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Punks and Hippies

Historical Dictionary of American Slang

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527 Results 1940-1950

  • ace
    ( adj ) Expert. He's an ace reporter.
    1940s
  • baby
    ( n ) Affectionate term of address for either sex. Come on, baby, let's go home.
    1940s
  • baby-doll
    ( int ) Female appellation. Come on, baby doll, let's go home.
    1940s
  • bad business
    ( np ) Trouble. You didn't get any financial aid? That's bad business.
    1940s
  • bad news
    ( np ) Trouble. Stay away from this guy; he's bad news.
    1940s
  • beat
    ( adj ) Tired, exhausted. After working all day I am really beat.
    1940s
  • be-bop
    ( n ) A dance to fast big band jazz. Harry James was playing and everyone be-bopped till midnight.
    1940s
  • beef
    ( n ) A disagreement, argument. After we ignored Jim we had a beef with his whole crew.
    1940s
  • bender
    ( n ) A drinking spree. Every Monday Lucien comes home from a weekend bender.
    1940s
  • biz
    ( n ) Business. Well, that's show biz.
    1940s
  • black-and-white
    ( n ) Police car. He was surprised to see his house surrounded by black-and-whites when he arrived home.
    1940s
  • blah
    ( adj ) Apathetic, indifferent. I feel so blah after taking five midterms in one day.
    1940s
  • blow
    ( v ) To waste, lose. He blew all his money gambling.
    1940s
  • blow a fuse
    ( vp ) Lose your temper. Hey, don't blow a fuse.
    1940s
  • bonkers
    ( adj ) Crazy, insane. That noise they call music is driving me bonkers.
    1940s
  • booger
    ( n ) A brat, a rascal. I gave the little booger $5 to put gas in my car and he spent it on his girl.
    1940s
  • book
    ( v ) To register an arrest. They just booked Rusty for forging checks.
    1940s
  • boondocks
    ( n ) An isolated place in the country. He lives somewhere out in the boondocks.
    1940s
  • booze
    ( n ) Liquor or other alcoholic beverage. I promised to bring two bottles of booze to the party.
    1940s
  • bop
    ( v ) To dance wildly to the big band jazz of the 40s. We bopped all night at Collingwood's last night.
    1940s
  • broad
    ( n ) A woman (offensive). Never tangle with that broad; she's tough.
    1940s
  • bum
    ( v ) To borrow. Can I bum ten bucks until the end of the week?
    1940s
  • bum rap
    ( np ) False accusation. They kept him after school for smoking in the men's room but he got a bum rap.
    1940s
  • bust rocks
    ( vp ) To serve time in prison. Yeah, if you do that, you'll be busting rocks for 10 years.
    1940s
  • bust your chops
    ( vp ) To scold, chastise. I'm going to bust his chops for leaving his date at the party when I see him.
    1940s
  • buy the farm
    ( vp ) To die. If you don't kick the ice cream habit you're going to buy the farm.
    1940s
  • buzz
    ( n ) Tipsiness. I had a buzz on after the third martini.
    1940s
  • call-girl
    ( n ) A prostitute who makes appointments by telephone. Miriam was a call-girl before she became a guidance counselor.
    1940s
  • can
    ( n ) Jail or prison. Grady just got out of the can and is on parole.
    1940s
  • cheesy
    ( adj ) Cheap. That is really a cheesy looking outfit.
    1940s
  • chew out
    ( v ) To scold, chastise. Dad's going to chew you out when he sees the dent in the car.
    1940s
  • chicken
    ( n ) Coward. Don't be a chicken.
    1940s
  • chicken out
    ( v ) To back out from cowardice. We were going to do some bungee jumping but my mom chickened out.
    1940s
  • chopper
    ( n ) Tooth. My dad's teeth were bad but he bought a new set of choppers last week.
    1940s
  • chrome-dome
    ( np ) A bald guy (offensive). The old chrome dome told me that grass doesn't grow where there is a lot going on.
