Jazz Age Jargon
ace: one-dollar bill
all wet: incorrect
apple sauce: flattery, nonsense, i.e.. "Aw, applesauce!"
baloney: nonsense
beat it: scram, get lost
bee's knee's: terrific; a fad expression. Dozens of "animal anatomy" variations existed: elephant's eyebrows, gnat's whistle, eel's hips, etc.
beef: a complaint or to complain
beeswax: business; student
big cheese: important person
cake-eater: a lady's man
cat's meow: great, also "cat's pajamas" and "cat's whiskers"
cheaters: eye glasses
chewing gum: double-speak, or ambiguous talk
clam: a dollar
copacetic: excellent, all in order
crush: infatuation
dogs: feet
dough: money
dry up: shut up, get lost
ducky: very good
flat tire: a bore
fly boy: a glamorous term for an aviator
gams (1930): legs
gasper: cigarette
gay: happy or lively; no connection to homosexuality; see "fag"
get-up (1930): an outfit
get a wiggle on: get a move on, get going
get in a lather: get worked up, angry
glad rags: "going out on the town" clothes
goof: (1) a stupid or bumbling person, (2) a boyfriend; flapper.
goofy: in love
grummy: depressed
heebie-jeebies (1926): "the shakes," named after a hit song
high hat: a snob
hip to the jive: cool, trendy
hit on all sixes: to perform 100 per cent; as "hitting on all six cylinders;" perhaps a more common variation in these days of four cylinder engines was "hit on all 4
hooey: nonsense; very popular from 1925 to 1930, used somewhat thereafter
iron one’s shoelaces: to go to the restroom
ish kabibble (1925): a retort meaning "I should care," from the name of a musician in the Kay Kayser Orchestrajack: money
Jake: great, i.e. "Everything's Jake."
Jalopy: a dumpy old car
java: coffee
joe: coffee
john: a toilet
keen: appealing
killjoy: a solemn person
know one's onions: to know one's business or what one is talking aboutleft holding the bag: (1) to be cheated out of one's fair share (2) to be blamed for something
limey: a British soldier or citizen; from World War I
line: a false story, as in "to feed one a line"
live wire: a lively person
lollapalooza (1930): a humdinger
lollygagger: an idle person
milquetoast (1924): a very timid person; from the comic book character Casper
mind your potatoes: mind your own business
mooch: to leave
neck: to kiss
nifty: great, excellent
noodle juice: tea
on the lam: fleeing from police
on the level: legitimate, honest
on the up and up: on the level
pet: like necking
piffle: baloney
pill: an unlikable person
pinch: to arrest
pinched: to be arrested
pipe down: stop talking
pos-i-lute-ly: affirmative, also "pos-i-tive-ly"
rag-a-muffin: a dirty or disheveled individual
razz: to make fun of
Real McCoy: a genuine item
sap: a fool, an idiot; very common term in the 20s
sawbuck: ten-dollar bill
scratch: money
sheba: one's girlfriend
sheik: one's boyfriend
shiv: a knife
simolean: a dollar
sinker: a doughnut
skirt: an attractive female
spill: to talk
tasty: appealing
teenager: not a common term until 1930; before then, the term was "young adults."
tell it to Sweeney: tell it to someone who'll believe it
trip for biscuits: wild goose chase
upchuck: to vomit
wet blanket: see Killjoy
"What's eating you?": "What's wrong?"
whoopee: wild fun
"You slay me!": "That's funny!"
ace: one-dollar bill
all wet: incorrect
apple sauce: flattery, nonsense, i.e.. "Aw, applesauce!"
baloney: nonsense
beat it: scram, get lost
bee's knee's: terrific; a fad expression. Dozens of "animal anatomy" variations existed: elephant's eyebrows, gnat's whistle, eel's hips, etc.
