Slang
The Dobie Gillis Teenage slanguage dictionary
A small dictionary of teenage 'slanguage', created in 1962 by an ad agency to promote The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, a sitcom that aired on CBS for four seasons.Yes, that's Gilligan on the cover (before he was Gilligan).
More info: libraries.indiana.edu
Posted By: Alex - Sun Dec 17, 2023 -
Comments (3)
Category: Television, 1960s, Slang
Slang of 1911
Posted By: Paul - Sun Jun 11, 2023 -
Comments (4)
Category: 1910s, North America, Slang
The Elizabethean Underworld
This review by the famous Anthony Burgess (A CLOCKWORK ORANGE) alerted me to the existence of a fascinating book. Turns out it's available at the Internet Archive. The lexicon of thieves talk that Burgess mentions makes for fun reading.Review source: The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) 19 Mar 1965, Fri Page 11
Posted By: Paul - Sat Jan 28, 2023 -
Comments (1)
Category: Crime, History, Books, Slang
Modern Flash Dictionary
Get hep to all the 1830 slang.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Jan 04, 2023 -
Comments (2)
Category: United Kingdom, Nineteenth Century, Slang
A Jazz Lexicon
Pepper your speech with all these forgotten slang terms, and you will acquire an air of coolness and mystery.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Dec 21, 2022 -
Comments (2)
Category: Music, Bohemians, Beatniks, Hippies and Slackers, 1960s, Slang
Underworld Lingo, 1930
Some of these look pretty dubious.Source.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Oct 07, 2021 -
Comments (1)
Category: Crime, Languages, Slang, 1930s
Chorus girl slang from the ‘40s and ‘50s
- Blast: a drink. As in, "What'll it be? A small blast or a large blast?"
- Cream cheese: "a fresh, beautiful young girl."
- Endsville: "When a gal gets away from all this madness and marries and has a fine home."
- Give me a bell: call me.
- He's ill: "He's an incurable night-lifer. Home is not where he hangs his hat but where he'd hang himself if he had to go there."
- Idget: "an idiot, junior grade."
- Iron: "a big rich auto." Also known as "a nice piece of tin."
- Revolving Eyeballs: a guy who "drools at the practically undressed pretties."
- Seppo: "a guy separated; he and wife are in 'Splitsville'."
Camden Courier-Post - Mar 14, 1951
Posted By: Alex - Mon Jul 19, 2021 -
Comments (2)
Category: ShowBiz, Slang
The Jives of Dr. Hepcat
Read the whole thing here.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Jul 06, 2021 -
Comments (2)
Category: Bohemians, Beatniks, Hippies and Slackers, 1950s, Slang
“Oh! How She Could Yacki Hacki Wicki Wacki Woo”
Not a song about Wikipedia.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Apr 03, 2021 -
Comments (0)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Innuendo, Double Entendres, Symbolism, Nudge-Nudge-Wink-Wink and Subliminal Messages, Music, Regionalism, Foreign Customs, 1910s, Slang
Flapper Dictionary
As defined by Wikipedia, "Flappers were a generation of young Western women in the 1920s who wore skirts, bobbed their hair, listened to jazz, and flaunted their disdain for what was then considered acceptable behavior. Flappers were seen as brash for wearing excessive makeup, drinking, smoking cigarettes, driving automobiles, treating sex in a casual manner, and otherwise flouting social and sexual norms."A "Flapper Dictionary" appeared in various newspapers and magazines in 1922. Selections below. Even more flapper terms can be found at Book Flaps and Click Americana.
New Castle Herald - Apr 1922
Posted By: Alex - Tue Oct 08, 2019 -
Comments (4)
Category: Languages, Slang, Subcultures, 1920s
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