    1940s
  • chuck up
    ( v ) To vomit. He chucked up most of his dinner on the porch.
    1940s
  • cold
    ( adj ) That is no longer or can no longer be pursued. After 24 hours, all the leads in the case were cold.
    1940s
  • cold fish
    ( np ) An unresponsive person. My date for the dance was such a cold fish I left without him.
    1940s
  • cook with gas
    ( vp ) To do something right. As soon as he got the grip on his golf clubs right, he was cooking with gas.
    1940s
  • cookie
    ( n ) Guy or gal. He's a tough cookie.
    1940s
  • cool down
    ( v ) To calm down. Things should cool down in a day or two.
    1940s
  • cop
    ( n ) A policeman. The cop showed me his badge.
    1940s
  • crack open
    ( vp ) To open a bottle. Let's crack open a bottle for his birthday.
    1940s
  • crack up
    ( v ) To make laugh. That Trudy cracks me up with her jokes.
    1940s
  • creep
    ( n ) A mean, despicable person. That creep ran off with my girl.
    1940s
  • croak
    ( n ) To die. If I take another bite I am going to croak.
    1940s
  • cut
    ( v ) To record. She cut a new record last week.
    1940s
  • dang
    ( int ) Emphatic adjective (euphemism for damn). I'll be dang if I didn't leave my watch at home!
    1940s
  • Dang nabbit!
    ( int ) An interjection of disappointment. Dang nabbit! I dropped my chewing gum.
    1940s
  • danged
    ( int ) Emphatic adjective (euphemism for damn). I'll be danged if I didn't leave my watch at home!
    1940s
  • deck out
    ( adj ) Dress up. Fred was really decked out for his date with Wendy.
    1940s
  • dike
    ( n ) A female homosexual. They say she is a dike but she goes out with men.
    1940s
  • ditch
    ( v ) To leave someone who is with you. I'll ditch my younger brother with my grandmother.
    1940s
  • dog
    ( v ) To follow relentlessly. She dogged me all the way home.
    1940s
  • dolly
    ( n ) A girl or a woman. He liked to pick up dollies at the local bars.
    1940s
  • dome
    ( n ) The head or skull. Look at old chrome dome (bald guy) over there.
    1940s
  • done for
    ( adj ) In big trouble, finished. I just let the car roll into the lake. I'm done for when the rents find out.
    1940s
  • dope
    ( n ) Information. So what's the latest dope on Jamie?
    1940s
  • drop
    ( v ) To kill. Don't move or I'll drop you in your tracks.
    1940s
  • dud
    ( n ) Something that doesn't work properly. He bought a new refrigerator but it is a dud--it doesn't keep anything cold.
    1940s
  • dyke
    ( n ) A female homosexual. They say she is a dyke but she goes out with men.
    1940s
  • dynamite
    ( n ) Something excellent, outstanding. His grandmother is really dynamite.
    1940s
  • ease up
    ( v ) Calm down. She's working a mile a minute; she has to ease up soon.
    1940s
  • edgy
    ( adj ) Nervous. Why don't you put down the gun; it's making me edgy.
    1940s
  • fag
    ( n ) A cigarette. Give me a fag, man; I'm having a nicotine fit.
    1940s
  • fat-head
    ( n ) A stupid or foolish person. The fat-head thought Moby Dick is a social disease.
    1940s
  • fire up
    ( v ) Start your engine. OK, fire it up and let's ride.
    1940s
  • fix
    ( n ) Dose of narcotics. The addict needs another fix.
    1940s
  • flap your lips
    ( vp ) To talk. You can flap your lips all night but I won't change my mind.
    1940s
  • flatfoot
    ( n ) A policeman or detective. We have a flatfoot walking a beat by our house every day.
    1940s
  • flip your wig
    ( vp ) To lose control of yourself, go crazy. Josh got so mad at his brother that he flipped his wig.
