1920s

/kats puh-JAH-muhz/

Excellent; the best

Origin: 1920s American flapper slang

"That speakeasy is the cat's pajamas!"

/beez neez/

Something wonderful

Origin: Nonsense phrase popular 1920s

"Her new dress is the bee's knees."

/SPEEK-ee-zee/

Illicit bar during Prohibition

Origin: From speaking softly to gain entry

"Meet me at the speakeasy on 52nd."

/gamz/

Legs (usually a woman's)

Origin: From Italian 'gamba'

"Look at the gams on her!"

/hooch/

Bootleg liquor

Origin: From Hoochinoo, an Alaskan tribe known for distilling

"Where'd you score this hooch?"

/GIG-uhl waw-tuhr/

Alcohol; champagne

Origin: 1920s flapper slang

"Pour me some giggle water, would ya?"

/dold up/

Dressed elegantly

Origin: From 'doll' as ornament

"She got all dolled up for the Charleston."

/BER-eez/

Excellent (similar to 'bee's knees')

Origin: 1920s American

"That jazz band is the berries."

/BOOT-leg-uhr/

Illegal liquor seller

Origin: From hiding flasks in boot tops

"My uncle's a bootlegger out of Chicago."

/AP-uhl-saws/

Nonsense

Origin: 1920s

"Aw, applesauce! I don't believe a word."

/DOO-drop-per/

A young man who has no job and sleeps all day.

Origin: 1920s American urban slang likely referring to the morning dew disappearing before they wake.

""That flat tire is nothing but a dewdropper; he's never worked a day in his life.""

/snayks HIPS/

Something or someone considered outstanding or the best.

Origin: Part of the 1920s trend of combining animals with anatomical parts to denote excellence.

""The party was the snake's hips until the feds showed up.""

/FOH-nus buh-LOH-nus/

Nonsense, bunk, or something fake/fraudulent.

Origin: A combination of 'phony' and 'bologna' emerging in the mid-1920s.

""He tried to sell me a real diamond, but I knew it was just phonus balonus.""

/pyp DOWN/

An order to be quiet or stop talking.

Origin: Derived from 19th-century nautical terminology regarding steam pipes.

""Pipe down or you'll wake the whole flophouse!""

/KRUM/

A person considered to be a loser, low-life, or unworthy of respect.

Origin: Circa 1918-1920, referring to someone as low as a bread crumb.

""I wish that crumb would stop following us to the dance hall.""

/BOOLZ/

Uniformed police officers or plainclothes detectives.

Origin: Late 19th-century railroad slang that became mainstream in the 1920s underworld.

""Keep your eyes peeled for the bulls; they’re patrolling the alley.""

/SHOO-ger DAD-ee/

A wealthy, usually older man who spends money on a younger woman.

Origin: Popularized in the early 1920s, specifically in New York social circles.

""She was looking for a sugar daddy at the Ritz, but only found a bankroll.""

/PED-uhl yur FISH/

A command to go away or stop trying to sell a lie.

Origin: Derived from street vendors (fishmongers) crying their wares.

""Go pedal your fish somewhere else, I'm not buying that story.""

/KAYL/

Paper money or currency.

Origin: Slang referencing the green color of U.S. banknotes.

""He had plenty of kale after the horse race, so he bought us all dinner.""

/duks KWAK/

The absolute best; something highly fashionable or wonderful.

Origin: Part of the 1920s 'animal superlative' linguistic trend.

""The dance at the Country Club was the duck's quack.""

/STRUH-guhl BUG-ee/

A car used by teenagers or young couples for making out.

Origin: 1920s youth slang referring to the 'struggle' for virtue within the vehicle.

""Check out the struggle buggy parked down by the pier.""

/BLOO-nohz/

A prude, a puritanical person, or a killjoy.

Origin: Originally used to describe Nova Scotians, it became a general term for reformers during Prohibition.

""Tell that bluenose to stop complaining about the music; it's only midnight.""

/woh-den NIK-uhls/

A cautionary phrase meaning 'don't be swindled' or 'look out for yourself.'

Origin: Early 20th-century American folk warning.

""Don't take any wooden nickels while you're in the big city, kid.""

/big CHEEZ/

The most important person or the boss.

