As with any era, the 1920's had time period specific slang. Here is a sampling. It sure is the berries! Have a swell time, but make sure you don't upchuck!
- Bee's Knees - An extraordinary person, thing, idea
- Berries - is attractive or pleasing; similar to bee's knees, As in "It's the berries."
- Big Cheese - The most important or influential person. Same as big shot
- Bluenose - An excessively puritanical person, a prude
- Bump Off - To murder
- Carry a Torch - To have a crush on someone
- Cat's Meow - Something splendid or stylish; similar to bee's knees; The best or greatest
- Cat's Pajamas - Same as cat's meow
- Cheaters - Eyeglasses
- Crush - An infatuation
- Dogs - feet
- Drugstore Cowboy - a guy that hangs around on a street corner trying to pick up girls
- Dumb Dora - a stupid female
- Fall Guy - victim of a frame
- Flat Tire - A dull insipid, disappointing date. Same as pill, pickle, drag, rag, oilcan
- Frame - To give false evidence, to set up someone
- Gams - A woman's legs
- Giggle Water - An intoxicating beverage; alcohol
- Gin Mill - An establishment where hard liquor is sold; bar
- Hard Boiled - a tough, strong guy
- Heebie-Jeebies - The jitters
- Hooch - Bootleg liquor
- Hoofer - Dancer
- Hotsy-Totsy - Pleasing
- Jalopy - Old car
- Joint - A club, usually selling alcohol
- Keen - Attractive or appealing
- Kisser - Mouth
- Lounge Lizard - a guy that is sexually active
- Moll - A gangster's girl
- Neck - Kissing with passion
- Pinch - To arrest
- Pushover - A person easily convinced or seduced
- Ritzy - Elegant (from the hotel)
- Scram - Ask someone to leave immediately
- Sheba - A woman with sex appeal (from the movie Queen of Sheba)
- Sheik - A man with sex appeal (from the Valentino movies)
- Speakeasy - An illicit bar selling bootleg liquor
- Spiffy - An elegant appearance
- 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
- Torpedo - A hired gun
- Upchuck - To vomit when one has drunk too much
- Whoopee - To have a good time
Home | English Class Main | Gatsby Main | Gatsby Treasure Hunt