Feathers in the food bowl.

1920's Slang Masterpost (will be updated over time)

• Ab-so-lute-ly - affirmative
• All Wet - describes an erroneous idea or individual, as in, "he's all wet."
• And How - I strongly agree!
• Applesauce- an expletive same as horsefeathers, As in "Ah applesauce!"
• Attaboy - well done!; also Attagirl!
• Baby - sweetheart. Also denotes something of high value or respect.
• Balled Up - confused, messed up
• Baloney - nonsense!
• Bank's Closed - no kissing or making out - i.e. - "Sorry, Mac, the bank's closed."
• Bearcat - a hot-blooded or fiery girl
• Beat it - scam or get lost
• Beat one's gums - idle chatter
• Bee's Knees - An extraordinary person, thing, idea; the ultimate
• Beef - a complaint or to complain
• Beeswax - business, i.e. None of your beeswax."
• Being Edisoned- getting asked a lot of boring questions.
• Bell bottom - a sailor
• Berries - That which is attractive or pleasing; similar to bee's knees, As in "It's the berries."
• Bible Belt - Area in the South and Midwest where Fundamentalism flourishes
• Big Cheese - The most important or influential person; boss. Same as big shot
• 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."
• Blind Date - going out with someone you do not know
• Bluenose - An excessively puritanical person, a prude, Creator of "the Blue Nozzle Curse."
• Bootleg - illegal liquor
• Breezer - an convertible car
• Bronx Cheer - A loud spluttering noise, used to indicate disapproval. Same as raspberry
• Bull - (1) a policeman or law-enforcement officer including FBI (2) nonsense (3) to chat idly, to exaggerate
• Bull Session - Male talkfest, gossip, stories of sexual exploits
• Bum's rush - ejection by force from an establishment
• Bump Off - To murder, To kill
• Butt me - I'll take a cigarette
• Caper - a criminal act or robbery
• Carry a Torch - To have a crush on someone
• Cash - a kiss
• Cash or check? - Do you kiss now or later?
• Cat's Meow - Something splendid or stylish; similar to bee's knees; The best or greatest, wonderful.
• Cat's Pajamas - Same as cat's meow
• Cellar Smeller- a young man who always turns up where there’s free liquor to be had.
• Chassis - the female body
• Cheaters - Eyeglasses
• Check - kiss me later
• Ciggy - cigarette
• Clam - a dollar
• Copacetic - Wonderful, fine, all right
• Corn Shredder- young man who dances on a girl’s feet.
• Crush - An infatuation
• Daddy - a young woman's boyfriend or lover, especially if he's rich
• Dame - a female
• Dapper - a Flapper's dad
• Darb - An excellent person or thing (as in "the Darb" - a person with money who can be relied on to pay the check)
• Dead soldier - an empty bear bottle
• Deb - an debutant
• Dick - a private investigator
• Dogs - feet
• Doll - an attractive woman
• Dolled up - dressed up
• Don't know from nothing - don't have any information
• Don't take any wooden nickels - Don't do anything stupid
• Double-cross - to cheat, stab in the back
• Dough - money
• Drugstore Cowboy - a guy that hangs around on a street corner trying to pick up girls
• Dry up - shut up, get lost
• Ducky - very good
• Dumb Dora - a stupid female
• Earful - enough
• Edge - intoxication, a buzz. i.e. "I've got an edge."
• Egg - a person who lives the big life
• Fall Guy - Victim of a frame
• Finale Hopper- a young man who arrives after everything is paid for.
