In the era of flappers, jazz, and prohibition, the language of the 20s captured the spirit of rebellion and innovation. This quick jaunt through 1920s slang will introduce you to words that are as lively and enigmatic as the decade itself.
Everyday Slang From the Roaring 20s
Similar to words like "awesome" and "great," the 1920s had several slang terms that you were almost guaranteed to hear on a daily basis.
- ace - a dollar bill
- applesauce - nonsense
- baby - term of endearment for a significant other
- baloney - nonsense
- bank's closed - no kissing or hugging
- balled up - confused, messed up
- bee’s knees - the best
- beef - problem
- belly laugh - a loud laugh
- berries - something excellent
- bluenose - prude or killjoy
- breezer - convertible car
- bunk - nonsense
- carry a torch - to have unrequited feelings for someone
- cat’s meow - stylish or cool
- cat’s pajamas - really cool
- cheaters - eyeglasses
- clams - money; dollar bills
- corn-shredder - a bad dancer
- crush - to have romantic interest in someone
- dapper - neatly dressed; elegant
- dough - money
- duck soup - easy
- flat tire - a bad date
- flivver - a small car, often in bad condition
- goofy - crazy or silly
- grift - swindle
- grill - question
- hard-boiled - tough
- heebie-jeebies - the creeps
- hooey - nonsense
- hotsy-totsy - perfect
- jalopy - old car
- java - coffee
- joe - coffee
- know one’s onions - well-informed on a subject
- mazuma - money
- nailed - caught
- neck - to kiss passionately
- nicked - stolen
- nifty - very good
- noodle - head
- on the level - legitimate, honest
- phonus balonus - complete nonsense
- pinch - to arrest
- rag-a-muffin - dirty or disheveled
- ritzy - elegant
- the real McCoy - the real thing
- upchuck - vomit
- swell - great; excellent
- whoopee - to have a good time
People and Places By Any Other Name
At the end of the day, slang terms to describe people and places all boil down to the same basic descriptors. Still, this decade had some fun ones in its arsenal—and popular enough so that a couple of them stuck around.
- babe - attractive person; significant other
- big cheese - an important person
- big house - prison
- caboose - jail
- cake-eater - a spoiled rich person
- dame - a woman
- dive - a disreputable or low-quality bar
- egg - a person who lives the big life
- flapper - a fashionable young woman
- flatfoot - a policeman
- gold digger - woman who uses a man for his wealth
- goon - thug
- grifter - con man
- gumshoe - detective
- guy - man
- hood - gangster
- hoofer - dancer
- hoosegow - jail
- joint - a place, often implying disrepute
- keen - something or someone attractive or appealing
- looker - good looking person
- moll - gangster's girlfriend
- Mrs. Grundy - someone who is prudish
- owl - person who’s up/out late
- palooka - an inferior or average boxer
- petting pantry - a movie theater/cinema
- pill - an irritable or unpleasant person
- pushover - easily influenced person
- rumrunner - someone who smuggles alcohol
- sap - a fool
- sheik - a man with sex appeal
- skirt - a woman
- speakeasy - an illicit bar selling bootleg liquor
- stool pigeon - informer
- sugar daddy - an older man who gives a younger woman expensive gifts
- tomato - an attractive woman
- wet blanket - someone who spoils fun
- wise guy - smart aleck
1920s Slang Associated With Alcohol and Drinking
As you may already know, this was the era of prohibition—meaning the production, sale and purchase of alcoholic beverages was illegal. So it’s no surprise that many slang words for alcohol, intoxication, and bootlegging came out of the 1920s.
- bathtub gin - homemade spirit, made in a bathtub
- bootleg - illegal alcohol
- coffin varnish - alcohol
- dip the bill - have a drink
- giggle juice - liquor
- hooch - illicitly made alcohol
- juice joint - a bar
- moonshine - homemade alcohol
- old pal - cocktail
- ombibulous - lover of alcohol
- rotgut - very bad or cheap alcohol
- whale - heavy drinker
- white lightning - moonshine
- zozzled - drunk
Miscellaneous Slang From the 1920s
Though these slang terms were popular back in the day, they weren't used often enough to be considered "daily" terms. Still, some of these pack a punch that today's slang terms could only ever hope to achieve.
- ankle - to walk
- beezer - nose
- gams - legs
- hayburner - a car with poor mileage
- ice - diamonds
- kale - money
- kisser - mouth
- meat wagon - ambulance
- sockdollager - an event or action of great importance
- spiffy - an elegant appearance
Deciphering Language In the 20s and Beyond
The exploration of 1920s slang not only reconnects us with the past, but also enriches our understanding of the cultural zeitgeist that shaped a remarkable decade. It even birthed gangster-specific slang terms!
Dive deeper into the past by learning more slang terms across decades, like the 1970s and 80s. Each term and phrase opens a window to the soul or its era, inviting us to understand the people and their times more intimately.