TWENTIES TUESDAY -- SLANG

Welcome to Twenties Tuesday. I love the 1920s. It was an exciting and vibrant time in American life. Like today slang played a part in the growth of American Language. As you read the list below see how many we still use and how some meanings have changed.

And How - I strongly agree!

Applesauce- an expletive same as horsefeathers, As in "Ah applesauce!"

Bimbo - a tough guy

Ciggy - cigarette

Copacetic - Wonderful, fine, all right

Darb - An excellent person or thing (as in "the Darb" - a person with money who can be relied on to pay the check)

Double-cross - to cheat, stab in the back

Earful - enough

Egg - a person who lives the big life

Fall Guy - Victim of a frame

Fire extinguisher - a chaperone

Gams - A woman's legs

Gold Digger - A woman who associates with or marries a man for his wealth

Hard Boiled - a tough, strong guy

Heebie-Jeebies - The jitters

It - Sex appeal

Iron - a motorcycle

Jake - OK, as in , "Everything is Jake."

Jalopy - Old car

Jane - any female

Keen - Attractive or appealing Kisser - Mouth

Left holding the bag - (1) to be cheated out of one's fair share (2) to be blamed for something

Level with me - be honest

Live wire - a lively person

Mrs. Grundy - A priggish or extremely tight-laced person

Moll - A gangster's girl

Neck - Kissing with passion

Nifty - great, excellent

On the lam - fleeing from police

On the level - legitimate, honest

Pet - Same as neck, but more so

Pill - (1) a teacher (2) an unlikable person

Pipe down - stop talking

Pushover - A person easily convinced or seduced

Rag-a-muffin - a dirty or disheveled individual

Razz- to make fun of

Real McCoy - The genuine article

Ritzy - Elegant (from the hotel)

Sap - a fool

Says you - a reaction of disbelief

Scram - Ask someone to leave immediately

Sheba - A woman with sex appeal (from the move Queen of Sheba) or (e.g. Clara Bow)

Sheik - A man with sex appeal (from the Valentino movies)

Shiv - a knife

Spiffy - An elegant appearance

Upchuck - To vomit when one has drunk too much

Wet Blanket - a solemn person, a killjoy

What's eating you? - What's wrong

You slay me - that's funny

Thanks to http://local.aaca.org/bntc/slang/slang.htm