1940s

/KUUK-in with gas/

Doing very well

Origin: 1939 gas industry ad campaign

"Now we're cookin' with gas!"

/KAK-ee WAK-ee/

Girl infatuated with soldiers

Origin: WWII home-front slang

"Betty's gone khaki wacky over that GI."

/snah-FOO/

Situation Normal: All Fouled Up

Origin: WWII military acronym

"The whole supply line is a snafu."

/GOB-uhl-dee-gook/

Bureaucratic nonsense

Origin: Coined 1944 by Maury Maverick

"The memo was pure gobbledygook."

/daym/

Woman

Origin: Old French 'dame'

"Some dame walked into the diner."

/gam/

Leg

Origin: Carried over from 20s

"She had gams that went on forever."

/joh/

Coffee; or an ordinary guy

Origin: Possibly from US Navy

"Pour me a cup of joe, will ya?"

/tayk uh POW-duhr/

Leave quickly

Origin: 1920s, popular WWII

"He took a powder before the MPs arrived."

/wutz thuh BUHZ/

A common greeting used to ask for the latest news or gossip.

Origin: 1940s urban and jazz culture origin.

"What's the buzz, Jackson? You hear about the dance tonight?"

/BURD/

A young woman or girl.

Origin: Early 20th century British slang that became heavily used by US soldiers in WWII.

"Look at that bird on the corner; she's really dressed to the nines."

/EYE-urn MEN/

Silver dollars or individual one-dollar bills.

Origin: 1940s hardboiled crime fiction and street slang.

"The boss gave me five iron men for the overtime I put in."

/PAL/

A very close friend or "buddy."

Origin: Variation of 'pell' (brother) from 17th century Romany, popularized in mid-century America.

"Don't worry about the check, the drinks are on the house for my best pal."

/KILL-er DILL-er/

Something or someone that is excellent, impressive, or the best of its kind.

Origin: 1940s jive and swing music culture.

"That jitterbug is really killer diller on the dance floor!"

/KRAYT/

A jalopy or an old, beat-up car or airplane.

Origin: WWI aviation slang that moved into general automotive use by the 1940s.

"I had to walk home because my crate broke down on the highway."

/un-der yur som-BRER-oh/

Keep a secret or keep something quiet.

Origin: Southwestern US influence on general 1940s slang.

"Keep it under your sombrero; we don't want the sergeant finding out."

/koh-puh-SET-ik/

Excellent, fine, or all in good order.

Origin: Likely African American English origins, popularized by Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson in the 30s and 40s.

"Everything is copacetic now that the supplies have arrived."

/JEL-ee BEEN/

Dressed in a flashy or stylish manner (a "dandy").

Origin: 1940s teen and jazz slang.

"That's a real jelly bean suit you're wearing to the party."

/SKRAM/

To leave quickly or get out of a place immediately.

Origin: Derived from 'scramose' (to run away), popularized by 1930s-40s gangster films.

"Let's scram before the cops show up to break up the party."

/MAK/

A generic name used to address a man whose name is unknown.

Origin: 1940s urban American slang, often used for laborers or tough guys.

"Hey Mack, you got a light for this cigarette?"

/WET RAG/

A person who is no fun or ruins the excitement for others.

Origin: Derived from the 19th-century 'wet blanket,' specific to 1940s youth slang.

"Stop being such a wet rag and come out to the club with us!"

/DISH/

A physically attractive woman.

Origin: 1940s Hollywood and noir slang equating a woman to a tasty meal.

"She's a real dish, the prettiest girl in the whole steno pool."

/BEEZ-waks/

A way of telling someone to mind their own business.

Origin: Teenager slang from the 1930s that peaked in 1940s domestic use.

"Mind your own beeswax and stay out of my private affairs."

/BLOH yur WIG/

To lose one's cool, become extremely excited, or get angry.

Origin: 1940s jive talk used by jazz musicians.

"Don't blow your wig just because I'm ten minutes late."

/LIT/

Drunk or intoxicated.

Origin: Early 20th century slang that remained a staple during the WWII era.

"He was a bit lit at the wedding, singing way too loud."

/LET-is/

Paper money.

Origin: 1940s criminal and street slang referring to the green color of bills.

"I have to go to work to earn some lettuce for the rent."

/KUT thuh KAB-ij/

Stop the nonsense or stop lying.