• Fire extinguisher - a chaperone
• Fish -(1) a college freshman
• (2) a first timer in prison
• Flat Tire - A dull witted, insipid, disappointing date. Same as pill, pickle, drag, rag, oilcan
• Flivver - a Model T; after 1928, could mean any old broken down car
• Flapper - A stylish, brash, hedonistic young woman with short skirts & shorter hair
• Fly boy - a glamorous term for an aviator
• Frame - To give false evidence , to set up someone
• Gams - A woman's legs
• Get a wiggle on - get a move on, get going
• Giggle Water - An intoxicating beverage; alcohol
• Gin Mill - An establishment where hard liquor is sold; bar
• Glad rags - "going out on the town" clothes
• Gold Digger - A woman who associates with or marries a man for his wealth
• Goofy - in love
• Hair of the Dog - a shot of alcohol
• Handcuff - an engagement ring
• Hard Boiled - a tough, strong guy
• Hayburner - (1) a gas guzzling car (2) a horse one loses money on
• Heebie-Jeebies - The jitters
• High-Hat - To snub
• Hit on all sixes - to perform 100 per cent; as "hitting on all six cyclinders"
• Hooch - Bootleg liquor
• Hood - hoodlum
• Hoofer - Dancer
• Horsefeathers - an expletive ; same usage as applesauce
• Hotsy - Totsy - Pleasing
• It - Sex appeal
• Iron - a motorcycle
• Jack - money
• Jake - OK, as in , "Everything is Jake."
• Jalopy - Old car
• Jane - any female
• Java - coffee
• Jitney - a car employed as a private bus. Fare was usually five cents; also called a "nickel"
• Joe - coffee
• John - a toilet
• Joint - an establishment
• Juice Joint - a speakeasy
• Joint - A club, usually selling alcohol
• Keen - Attractive or appealing
• Kisser - Mouth
• Left holding the bag - (1) to be cheated out of one's fair share (2) to be blamed for something
• Level with me - be honest
• Line - Insincere flattery
• Live wire - a lively person
• Middle Aisle - To marry
• Mrs. Grundy - A priggish or extremely tight-laced person
• Moll - A gangster's girl
• Mustard Plaster- unwelcome guy who sticks around.
• Neck - Kissing with passion
• Nifty - great, excellent
• "Now you're on the trolley!" - Now you've got it, now you're right!
• Nobody Home - Describes some one who is dumb
• On the lam - fleeing from police
• On the level - legitimate, honest
• On the up and up - on the level
• Orchid - an expensive item
• Ossified - a drunk person
• Owl - a person who's out late
• Palooka (1) a below-average or average boxer (2) a social outsider, from the comic strip character Joe Palooka
• Pet - Same as neck, but more so
• Piker - (1) a cheapskate (2) a coward
• Pill - (1) a teacher (2) an unlikable person
• Pinch - To arrest
• Pipe down - stop talking
• Potato- a young man shy of brains.
• Pushover - A person easily convinced or seduced
• Putting on the Ritz - after the Ritz hotel in Paris; doing something in high style
• Rag-a-muffin - a dirty or disheveled individual
• Razz- to make fun of
• Real McCoy - The genuine article
• Ritzy - Elegant (from the hotel)
• Rock of Ages- any woman over 30 years of age.
• Rubes - money or dollars
• Rug Hopper- young man who never takes a girl out. A parlor hound.
• Sap - a fool
• Says you - a reaction of disbelief
• Scram - Ask someone to leave immediately
• Sheba - A woman with sex appeal (from the move Queen of Sheba) or (e.g. Clara Bow)
• Sheik - A man with sex appeal (from the Valentino movies)
• Shiv - a knife
• Sinker - a doughnut
• Speakeasy - An illicit bar selling bootleg liquor
• Spifflicated - Drunk. The same as canned, corked, tanked, primed, scrooched, jazzed, zozzled, plastered, owled, embalmed, lit, potted, ossified or fried to the hat
• Spiffy - An elegant appearance
• Spoon - to neck, or at least talk of love
• Struggle Buggy - the backseat of a car. A parent's worst nightmare
• Stuck On - Having a crush on
• Swanky - Ritzy
• Swell - Wonderful, Also a rich man
• Take for a Ride - To drive off with someone in order to bump them off
• Tin Pan Alley - the music industry in New York, located between 48th and 52nd street
• Tomato - a dumb woman
• Torpedo - A hired gun
• Umbrella- young man any girl can borrow for the evening.
• Upchuck - To vomit when one has drunk too much
• Wet Blanket - a solemn person, a killjoy
• What's eating you? - What's wrong
• Whoopee - To have a good time
• You slay me - that's funny