August 3, 2007

Speak Easy

Jazz Age Slang Guide

Blame it on Paul Poiret’s comeback or Proenza’s fall deco duds, but Jazz Age slang just seems to say it all right now. Want to know how to talk the talk? Check it out.

barney-mugging
n. sex (After the alley fight, some dolled-up sheik daddy took me home and gave me a good barney-mugging.)

bearcat
n. a hot-blooded or fiery girl (You get a load of that bearcat? Twenty-three skidoo! She got so zozzled on hooch and phosphates she could barely walk.)

berries
adj. that which is attractive or pleasing (Did you see her new flapper skirt? It’s the berries.)

dead soldier
n. an empty beer bottle (I’m ready to hit on all sixes and throw a petting party, but it looks like the only fine necks tonight are on the dead soldiers. Let’s scram.)

gin mill
n. local bar (Let’s say we screw outta this place, get our gams into some glad rags, and head down to the old gin mill.)

owled
adj. drunk (Best call a gypsy cab for this doll; she can barely stand up straight. She’s owled, canned, corked, scrooched, and fried to the hat!)

rowdydow
n. hubbub, uproar (Take a look at old William Penn’s tight pants. Certainly is causing a city-wide rowdydow.)

sheba/chassis
n. a female/the female body (Get an eyeful of the chassis on that sheba! She could crash the stock market with that thing.)

Now you’re on the trolley, dollface! And remember, don’t take any wooden nickels.