Origin: 1940s slang possibly related to 'cabbage' being a term for scraps or waste.

"Cut the cabbage and tell me the truth about what happened."

/out uv thiz WURLD/

Something extraordinary, superlative, or wonderful.

Origin: 1940s American English, widely used by the swing generation.

"The trumpet player is truly out of this world tonight."

/DEEP FREEZ/

A cold or snubbing social reception; the "silent treatment."

Origin: 1940s term coinciding with the advent of home deep-freezers.

"She was so mad she gave him the deep freeze for a whole week."

/kats puh-JAH-muhz/

Highly admired; something stylish or excellent.

Origin: Flapper era slang that remained highly popular through the 40s.

"That car is the cat's pajamas, I wish I could afford one."

/THREDS/

Clothing or a suit.

Origin: 1940s jazz and zoot suit culture.

"That's a sharp set of threads you've got on, soldier."

/EE-gur BEE-vur/

An overly enthusiastic person or someone who works too hard to impress.

Origin: WWII-era military slang for soldiers trying too hard to please officers.

"The sergeant is a real eager beaver when it comes to morning drills."

/FAT-hed/

A stupid or dim-witted person.

Origin: Early 20th century US slang popular during the WWII decade.

"He's a fat-head if he thinks he can win the race with that old bike."

/NUK-ul-hed/

A foolish or clumsy person.

Origin: 1940s military and cartoon culture (often associated with 'The Three Stooges').

"If you keep acting like a knucklehead, you'll end up in the guardhouse."

/SHUT-eye/

Sleep.

Origin: Early 20th century, becoming incredibly common in 1940s domestic life.

"I'm heading to the motor court for some shut-eye before the long drive."

/DRIP/

A boring, annoying, or socially inept person.

Origin: 1930s-40s campus and youth slang.

"The new guy is a bit of a drip, always complaining about the food."

/buh-LOH-nee/

Nonsense or a lie.

Origin: Derived from 'Bologna sausage' (considered a cheap filler), popularized by Al Smith in the 30s/40s.

"That story is just baloney and everyone knows it."

/on thuh BEEM/

Doing something correctly or being on the right track.

Origin: 1940s aviation slang referring to flying along a radio navigation beam.

"Now you’re on the beam; that’s exactly how the engine should sound."

/hit thuh ROHD/

To leave or begin a journey.

Origin: 1930s jazz slang that went mainstream in the 1940s.

"I gotta hit the road if I want to make it to Philly by dawn."

/FIN/

A five-dollar bill.

Origin: Derived from the Yiddish 'finf' (five), used heavily in 1940s urban hubs.

"Could you lend me a fin until payday on Friday?"

/GAS-pype/

An exceptionally funny person.

Origin: 1940s vaudeville and comedy circuit slang.

"He’s a bit of a gas-pipe, always making jokes at the wrong time."

/flip yur LID/

To lose one's temper or become extremely excited.

Origin: Post-WWII late 40s slang common among teenagers.

"Don't flip your lid just because we're out of coffee."

/SWEL/

Excellent, good, or very pleasant.

Origin: Colloquial American English peaking in use during the late 30s and 40s.

"That's a swell idea, let's head down to the malt shop."

/WOOD-en NIK-el/

To cheat someone or provide something worthless.

Origin: From the 1920s adage 'don't take any wooden nickels,' heavily used in the 40s.

"He tried to hand me a wooden nickel, but I knew the car was junk."

/BOH/

A boyfriend or sweetheart.

Origin: From the French 'beau' (beautiful), very common in 1940s romantic lexicon.

"She's been moping ever since her best beau went overseas."

/ROK-ur/

A person's clothes, specifically a stylish suit.

Origin: 1940s Harlem jive talk.

"Check out the rocker on that guy, he's got quite a stride."

/BUSH'D/

Exhausted or tired.

Origin: 19th-century frontier term that had a resurgence in 1940s labor slang.

"I'm feeling a bit bushed after work today."

/DUD/

Something that fails or doesn't work as expected.

Origin: WWI term for unexploded shells, used generically for failures in the 40s.

"The movie was okay, but the ending was a bit of a dud."

/DAM-ij/

The cost or bill for something.

Origin: Early 20th century humorous slang, common in 1940s social settings.

"What's the damage for the two tickets and the popcorn?"