1940s Slang
Check out this killer diller list of 1940s slang. Have you heard any of these terms? I love the old movies and got most of the 1940s slang from those old flicks like Twice Blessed, Jive Junction, and Buck Privates. Sitting for hours with pen in hand, I wrote down as much 1940s slang as seemed appropriate for my stories. I use most of the terms below in my vintage writing, too!
To Slang or Not to Slang?
Adding 1940s Slang
1940s Slang
Above my Pay Grade=Don’t ask me
Ameche = Telephone
Anchor Clanker = Sailor
Bird = Girl
Bobbysox Brigade = Young Jitterbugs
Cheaters = Sunglasses
Chucklehead = Unintelligent person
Clams = Money
Clobbered = Have a crush on
Cookin’ with Helium = Dances well and fast
Christopher Columbus = Exclamation of surprise
Crumb = Jerk, no fun
Cut a rug = Dance
Dead Hooper = Poor or bad dancer
Digging the Jive = Dance
Dish = Cute Girl
Don’t go into a decline = Don’t get depressed
Dopey = Not smart, nerdy
Drip = A boring person
Duds = Clothing, apparel
Flip Your Wig = Lose control of yourself
Floy floy = Nonsense
Gab = Short for Gabardine fabric
Gate = short for Alligator = Jitterbug
Goo and the moo = Pancakes, syrup and milk
Humdinger = Remarkable, outstanding
I’m Going Fishing = Looking for a date
Jalopy = Car
Jeepers = Exclamation of alarm
Jits = Jitterbug
Jive = Swing Music
Keister = Rump
Khaki Wacky = Boy Crazy
Killer Diller = The best, ultimate
Knockin it out = Dance amazingly
Kopescetic = Fine, okay
Lamb = Nice person
Lay an egg = Be Boring
Lay off = Leave alone, quit bothering
Licorice stick = Clarinet
Mitts = hands
Off the cob = Corny, goofy
On the beam = Cool, A-one
Peepers = Eyes
Pegs = Legs
Pennies From Heaven = Easy money
Quenchers = Cold Drinks
Reet = Right or Very
Rug cutter = Dancer
Rusty dusty = Rump
Slack happy = Dumb and happy
Specs = Eyeglasses
Squidy = Sailor
Strictly from Dixie = Corny, not cool
Swabbie = Sailor
Swell = Great
Swing a wing = Dance Swing
Take a Powder = Get Lost, Lay off
See who won the SUMMER READING GOODIE BAG here. Don’t miss out on the next give-away join the Join the Fun & Freebies via GIPHY
::
Did you know these 1940s slang terms? How many have you heard in movies or music. Do you use any 1940s slang in every day life? I use killer diller a lot, swell, and humdinger. Which 1940s slang words do you use? Please add any slang I missed! Read the novel The Girl in the Jitterbug Dress
Tam Francis is a writer, blogger, swing dance teacher, avid vintage collector, and seamstress. She shares her love of this genre through her novels, blog, and short stories. She enjoys hearing from you, sharing ideas, forging friendships, and exchanging guest blogs. For all the Girl in the Jitterbug Dress news, give-aways, events, and excitement, make sure to join her list and like her FB page! Join my list ~ Facebook page
I found a Mickey Mouse book in my garage copyrighted 1944-46. There’s a scene where the Indian talks jive. He says, “I’m beat to my socks. I’ll be in the pink in a twink” with a sigh. Do you know at all what twink meant at that time? Is it similar to the meaning now? Thanks
I believe “twink” in this context means quickly or in a moment. I haven’t run across tis, but I kind of like it. LOL Thanks for sharing.
Archie to a girl in a “Archie” comic from 1946: “Hey Gate, let’s percolate!”
A girl to Archie at the soda shop where swing music is playing: “Hoist your Bobby socks. Let’s crack knees!”
Archie to Betty in the soda shop when he catches her with another boy: “Say! What’s the idea sluppin’ soda with this…this Drip-Lip!”
And those are just from the first 25 daily strips!
😂😂
Those are GREAT! I guess I should have read some Archie comics. I’ll have to update my list. I appreciate this. Thank you!