Origin: Derived from the Persian/Urdu 'chiz' meaning 'thing,' adapted by British colonials and then Americans.

""He's the big cheese in the city council, so he can get the permit.""

/JIN mil/

An establishment that sells hard liquor, often illegally.

Origin: 19th-century term that saw a massive resurgence during the Prohibition era.

""Let's go find a gin mill that doesn't water down the scotch.""

/DARB/

An excellent person or thing; someone who is very attractive.

Origin: Unknown origin, likely Australian or American carnival slang from the early 1920s.

""She looks like a real darb in that silk fringe dress.""

/spif-li-KAY-ted/

Extremely drunk or intoxicated.

Origin: Likely a mock-Latin Victorian word that peaked in popularity in the 20s.

""After the second round of drinks, he was completely spifflicated.""

/fool uhv BEENZ/

To be mistaken, energetic, or talking nonsense.

Origin: Originally a horse-breeding term (well-fed horses), it shifted to meaning 'incorrect' by the 1920s.

""You're full of beans if you think you can beat me in a race.""

/LOWNJ liz-urd/

A man who frequents social gala and dance halls to meet wealthy women.

Origin: Circa 1917, referring to men who 'crawled' around high-society lounges.

""That lounge lizard has been leaning against the piano asking for drinks all night.""

/HOT-see TOT-see/

Pleasing, fashionable, or attractive.

Origin: Coined by the cartoonist Billy DeBeck in the comic strip 'Barney Google.'

""She's a real hotsy-totsy gal with a bright future on Broadway.""

/HEV-ee SHOO-ger/

A large amount of money.

Origin: Metaphorical use of 'sugar' for something sweet or desirable (money).

""The heavy sugar he made from the stocks allowed him to buy a mansion.""

/NOO-duhl hed/

A foolish or stupid person.

Origin: 1920s variation on 'empty-headed' or 'soft-headed.'

""Don't worry about the waiter; he's just a noodle head.""

/DUK-ee/

Excellent, wonderful, or fine.

Origin: British colloquialism that became highly popular in the U.S. during the 1920s.

""Your new hat is just ducky; where did you buy it?""

/tel it too SWEE-nee/

A phrase used to express disbelief in a story or excuse.

Origin: Based on the idea that a person named Sweeney is gullible enough to believe anything.

""Tell him to tell it to Sweeney, because I don't believe a word of it.""

/SHEEK/

An attractive, charming, and sexually persuasive man.

Origin: From the 1921 film 'The Sheik' starring Rudolph Valentino.

""Look at that fella; he's all dressed up like a real sheik.""

/SOK-uh-TY-ming/

A forceful blow or a punch.

Origin: Onomatopoeic slang popular in sports writing and comics of the era.

""If you keep talking like that, you'll get a choice sock-a-tiaming to the jaw.""

/flat BROHK/

Having no money at all.

Origin: The term 'flat' added for emphasis to the 19th-century 'broke.'

""I can't go to the cinema tonight; I'm completely flat broke.""

/kats mee-OW/

Something highly pleasing, stylish, or impressive.

Origin: One of the many animal-themed superlatives coined by cartoonist Thomas 'Tad' Dorgan.

""That flapper sure is the cat's meow in her bobbed hair.""

/DISH/

Recent news or gossip.

Origin: Likely referring to serving up a 'dish' of information.

""What's the dish? I heard Joe and Rita split up.""

/juh-LOP-ee/

A rickety, old, or battered automobile.

Origin: Obscure origin, possibly from the port of Jalapa, Mexico, where scrapped cars were sent.

""Wait for me by the curb; I'll be there in a flamboyant jallopy.""

/buh-LOH-nee/

Nonsense or something that is not true.

Origin: Refers to the cheap sausage, popularized as a synonym for 'bunk' by Alfred E. Smith.

""That performance was pure bologna; he forgot half his lines.""

/SEE a man uh-bowt a DOG/

A common excuse used when going to buy or drink illegal alcohol.

Origin: 19th-century phrase that took on secret meaning during Prohibition.

""I have to go see a man about a dog, so don't wait up for me.""

/BANKS bair-ee/

Someone who is perfect or highly dependable.

Origin: Variation of the 'berries' theme, often used for people.

""He’s a real bank’s berry when it comes to keeping a secret.""

