​1920s Slang Terms and Definitions

The Roaring 20’s gave birth to a number of new phrases – some of which are distinct to that era, and some of which are still used today. Here’s a large list of 1920’s slang. Pick a few words and phrases to use at your 1920’s-themed murder mystery party!
A
Ab-so-lute-ly: Affirmative – Definitely
All wet: Wrong
And How!: I strongly agree!
Ankle: To walk or to leave
Applesauce: A mild curse, like “darn” (also, “Horsefeathers!”)
Attaboy!: Well done! (also, Attagirl!)
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B
Baby: Sweetheart, honey, lover
Baby Brand: Heavily built man
Baby Vamp: A pretty or popular female, student.
Balled up: Messed up, a mistake
Baloney: Nonsense!
Bearcat: A hot-blooded, vivacious or fiery girl
Beat it: Get lost (also, Scram)
Beat One’s Gums: Idle talk, someone “beats one’s gums” when they’re all talk, no action
Bee’s Knee’s: It’s the best (also, The Cat’s Pyjamas, Elephant’s Eyebrows, gnat’s whistle, eel’s hips, etc.)
Beef: A problem, as in “What’s your beef?”
Beeswax: Business, as in “Mind your own beeswax.”
Bell Bottom: A sailor
Bent: Drunk
Berries: Perfect or Money
Bible Belt: Area in the South and Midwest where Fundamentalism flourishes
Big Shot/Big Cheese: Important person
Big Six: A Strong Man
Bimbo: A Tough Guy
Bird: General term for a man or woman
Blind Date: A date with someone you’ve never met
Blotto: Drunk
Blow: (1) a wild party (2) to leave (as in, “Let’s make like the wind and blow)
Bluenose: An excessively puritanical person, a prude
Bootleg: Illeagal liquor
Breezer: A topless automobile
Bronx Cheer: A loud spluttering noise made with the lips, used to indicate disapproval.
Bubs: Breasts
Bug-Eyed Betty: An unattractive girl
Bull: (1) a law-enforcement official (2) nonesense (3) to talk idly, to exaggerate
Bull Session: A male talkfest, gossip, stories of sexual exploits
Bump Off: to kill
Bum’s Rush: Thrown out of an establishment
Bunny: A term of endearment applied to the lost, disoriented. Often coupled with “poor little.”
Bushwa: A euphemism for “bullshit”
Butt me: Give me a smoke
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C
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
Cat’s Pajamas: Same as cat’s meow
Chassis: The female body
Cheaters: Eyeglasses
Check: Kiss me later
Ciggy: Cigarette
Clam: One dollar
Copacetic: Wonderful, fine, all right (as in, “Everything is copacetic.”)
Crush: An infatuation
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D
Daddy: A young woman’s wealthy boyfriend or lover (Sugar Daddy)
Daddy-O: A term of address, as in “Hey there, Daddy-O!”
Dame: A female
Dapper: A Flapper’s dad
Darb: A great person or thing
Dead Soldier: an empty beer bottle
Deb: A debutant
Dewdropper: A young man who sleeps all day and doesn’t have a job
Dick: A private investigator
Dogs: Feet
Doll: An attractive woman
Dolled up: Dressed up
Don’t know from nothing: Doesn’t have any information
Don’t take any wooden dimes: Don’t do anything stupid
Dope: Drugs
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 dumb woman
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E
Earful: Enough
Edge: A buzz. i.e. “I’ve got an edge.”
Egg: A person who lives the big life
Ethel: An effeminate man
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F
Fag: A smoke
Fall Guy: Victim of a frame
Fella: A man
Fire Extinguisher: A Chaperone
Fish: A first timer in prison
Flat Tire: A bore
Flivver: a Model T; after 1928, also any broken down automobile.
Fly Boy: A glamorous term for an aviator
Four-Flusher: A person who feigns wealth while mooching off others
Frame: To give false evidence , to set up someone
Fried: Drunk
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G
Gams: Legs
Gay: Happy or lively
Get-up: An outfit
Get a Wiggle On: Get a move on, get going
Get in a Lather: Get worked up, angry
Giggle Water: Booze
Gin Mill: A seller of hard liquor; a speakeasy
Glad Rags: “Going out on the town” clothes
Gold-Digger: A woman who pursues men for their money
Goods, the: (1) the right material, or a person who has it (2) the truth, as in, “Get the goods” on someone
Goof: (1) a stupid or bumbling person, (2) a boyfriend, flapper
Goofy: In love
Grummy: Depressed
Grungy: Envious
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H
Hair of the dog: A shot of booze, especially the day after a booze-up
Half Seas Over: Drunk, also “half under”
Handcuff: An engagement ring or wedding band
Hard-boiled: Tough or a tough guy
Hayburner: (1) a gas guzzling automobile (2) a losing horse
Heavy Sugar: A lot of money
Heebie-Jeebies: “The shakes,” named after a hit song
High Hat: A snob or to snub someone
Hip to the Jive: Trendy
Hit on all Sixes: To perform 100 per cent; as “hitting on all six cyclinders”
Hooch: Bootleg liquor
Hood: Hoodlum
Hooey: Nonsense
Hoofer: Dancer
Hop: (1) opiate or marijuana (2) a teen party
Hopped Up: Under the influence of drugs
Horsefeathers: An unoffensive expletive, like “darn”
Hot Dawg!: Great!
