball - you’re in trouble
Chintzy - Cheap

Dibs - a claim for something.

Ginchy - sexy…she’s the ginchiest girl I’ve ever seen.

Go steady - to date only one person

Hep cat - a cool jazz lover

Malarkey - nonsense

Minxy - alluring seductive..she’s a total minxy

Monday morning quarterback - someone who gives advice when it’s too late.

Scag – an ugly female.

Nelly – a male homosexual

1940s

g-man – FBI agent.

Greenback – a dollar

Honey - an attractive female

Jive – to make sense.

1950s

Armpit - undesirable place.

Beefcake – a well proportioned male

Classy chassis: nice female figure.

Made in the shade - success guaranteed

Make out - Yeah this started to mean kiss and all that in the 50s

Mickey Mouse – Easy simple

On cloud seven - really happy

Rack out - to fall asleep

Snafu - a mistake


1960s

Alligator: a guy with a swagger, confidence…good with the ladies

Homework: to make out.

Cherry - something excellent

Dipstick - a stupid person

Gig – a job

Idiot box – a TV set.

Cloud nine – really happy.


Here is a sample paragraph that I hope will demonstrate how badly we need to bring back old slang into regular discourse. In this story, the old slang is in quotation marks.

So, I met this "dame", a real "flapper", and I said to myself, she's" nifty." Now I didn't want to "take any wooden nickels," but I knew I'd be a "nelly" if I didn't take this "ginchy" girl out. Please keep in mind I don't have many "greenbacks" ...I'm kinda "chintzy" if you know what I mean, but this girl was the "cat's pajamas" a real "bearcat", and I"m sort of a "big six" myself so I figured, why not?

Anyhoo (might be old slang..not sure), I took my little "honey" out in my "cherry" car. I figured that an "alligator" like me would have her doing "homework" in the "struggle buggy" in no time. But then I hit a "snafu" and I told her that her friend was a "scag." So, while I started the date on "cloud nine", by the end of the night I was "behind the eight ball." I'm such a "dipstick."

But, things ended up okay. As I dropepd her off she said "check" and smiled at me. Man, that girl is the "berries." I think I"m gonna ask that "minxy" little fox to "go steady."

****

Yeah, that's right. You don't need to say it...that's the most awesome story you've ever read.

p.s. Today is National Pharmacy Technician's Day. If you're not chintzy you'll send me something.

p.p.s. Something cool happened today. This morning I found out I got an A- on a paper. I read the professor's criticism and I told him that he either didn't understand the argument or he misunderstood the vocabulary. It turned out he didn't understand the vocabulary...so I helped him out. Now he's got a bigger vocabulary, and I got an A...I'm on cloud 9.

p.p.p.s. I think I should get extra credit for talking a rhetoric professor into improving my grade.

p.p.p.p.s. Did you notice that in the 50s it was cloud 7, but in the 60s it was could 9? I think we're due for cloud 10.