/PIL/

A boring, disagreeable, or annoying person.

Origin: Metaphor for something 'hard to swallow' or unpleasant.

""Don't be such a pill; come out to the club with us!""

/SWANG-kee/

High-class, stylish, or ostentatiously costly.

Origin: Likely a combination of 'swank' and 'ritzy,' gaining popularity in the mid-20s.

""The swanky decorations at the gala were truly breathtaking.""

/HIT-ing on awl AYT/

To be working perfectly or performing at maximum efficiency.

Origin: A reference to a V-8 engine running on all cylinders.

""You're hitting on all eight today, finishing that report so fast.""

/JIT-nee/

A five-cent piece or a nickel.

Origin: Possibly from the French 'jeton' or Louisiana Creole, used for nickel-fare buses.

""I haven't got a jitney to my name until payday.""

/beez NEEZ/

Something or someone that is wonderful or excellent.

Origin: 1920s nonsense animal superlative.

""You're the bee's knees to me, doll.""

/uh-NUH-ther THINK KUM-ing/

To be mistaken (often used as 'you've got another think coming').

Origin: Grammatically correct version of the later 'another thing coming,' common in 1920s speech.

""If she thinks I'm paying for her brother too, she's got another think coming.""

/hit the HAY/

To go to bed or go to sleep.

Origin: Reference to mattresses that were commonly stuffed with hay or straw.

""I'm going to hit the hay; I've got an early shift at the factory.""

/AWL-dur-mun/

A pot belly; a large gut on a man

Origin: American comic slang implying the well-fed prosperity of a city official

"He developed quite the alderman after prohibition put him behind a desk."

/ANG-kul/

To walk; to stroll somewhere on foot

Origin: American vernacular of the 1920s, using the body part for the act of walking

"Ankle on over to the corner and see if the milk delivery has come."

/BAWLD up/

Thoroughly confused or completely mixed up

Origin: American vernacular persisting from the 1900s into the Jazz Age

"The whole parade got balled up when the band turned left instead of right."

/BANKS OH-pun/

A hint that someone's skirt or trouser fly is undone

Origin: American slang euphemism, an indirect and humorous way to signal embarrassment

"Bank's open, pal — you might want to take care of that before the boss sees."

/BAIR-kat/

A lively, fierce, or spirited woman; a woman of strong will

Origin: American slang of the 1920s, implying the ferocity of a bear combined with a cat

"Clara is an absolute bearcat on the dance floor — no one can keep up with her."

/BEET it/

Get out; leave immediately; get lost

Origin: American vernacular of the early 20th century, to beat feet away from a place

"Beat it, mister, before I call the house detective."

/BEEZ NEEZ/

The height of excellence; the absolute best thing

Origin: American 1920s nonsense-anatomy slang, part of a fashionable trend of such phrases

"This band is the absolute bee's knees — I haven't danced this well in years."

/BIM-boh/

A tough, aggressive man; a thug or brutish fellow

Origin: American slang from Italian bimbo meaning little child, initially applied to men in the 1920s

"A pair of bimbos showed up at the back door asking for the boss."

/BURD/

An odd or unusual person; a fellow of peculiar character

Origin: American slang of the 1920s, a curious bird being someone hard to categorize

"That accountant upstairs is a funny bird — never eats lunch with anyone."

/BLOO-nohz/

A puritanical person; a prim moralist who opposes fun

Origin: American Prohibition-era slang for those who supported anti-drinking laws

"The bluenoses got the dance hall shut down by ten o'clock every night."

/BLOH/

To spend money freely; to squander a sum on a good time

Origin: American slang, to blow one's bankroll on entertainment and pleasure

"He blew his whole Friday pay at the speakeasy before Saturday morning."

/BLOWZ/

To leave; to depart from a place swiftly

Origin: American underworld and jazz slang of the 1920s for making a quick exit

"The moment the copper walked in, the whole crew bloused through the back."

/BUMP-ur/

A glass filled to the very brim; a generous drink

Origin: British-origin expression adopted into American Prohibition-era drinking culture

"Pour me a bumper of whatever you've got hidden behind that panel."

/kuh-NAIR-ee/

An informant who sings to police; a snitch

Origin: American criminal slang, one who sings like a bird to the authorities

"Someone in the gang is a canary — the cops knew about the drop before we did."