Hotsy – Totsy: Pleasing
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I
“I have to go see a man about a dog”: “I’ve got to leave now,” often meaning to go buy whiskey
Iron: A motorcycle
It: Sex appeal
Insured: Engaged
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J
Jack: Money
Jake: Great, ie. “Everything’s Jake.”
Jalopy: A dumpy old automobil
Jane: A female
Java: Coffee
Joe: Coffee
Joe Brooks: A well dressed man
John: A toilet
Joint: Establishment
Juice Joint: A speakeasy
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K
Kale: Money
Keen: Appealing
Killjoy: A solemn person
Kisser: Mouth
Knock Up: To make a woman pregnant
Know One’s Onions: To know one’s business or what one is talking about
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L
Left holding the bag: To be blamed for something
Let George Do It: A work evading phrase
Level with Me: Be honest
Line: A false story, as in “to feed one a line.”
Live Wire: A lively person
Lollygagger: (1) a young man who enjoys making out (2) an idle person
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M
Mazuma: Money
Middle Aisle: To marry
Milquetoast: A timid person
Mind your Potatoes: Mind your own business
Moonshine: Homemade whiskey
Moll: A gangster’s girl
Mrs. Grundy: A priggish or extremely tight-laced person
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N
Neck: Kissing with passion
Nifty: Excellent, great
Nookie: Sex
Not so good!: I personally disapprove
“Now you’re on the trolley!”: Now you’ve got it, now you’re right
Nobody Home: Describes some one who is dumb
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O
Oh yeah!: I doubt it!
Old boy: A male term of address, used with other males
On a Toot: A drinking binge
On the Lam: Fleeing from authorities
On the level: Legitimate, honest
On the up and up: On the level
Orchid: An expensive item
Ossified: Drunk
Owl: A person who’s out late, a night owl
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P
Pet: Making out
Petting Pantry: Movie theater
Piffle: Baloney
Piker: A coward
Pill: (1) A teacher (2) an unlikable person
Pinch: To arrest or to steal
Pinko: A liberal
Pipe down: Stop talking
Pos-i-lute-ly: Affirmative, also “pos-i-tive-ly”
Punch the Bag: Small Talk
Pushover: A person easily persuaded
Putting on the Ritz: After the Ritz Hotel in Paris; doing something in high style
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Q
Quiff: A slut
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R
Rag-a-muffin: A dirty or disheveled individual
Ratz: How disappointing or “darn!”
Razz: To make fun of
Real McCoy: The genuine article
Reuben: A country bumpkin
Ritzy: Elegant
Rub: A dance party
Rubes: Money or dollars
Rummy: A drunken bum
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S
Sap: A fool, an idiot
Says You: Disbelief
Scram: Ask someone to leave immediately
Sheba: One’s girlfriend
Sheik: One’s boyfriend
Shiv: A knife
Simolean: A dollar
Sinker: A doughnut
Sitting pretty: In a prime position
Skirt: A female
Smarty: A flapper
Smoke-Eater: A smoker
So’s Your Old Man: A reply of irritation, like “Yo Mama” in the 90’s
Speakeasy: A bar selling illegal liquor
Spiffy: An elegant appearance
Spill: To talk
Spifflicated: Drunk
Spoon: To neck, or at least talk of love
Stilts: Legs
Struggle Buggy: The backseat of a car
Stuck On: Having a crush on
Sugar Daddy: Older boyfriend who showers girlfriend with gifts in exchange for sex
Swanky: (1) good (2) elegant
Swell: (1) good (2) high class
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T
Take Someone for a Ride: To take someone to a deserted location and murder them
Tasty: Appealing
Tell it to Sweeney: Tell it to someone who is gullable
Tight: Attractive
Tin Pan Alley: The music industry in New York, located between 48th and 52nd street
Tomato: A “ripe” female
Torpedo: A hired thug or hitman
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U
Upchuck: To vomit, yak, spew, especially after consuming too much giggle juice
Upstage: Snobby
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V
Vamp: (1) An aggressive flirt (2) to seduce
Voot: Money
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W
Wet Blanket: A killjoy
What’s Eating You?: What’s wrong?
Whoopee: Wild fun
Woof! Woof!: Ridicule
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Y
You slay me!: That’s funny!
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Z
Zozzled: Drunk