I’m using it for the book I’m writing. Its so helpful!
I love this list but would be even happier if each word was used in a sentence for context.
What a fantastic idea. I’ll work on it. Glad it was a little bit helpful. You can read them ALL in my novels. LOL
Hi Tam,
I lamped your 40’s Slang list, color me impressed, it’s the ginchiest.
You have a solid command of the King’s Jive.
But two items lit up the tilt sign:
“Reet” means right not “very”.
“Gate” is short for alligator, both names are how jazz musicians greeted each other,
it doesn’t mean Jitterbug.
I understand when visiting a Roman pad, you gotta make their scene(when in Rome,
do as the Romans do) so you will have to forgive me for using late 1950’s early 60’s
California cool talk here at your Forties site.
I learned it all from Kookie of “77 Sunset Strip” fame, he was the skizziest.
At one point he was the biggest star in the world, going by fan mail and magazine covers
across the planet.
Winkler’s Fonzie was based on him, but paled by comparison and wasn’t nearly as
compelling.
At any rate, keep up the good work, your list is very entertaining.
Oh one more thing, you too can order breakfast like Kookie so no one will mistake
you for a cube:
“I’ll have a order of cackle berries with two oinks and a haystack, java and
squeeze Bossy.”
Translation:
Give me scrambled eggs, 2 link sausages and hash browns, plus coffee with milk.
I got a kick out of your breakfast order “goo and the moo” above as well.
awww wish I knew phrases used in México or Spain on that time… have not find accurate info jajaja, but thank you for this ones above!!! =)
Thanks for stopping by. It would be so cool to know the slang. I’ve watched some 1940s movies from Mexico and the fashion is on the beam! There was a subculture movement in Southern California with “Pachucos” that was dominated by Hispanic culture, but I don’t have resources for that. I did order the play “Zoot Suit” to gain some insights. Love your site, btw!
My dad (b.1920) always said “it’s the shank of the evening ” to mean “it’s early yet, don’t leave.” Usually he said it to people who’d been around for some considerable time, so it may have been ironic.
That is so cool. I haven’t heard it, but it makes total sense. Man, I could have used that in 1920s novel The Flapper Affair! Thanks for sharing.
Hi-The “Maisie” Series of movies from 1939-1947 starring Ann Sothern as a tough gal from the wrong side of the tracks with a heart of gold… example of one of them has her working on the wartime factory shifts . These are full of the street characters with the dialogue . Jack Oakie is a laugh as well in comedies
I love all those B-Movies.
All the best
Hi Tam, It’s Tinthia Clemant, I’m looking for a phrase to compare with ‘fuel to the fire.’ Any ideas? Hope all is well.
Jive also means cannabis in some circles in the 1940s
In the movie “We’re not Married” Ginger Rogers asks Fred Allen “Did you put some flug in this coffee?” I am assuming she meant some distasteful foreign substance. Ever hear of flug?
I found this definition: the stuff floating in the air or the linty stuff on your sweater.
the down feathers from a blanket flying in the air is flug.
Just curious, figured you might know: I’ve often heard the phrase “substitootin’ it” and thought it meant some kind of dance, like a happy or impressive jig. Is this correct or have I been fooling myself?
I haven’t heard that. Where did you hear it? I did find this and it mentions a cat named Mr. Musick??? Mr. Musick sure is “tootin’” when he tells the world the evils of “substitootin’”. “Never again!” Most I could find is a colloquial spelling of substituting? I’ll keep digging and ask a couple of dance historians I know. Thanks for stopping by.
“Shank of the night” still defeats me sometimes. Used in a famous Jo Stafford or Bing Crosby recording of “In the Cool, Cool of the Evening.”
Dig that one. It’s kind of poetic. I’m going to think on this. I think I need to use it in my writing. Gotta research it a little. Thanks Denis!
Cheaters==glasses in general, not just sunglasses. At least that’s how my father used it and he was pretty stuck in the 40s.
I saw a list of 40s slang words on a different website and they had glasses and sunglasses both by the word cheaters so you are correct in saying that it means glasses in general not just sunglasses l.