/KASH or CHEK/

A question about whether to kiss now or later

Origin: American 1920s flirtatious banter, turning romance into a transaction

"He leaned in and whispered, cash or check? She laughed and answered cash."

/KATS mee-OW/

Something supremely excellent; the finest thing imaginable

Origin: American 1920s nonsense-anatomy slang phrase, synonymous with the cat's pajamas

"That black beaded dress is the cat's meow and you know it perfectly well."

/CHAS-ee/

A woman's body; a lady's figure

Origin: American 1920s slang borrowed from automobile terminology, the body frame

"She walked in and every neck in the joint turned to admire the chassis."

/CHUNK uv LED/

An unattractive or dull romantic prospect

Origin: American 1920s slang, contrasting with a live-wire or a peach as a partner

"She fixed me up with a real chunk of lead — sat there all night saying nothing."

/koh-puh-SET-ik/

Completely satisfactory; absolutely fine; in excellent order

Origin: American slang of uncertain origin, possibly from Creole or Yiddish, used widely in jazz circles

"Everything is copacetic, chief — the shipment came through clean."

/DARB/

Something or someone considered excellent or first-rate

Origin: American 1920s slang, a superlative term of admiration in Jazz Age vocabulary

"That new saxophone player at the club is an absolute darb."

/DOO-drop-ur/

A young man who sleeps all day and loafs at night

Origin: American 1920s slang, one who sleeps through the morning dew and misses honest work

"That dewdropper next door hasn't held a job since the summer of twenty-two."

/DING-ul DANG-lur/

A man who calls on a woman without making his intentions clear

Origin: American 1920s social slang, someone who hangs around without committing

"He has been a dingle dangler around Mildred for three months with no proposal."

/DOLLED up/

Dressed elaborately; got up in one's finest clothes

Origin: American slang from doll, dressed like a fancy doll for a special occasion

"She came down the stairs all dolled up and stopped the whole room cold."

/DOH-nut/

A person of no value; a zero; a complete nobody

Origin: American 1920s slang, a doughnut being round but empty in the middle

"The new alderman is an absolute doughnut — never shows up to a single vote."

/DROPT uh BRIK/

To make an embarrassing social blunder; to say the wrong thing

Origin: American and British expression for an awkward remark that lands like a falling brick

"He really dropped a brick asking the widow how her husband was keeping."

/EJ/

A degree of intoxication; a pleasant alcohol-induced buzz

Origin: American Prohibition-era slang, having an edge meaning being pleasantly tipsy

"Two glasses of that gin and she had a nice edge for the rest of the evening."

/FAWL GY/

A scapegoat; someone set up to take the blame for others

Origin: American underworld slang, one who falls while others escape

"They needed a fall guy for the warehouse job and they picked the new kid."

/FLAT TY-ur/

A dull, tedious, or utterly boring person

Origin: American 1920s slang borrowing from automobile culture, someone who deflates a gathering

"Don't invite Morrison — he is the biggest flat tire in three counties."

/FLAWR/

To utterly astonish; to knock someone speechless with surprise

Origin: American vernacular, as if one has been knocked to the floor by shocking news

"The news of his inheritance absolutely floored the entire family."

/FLY/

Alert and clever; aware and not easily fooled

Origin: American and British slang, one who is fly is sharp-eyed and hard to catch

"Don't try that line on Vera — she is far too fly for your sort of game."

/GOO-fee/

Silly; foolish; infatuated to a ridiculous degree

Origin: American slang, in wide use by the 1920s for someone acting stupidly in love

"He goes absolutely goofy every time she walks into the room."

/JIP/

A swindle; or to cheat someone out of their money

Origin: American slang, unfortunately derived from Gypsy as a stereotype for trickery

"That carnival game is a complete gyp — nobody wins the big prize."

/HAF-shot/

Moderately drunk; pleasantly intoxicated

Origin: American Prohibition-era drinking slang, not fully shot but well on the way

"By the second set she was half-shot and doing the Charleston on the table."

/HAM-ur-hed/

A stupid or thick-skulled individual; a dunce

Origin: American 1920s vernacular for someone with a head as useful as a hammer

"That hammerhead gave the coppers the wrong address and ruined everything."

