History of the 1930's It started with the Great Depression and it ended during World War II. In between there was prohibition, speak easy's gangsters and notoriously Bonnie and Clyde. Some of the slang from the '30's is still used today, although in some cases the meaning has been altered dramatically...then again some words are exactly the same...
I wonder what words will stay the same and stay in use from 2000 - 2020 when people look back on it in 100 years....
Apple
any big city in the 1930s
Big House prison.
Horn telephone.
Brodie A mistake (seems to be a popular name now a days ...don't tell the kids their name means mistake...)
Cadillac an ounce of cocaine or heroin.
Canary a female singer.
Cats/alligators – fans of swing music.
Copper a police officer. Guess it got shortened through the years to just Cop now...
Cute as a
bug's ear Very cute
Dick/gumshoe/flatfoot Detective
Dingy Silly
Gat/rod/heater/convincer A couple of
these words are still used today when referring to a gun.
Hooch/Booze whiskey.
Hot mama/looker/ tomato/dish/sweet patootie
good looking woman.
Keen Very Good
Kibosh Squelch
Kippy Neat
Low
down All
the information
making whoopee Sex
Nuts! Telling someone they are full of nonsense
Okie Migrant worker from Oklahoma
Patsy Innocent man framed for a criminal charge
Pill Disagreeable person
Pip Attractive person
Rot gut,
bathtub gin Prohibition alcohol
usually made in back rooms and of low quality
Sawbuck $10 bill
Scat
singer A vocalist who improvises
lyrics, with nonsense syllables not using words
Scrub Poor student
Shake a leg
Hurry up
Squat Nothing
Stool
pigeon, snitch Someone who
informs to the police
Suds,
salad, dough, moolah, rhino, bacon (as in bring home the bacon), bread Money
Take a
powder, blow, split, scram, drift Leave
Taking the
rap, taking the fall Taking
responsibility for someone else's crime or crimes
Trigger Men hired gunmen.
Twit Fool or Idiot
Whacky Crazy
What's
your story, morning glory? What
do you mean by that?
You and me
both I agree
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