1930s

/HOH-boh/

Migrant worker riding rails

Origin: Late 1800s American

"A hobo camp sprang up by the tracks."

/juh-LOP-ee/

Beat-up old car

Origin: 1920s–30s American

"My jalopy barely made it to Tulsa."

/HOO-vuhr-vil/

Shantytown of the unemployed

Origin: Mocking President Herbert Hoover

"He's been living in the Hooverville for months."

/swel/

Wonderful

Origin: 19th c., huge in 30s–40s

"Gee, that's swell of you!"

/skram/

Leave quickly

Origin: 1920s, possibly from 'scramble'

"Scram, kid, this is grown-up talk."

/big cheez/

Important person

Origin: 1920s, popular 30s

"He's the big cheese at the bank now."

/dol/

Attractive woman or kind person

Origin: 1930s American

"Thanks, doll, you saved my life."

/eg/

A person (usually 'good egg' or 'bad egg')

Origin: Early 20th c.

"He's a good egg, you can trust him."

/AYSS in thuh HOHL/

A hidden advantage or a resource kept in reserve for an emergency.

Origin: Early 20th-century poker parlance that peaked in popularity during the 1930s.

"I've got an ace in the hole if the landlord tries to evict us."

/on thuh ANG-kuhl/

To leave, walk away, or flee a location.

Origin: 1930s underworld and detective slang derived from the physical act of walking.

"The feds put a tail on him, so he's on the ankle."

/AP-uhl nok-er/

An unsophisticated person from a rural area, particularly a farmhand.

Origin: 1930s slang referring to the manual labor of harvesting apples.

"The copper checked my papers to see if I was an apple-knocker from the sticks."

/BEER flat/

An illegal or unlicensed establishment where alcohol is sold in a private residence.

Origin: Prohibition-era holds-over that became common in tenement housing during the Depression.

"The boys went to the beer flat to forget about the bread line for a few hours."

/BLOO koht/

A police officer.

Origin: A reference to the standard navy blue color of American police uniforms.

"Step on it, the blue coat is right on our bumper!"

/BOY-ler may-ker/

A tough, strong man or a brawler.

Origin: Derived from the heavy labor associated with making steam boilers in the early 20th century.

"You better watch out, he's a real boiler-maker when he gets angry."

/BOO-guhl-dee-butt/

Low-class, clumsy, or unrefined.

Origin: 1930s African American vernacular that entered the jazz scene.

"The party was full of bums and boogle-de-butt dancers."

/KAB-ij/

Paper money or cash.

Origin: A reference to the green color of U.S. banknotes, popularized in the 1930s.

"I'm down to my last Lincoln, so I need to find a way to make some cabbage."

/DAN-der/

One's temper or anger.

Origin: 19th-century term that saw heavy colloquial usage during the stresses of the 1930s.

"Don't get your dander up, I was only joking."

/DOOSS/

Two dollars.

Origin: Gambling and street slang originating from the French word 'deux'.

"I need ten deuce to pay off the bookie by Friday."

/DISH/

A physically attractive woman.

Origin: 1930s American slang likening attractiveness to something "tasty" to look at.

"That new singer is a real dish, isn't she?"

/DIZ-ee HAT/

A confusing or deceptive answer; doublespeak.

Origin: Mid-1930s street slang for someone trying to "spin" a situation.

"The grifter gave me a dizzy hat when I asked for my change back."

/FIN/

A five-dollar bill.

Origin: Yiddish 'finf' meaning five, widespread in 1930s urban centers.

"I spent my last fin on a steak dinner for the missus."

/FLIM-flam-er/

A con artist or someone who practices petty deception.

Origin: Late 19th-century term that became a standard descriptor for Depression-era scammers.

"The boss is a real flim-flammer, always shorting our paychecks."

/FLIKS/

The police or a police officer.

Origin: Derived from the French 'flic', adopted by American noir and crime culture in the 30s.

"He had to blow town before the flics caught up to him."

/FRAYM/

The human physique or body, usually referring to an attractive woman.

Origin: 1930s Hollywood and street slang focused on physical structure.

"She's got a nice frame on her, no wonder she's in the movies."

/FRAYL/

A girl or a woman.

Origin: Early 20th-century slang that became staple hardboiled/noir dialogue in the 30s.

"I don't know who she is, she's just some frail from the South Side."

/hit thuh HAY/

To go to bed or go to sleep.

Origin: Referring to mattresses originally stuffed with hay or straw.