beef: a complaint or to complain
beeswax: business; student
big cheese: important person
cake-eater: a lady's man
cat's meow: great, also "cat's pajamas" and "cat's whiskers"
cheaters: eye glasses
chewing gum: double-speak, or ambiguous talk
clam: a dollar
copacetic: excellent, all in order
crush: infatuation
dogs: feet
dough: money
dry up: shut up, get lost
ducky: very good
flat tire: a bore
fly boy: a glamorous term for an aviator
gams (1930): legs
gasper: cigarette
gay: happy or lively; no connection to homosexuality; see "fag"
get-up (1930): an outfit
get a wiggle on: get a move on, get going
get in a lather: get worked up, angry
glad rags: "going out on the town" clothes
goof: (1) a stupid or bumbling person, (2) a boyfriend; flapper.
goofy: in love
grummy: depressed
heebie-jeebies (1926): "the shakes," named after a hit song
high hat: a snob
hip to the jive: cool, trendy
hit on all sixes: to perform 100 per cent; as "hitting on all six cylinders;" perhaps a more common variation in these days of four cylinder engines was "hit on all 4
hooey: nonsense; very popular from 1925 to 1930, used somewhat thereafter
iron one’s shoelaces: to go to the restroom
ish kabibble (1925): a retort meaning "I should care," from the name of a musician in the Kay Kayser Orchestrajack: money
Jake: great, i.e. "Everything's Jake."
Jalopy: a dumpy old car
java: coffee
joe: coffee
john: a toilet
keen: appealing
killjoy: a solemn person
know one's onions: to know one's business or what one is talking aboutleft holding the bag: (1) to be cheated out of one's fair share (2) to be blamed for something
limey: a British soldier or citizen; from World War I
line: a false story, as in "to feed one a line"
live wire: a lively person
lollapalooza (1930): a humdinger
lollygagger: an idle person
milquetoast (1924): a very timid person; from the comic book character Casper
mind your potatoes: mind your own business
mooch: to leave
neck: to kiss
nifty: great, excellent
noodle juice: tea
on the lam: fleeing from police
on the level: legitimate, honest
on the up and up: on the level
pet: like necking
piffle: baloney
pill: an unlikable person
pinch: to arrest
pinched: to be arrested
pipe down: stop talking
pos-i-lute-ly: affirmative, also "pos-i-tive-ly"
rag-a-muffin: a dirty or disheveled individual
razz: to make fun of
Real McCoy: a genuine item
sap: a fool, an idiot; very common term in the 20s
sawbuck: ten-dollar bill
scratch: money
sheba: one's girlfriend
sheik: one's boyfriend
shiv: a knife
simolean: a dollar
sinker: a doughnut
skirt: an attractive female
spill: to talk
tasty: appealing
teenager: not a common term until 1930; before then, the term was "young adults."
tell it to Sweeney: tell it to someone who'll believe it
trip for biscuits: wild goose chase
upchuck: to vomit
wet blanket: see Killjoy
"What's eating you?": "What's wrong?"
whoopee: wild fun
"You slay me!": "That's funny!"
Student Learning Goals
Students will hear music from the 1920s and compare it with pop music of today
Students will practice singing, pitch and rhythm, ensemble skills
Students will compare pop culture of the 20s to now and see parallels and differences.
Students will learn the early technology of the recording business.
Students will learn the early technology of the radio business and the impact on culture.
Students will learn of cartoon characters in American iconography and the corresponding music.
Students will compare the colloquialisms of the 20s to todays lingo.
Students will learn to dance the Charleston and compare it to the dances now.
Students will learn the songs "Button Up Your OverCoat" and "Barney Google"
Students will hear music from the 1920s and compare it with pop music of today
Students will practice singing, pitch and rhythm, ensemble skills
Students will compare pop culture of the 20s to now and see parallels and differences.
Students will learn the early technology of the recording business.
Students will learn the early technology of the radio business and the impact on culture.
Students will learn of cartoon characters in American iconography and the corresponding music.
Students will compare the colloquialisms of the 20s to todays lingo.
Students will learn to dance the Charleston and compare it to the dances now.
Students will learn the songs "Button Up Your OverCoat" and "Barney Google"