I also don’t rely just on others curated lists. When I watch a classic movie, I sit with pen in hand and write them down. That way I KNOW they were used, even if just in Hollywood. Thanks for stopping by and being a lamb of a fella.
On Sirius radio, the “40s Junction” channel occasionally runs little promos where they have a 40s-ish person resurrect an old phrase. One of them was “shape up or ship out!” Not so much slang as in this blog post, but they are still hilarious!
I’ve caught that station a couple of times. Hubby has Sirius in the car. Great stuff. They play too many slow ones for me, but I love it when they swing. Thanks for the fun addition. My mom used to say that, too. It must have carried over to the 50s! Thanks for stopping by John.
What did “shaking her fans” mean? Curly says this in Disorder in the Court (Three Stooges). At least I think he does. Thanks.
You’ve got me stumped there. I’ll have to watch the movie. I’m guessing it might be her boobs or her butt? I couldn’t find any reference on any slang lists. I’ll keep looking. I could totally see working this into dialogue of one of my characters in the 1940s. hee hee. Thanks!
I’m thinking this has to do with Fan Dancers, as in burlesque.
“Nice kicks” would be a compliment about your shoes.
Good one, but I haven’t run across it in any old movies. Not sure when it hails from? I tried to look for a time stamp reference, but couldn’t find one. Any chance you’ve run across it in an old movie or old literature? Thanks! :)
Hi there! Love your site!! This is one of my favorite decades. One of my favorite radio programs is Burns & Allen… George always says.. “I’ve got a little T.L. for you all……” I’ve searched all over the internet… And for the life of me, can’t think of what “T.L” means…. Do you possibly know Tam? Or does anybody else know? Thank you in advance! It’s driving me crazy trying to figure out what it means….lol
I found this: tace licet which is a latin phrase meaning a secret message. I think that’s what it is. The direct translation is
“although silent,” but I think in the skits it’s “a secret.”
Don’t you think T. L. means “Tender Love”? As TLC means Tender Love and Care.
It definitely doesn’t mean “Tender Love”; I just listened to a George Burns and Gracie Allen episode in which Bill Goodwin used the phrase, “I got a T.L. for you,” and followed it up with a put-down.
Hi there Tam! Thank you for creating this list. I am using it to write a 1940’s swing era webseries called, Vamp & Vixen. I’d love to chat with you – because we’ll be looking for some bloggers! Thanks! Instagram: @VampandVixen.Webseries
We had a 45 record and the song was “The Fang”. I don’t remember the artist’s name but he sings about a Martian that comes to earth and goes to a pool hall (I’M NOT MAKING THIS UP). He’s waring what I think is a zoot suit because he says he’s got “real nervous pegs with a crazy crease and a solid gold Keychain down to my knees”. Has anyone heard of this song, are pegs his pants? Can’t find any info. Please let me know if you can. Thanks. Might be an early 50s song
Here it is, and a sample of the song. That is one crazy song. Thanks for the insight! http://www.madmusic.com/song_details.aspx?SongID=11864
This song was from the 1950s not the 40s.
Thank you. It did seem very 50s. I think Jim might have mentioned it being from the early 50s? Interesting to note what slang continued into the 50s and what new slang popped up. Thanks for taking the time to post a comment.
FYI: as of 1/1/2018 the Madmusic.com MP3 store is closed. The link no longer works.
Drats! Thanks for the heads up. I’ll try to find another link. I could still listen to it at the other link by Nervous Norvus written by Jimmy Drake. It’s listed as 1956 :) Here’s a link to listen on you tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=6&v=NwdDBYmlFrI I also found vintage vinyl CD to buy here: http://amzn.to/2G6JGuy as a side note. I’m digging the Bull Frog Hop https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Q9oktzh-W8
“Pegs” means “legs.” See also: gams, pins, pinions. “Nervous pegs” means a good dancer.
Ooo, nice one. I hadn’t heard. Any movie or book you can reference? Love it! Gonna use it in my next vintage story! Thanks.
rusty dusty
I see she added Rusty Dusty for you :)