"I'm going to hit the hay, I've got a long shift at the mill tomorrow."

/EYE-ern HOOF/

Lies, chatter, or "baloney."

Origin: Rhyming slang (Iron Hoof = Poof/Goof) that evolved into general dismissive slang.

"Listen, sister, don't give me any of your iron hoof."

/JAM-wag-uhn/

A car used for pleasure trips or a party-goer's vehicle.

Origin: 1930s youth and jazz culture referring to a vehicle full of people.

"He wore a sharp zoot suit to the jam-wagon on Saturday night."

/JOOSS-joynt/

A low-quality or makeshift repair/item.

Origin: Derived from 'juice joints' (illegal bars) which often had shoddy equipment.

"The radiator is leaking, it's just a bunch of juice-joint junk."

/KILL-er DILL-er/

Something or someone that is impressive, exciting, or wonderful.

Origin: African American swing and jazz slang of the late 1930s.

"She's a real killer-diller on the dance floor."

/MITS/

Hands.

Origin: A shortened form of 'mittens,' used widely in boxing and street slang.

"Keep your mitts off the merchandise unless you're buying."

/MOWTH-peess/

A lawyer, especially a criminal defense attorney.

Origin: Slang for someone who speaks on behalf of another, common in 30s crime films.

"Stop that mouth-piece work and tell me the truth."

/on thuh UP-and-UP/

Legitimate, honest, or legal.

Origin: Late 19th-century term that became the standard reassurance against Depression-era scams.

"Everything is on the up-and-up with this business deal."

/PAR-ler PAN-ther/

A man who is smooth with women or a "ladiesman."

Origin: 1930s social slang for men who frequented drawing rooms and parlors.

"He's a real parlor panther, always charming the ladies at these mixers."

/PIP-skweek/

Something small, insignificant, or a person of no importance.

Origin: Early 20th-century WWI slang that transitioned to civilian use for small rewards.

"I'll give you a pipsqueak of a raise if you work through Christmas."

/PIK-uhl/

A difficult or troublesome situation.

Origin: 16th-century origins, but saw a massive resurgence in 1930s colloquial speech.

"He was in a real pickle after he lost his job and his apartment."

/RITS/

Pretentious behavior or high-class airs.

Origin: Derived from the Ritz-Carlton hotels, popularized by the 1929 song 'Puttin' on the Ritz'.

"Don't give me any of that ritz, you're no better than the rest of us."

/RUM-buhl/

A fight, a disturbance, or a piece of news/gossip.

Origin: 1930s gang slang for a conflict between groups.

"What's the rumble in the alley about?"

/keep yer SHERT on/

To be patient or to calm down.

Origin: Refers to taking one's shirt off to fight; staying calm means keeping the shirt on.

"Keep your shirt on, I'm coming as fast as I can!"

/SHIV-erz/

The act of frightening someone or giving them the "third degree."

Origin: 1930s slang for police intimidation tactics.

"The cops took him to the station to give him the shivers."

/SHUK/

A trick, a fake, or something worthless.

Origin: From "shucking" corn; the outer shell is worthless once the meat is gone.

"The whole thing was a shuck and we fell for it."

/SING-ing/

To confess or to inform on others to the police.

Origin: Underworld slang for "making music" for the authorities.

"He was singing to the cops before they even got him to the station."

/SLUSH-buk-et/

A milkshake or a soft drink.

Origin: 1930s soda fountain slang.

"Let's go to the drug store and grab a slush-bucket."

/SOOP-hed/

A person who is stupid, dull-witted, or confused.

Origin: 1930s slang implying one's brain is made of soft soup.

"He thinks he's so smart, but he's just a soup-head."

/SAW-buk/

A ten-dollar bill.

Origin: Because the 'X' on the bill resembled a sawbuck (sawhorse).

"I'm going to spend my last sawbuck on a bottle of gin."

/TIN-pan HAT/

A cheap, ugly, or outdated hat.

Origin: Derisive slang for lower-quality fashion during the lean years.

"She was wearing a real tin-pan hat that looked like a bird's nest."

/WAWK-ing DEL-uh-gut/

A union representative or an agitator.

Origin: Labor movement slang that became common during the 1930s strikes.

"He's just a walking-delegate for the union, looking for trouble."

/GAN-der/

To take a look or investigate.

Origin: Likening the stretching of one's neck to see something to a goose (gander).

"I'm going to take a gander at the new Hudson model."