Home


Arts & Leisure
Calendar of Events
Cleveland
House, Home & Family
People
Pets
Resources
Special Offers/Store
Veterans, Police/Fire, US
About Us
Search ClevelandPeople
ClevelandWomen
GreatLakesGeek
ClevelandCooks
Cleveland101
Cleveland Speakers


Slang
Remember these Words?

Are you having a hard time understanding today's slang? There was a time when people couldn't understand us too. Here's a sampling of the language of the 20's through the 50's.


Ankle Biter ---> Child

Antsville ---> Crowded place

Back seat bingo ---> necking in a car

Bee's Knees ---> Wonderful

Blinkers ---> Eyes

Blow ---> Leave (let's blow this pop stand)

Bone Box ---> Mouth

Bread basket ---> Stomach

Carry A Torch ---> Be hopelessly in love

Cats or alligators ---> jazz fans

Cheaters ---> Eyeglasses

Cooties ---> Imaginary bugs infesting the nerds

Croak ---> Die

Crocked ---> Drunk

Cruisin' for a Bruisin' ---> Asking for trouble

Dick ---> private investigator

Dogs ---> Feet

Face lace ---> Beard

Fast ---> Sexually active (especially a girl)

Flick ---> Movie

Fuzz ---> The police

Gams ---> Legs

Gin Mill ---> Tavern

Go Ape ---> Get really mad

Hootch ---> Bootleg liquor

Horn ---> The nose

JD ---> Juvenile Delinquent

Kisser ---> Lips

Kook ---> Non-conformist

Long Green ---> Money

Mint ---> Fine or great

Mustache ---> Brush

Nerd ---> Same as today

Nest ---> hair-do

No sweat ---> No problem

Nod ---> fall asleep

Nosebleed ---> used to call someone a name similar to stupid (Hey, Nosebleed!)

Nowhere ---> Opposite of cool

Nowhersville ---> Boring place (physical or mental location)

Oddball ---> Non-conformist

Off the line ---> Start of a drag race

Ossified ---> Drunk

Out to Lunch ---> Out of touch with reality

Pad ---> Home

Paper shaker ---> Cheerleader

Party-pooper ---> No fun

Passion Pit ---> Drive In Movie

Peepers ---> Glasses (Jeepers Creepers, Where's you get them peepers?)

Radioactive ---> Very popular

Rattle your cage ---> Get on one's nerves

Razz ---> Tease

Real gone ---> Deep in love

Reds ---> Communists

Rug rat ---> Child

Shuck ---> Lie to

Sing ---> To give information - especially to the police

Smog in the noggin' ---> Loss of memory

Spaz ---> uncoordinated person

Spiffy ---> Stylish

Split ---> Leave

Square ---> Conformist

Thick ---> Dense, unable to understand

Ticker ---> Heart

Tin Ear ---> Someone who didn't like music

Vamp ---> Woman who seduces men


Can you add to the list?
E-mail us with more at
feedback@ClevelandSeniors.Com







Top of Page

Back to Memories for Cleveland Seniors
















Sign up for our free eNewsletter sent about once every month with special offers, discounts, contests and more specifically for Cleveland area Seniors and Baby Boomers.




Follow ClevelandBoomer on Twitter
Follow us on Twitter






In Association with Amazon.com

Copyright © 2003-2020 ClevelandSeniors.Com. All Rights Reserved.
Questions or Comments? E-Mail us at:
support@ClevelandSeniors.Com