/HIP tuh thuh JYV/

Aware of what is going on; knowledgeable about current affairs

Origin: American jazz and African-American slang entering mainstream use in the 1920s

"She walked in like she was hip to the jive and sat down without a word."

/HORS-feth-urz/

Nonsense; rubbish; an exclamation of disbelief

Origin: American 1920s euphemism for a stronger expletive, popularized in comic strips and vaudeville

"Horsefeathers! You expect me to believe he gave it away for free?"

/HOWND/

An enthusiast; a devotee of a particular activity

Origin: American 1920s slang as a suffix or noun, an autograph hound, a music hound

"That record hound knows every side Louis Armstrong ever cut."

/EYE-see MIT/

A cold reception; a rejecting, unfriendly dismissal

Origin: American 1920s social slang, a frozen version of the mitten, even colder in rejection

"He tried to cut in on her dance and got the icy mitt for his trouble."

/JAG/

A drinking binge; a spree of unrestrained indulgence

Origin: American slang from Scottish and dialectal English, a small load, then a binge by 1920s

"He went on a three-day jag after his band got dropped by the record company."

/JOH BRUKS/

A perfectly dressed man; someone impeccably turned out

Origin: American 1920s slang, possibly named after a fashion-conscious public figure of the era

"He walked in looking like a Joe Brooks and every eye in the room followed him."

/JOOS JOYNT/

An illegal bar or speakeasy serving bootleg liquor

Origin: American Prohibition slang, juice being a euphemism for alcohol in the 1920s

"The best jazz in the city is in a juice joint down on Lennox Avenue."

/noh wonz UN-yunz/

To be knowledgeable and competent in one's field

Origin: American 1920s slang, one of many nonsense-vegetable phrases fashionable in the era

"When it comes to the stock market, old Hapsworth knows his onions."

/LYN/

A string of flattering talk used to impress or seduce

Origin: American 1920s slang, to feed someone a line of sweet talk or blandishments

"Don't fall for his line, sweetheart — he uses that one on every girl."

/MEL-un/

A large profit to be divided; a financial windfall

Origin: American financial and underworld slang, cutting the melon meant sharing the profits

"The boys cut the melon after the deal went through and everyone walked happy."

/MILK-tohst/

A timid, meek, and feeble person lacking backbone

Origin: From H.T. Webster's cartoon character Caspar Milquetoast, debuted 1924

"He is such a milquetoast he apologized to the man who stepped on his foot."

/NOO-dul JOOS/

Tea; a weak or ineffectual drink

Origin: American 1920s comic slang, implying tea is so weak it only touches your noodle gently

"You call that noodle juice a drink? Pour me something with some authority."

/OL-ih-vur TWIST/

A notably skilled dancer; one who can twist and move well

Origin: American 1920s rhyming slang play on the Dickens character, rhymed with wrist

"Watch that Oliver Twist out there — he hasn't left the floor in two hours."

/on thuh TROL-ee/

Sharp and alert; functioning correctly and intelligently

Origin: American 1920s expression, being on track like a streetcar properly on its trolley wire

"After a cup of coffee, he was back on the trolley and ready to work."

/puh-LOO-kuh/

A mediocre or clumsy fighter; a dull, oafish person

Origin: American boxing slang popularized in the 1920s, possibly invented by sportswriter Jack Conway

"That palooka wouldn't last two rounds with any decent fighter in the city."

/RIT-see/

Glamorous; elegant; in the style of the luxurious Ritz Hotel

Origin: American 1920s slang from the Ritz Hotel brand of opulent luxury

"She arrived in a ritzy gown that must have cost a full month's wages."

/SHNOZ-ul/

A nose, especially a notably large or prominent one

Origin: American Yiddish-influenced slang, popularized by comedian Jimmy Durante in the 1920s

"Even with that schnozzle, the man has more charm than anyone on the circuit."

/SINK-ur/

A doughnut; a heavy, dense pastry

Origin: American diner slang, a doughnut that sinks in coffee rather than floating

"He ordered two sinkers and a cup of java and ate standing at the counter."

/sok-DOL-uh-jur/

A decisive or conclusive blow; something overwhelmingly impressive

Origin: American vernacular, 19th century into 1920s, a finishing blow that settles the matter

"That last number was an absolute sockdollager — the crowd went completely wild."