    1940s
  • fracture
    ( v ) To make someone laugh. He fractures me with all his jokes and antics.
    1940s
  • freak
    ( n ) A fanatic. He is some kind of ecology freak that doesn't read because he doesn't want to use paper.
    1940s
  • freebie
    ( n ) Something that costs nothing. The pen was a freebie I picked up at a show.
    1940s
  • fruity
    ( adj ) Homosexual. It looks so funny for you to date girls in such fruity clothes.
    1940s
  • fubar
    ( adj ) Confused by alcohol or otherwise. I was totally fubar at Philip's party last night!
    1940s
  • gas
    ( n ) A great time, something hilarious. The party last night was a real gas! ).
    1940s
  • gat
    ( n ) A gun (from Gatling gun). Paul, is that a gat under your coat?
    1940s
  • geezer
    ( n ) An old person (offensive). Those old geezers up there are driving too slowly.
    1940s
  • get a load of
    ( vp ) Look at. Get a load of Frankie's new car!
    1940s
  • get under your skin
    ( vp ) To annoy, bother, annoy. These Friday quizzes are getting under my skin.
    1940s
  • give it to
    ( vp ) To do something (unpleasant) to someone. If you don't behave, I'm going to give it to you.
    1940s
  • g-man
    ( n ) FBI investigator. G-men broke up his still and sent him up the river for 5 years.
    1940s
  • dust
    ( v ) To kill. I could have you dusted (off) tomorrow, you rat.
    1940s
  • go belly up
    ( vp ) To fail or go bankrupt. The company went belly up under his management.
    1940s
  • gone
    ( adj ) Knowledgeable about the current scene. He's a real gone cat.
    1940s
  • goof
    ( v ) To make a mistake, error. If I called you 'Clarissa', I just goofed.
    1940s
  • goof-off
    ( n ) A loiterer, someone who wastes time. This company can no longer afford good-offs.
    1940s
  • gorilla
    ( n ) A stupid thug or bodyguard. The mob boss came in with one of his gorillas on either side.
    1940s
  • gravy
    ( n ) Easy money. This job is pure gravy.
    1940s
  • greenback
    ( n ) A dollar. He opened his wallet and I saw a thick bundle of greenbacks in it.
    1940s
  • grill
    ( v ) To interrogate intensely. The police picked him up and grilled him for an hour.
    1940s
  • gumshoe
    ( n ) A private investigator. Sally hired a low-life gumshoe to tail her husband.
    1940s
  • hang up
    ( vp ) To quit. I have decided to hang up my teaching job.
    1940s
  • hipster
    ( n ) A member of the counterculture of the 40s (Origin of 'hippie'). He was a cool hipster you saw in all the jazz joints back in the 40s.
    1940s
  • hitch
    ( v ) To marry. Did you hear? Buffy and Lance got hitched last night.
    1940s
  • hold
    ( vp ) Borrow. Let me hold 5 bucks; you know I will pay you back.
    1940s
  • Holy mackerel!
    ( int ) An interjection of surprise. Holy mackerel! We won the lottery!
    1940s
  • honcho
    ( n ) The boss, commanding officer. Who is the head honcho around here?
    1940s
  • honey
    ( n ) An attractive female. There were a lot of honeys at the bar last night.
    1940s
  • Hot damn!
    ( int ) An interjection of surprise. Hot damn, that car is a doozy.
    1940s
  • Hot diggity dog!
    ( int ) An interjection of surprise. Hot diggity dog! Bonzo brought home the Marilyn Monroe movie.
    1940s
  • Hot dog!
    ( int ) An interjection of surprise. Hot dog! I got second base on the baseball team.
    1940s
  • hotrod
    ( n ) A souped-up car. Oliver's been working on that old hotrod of his for two years, now.
    1940s
  • hotshot
    ( adj ) Expert. Malcolm, they say, is a hotshot reporter for a big newspaper up north.
    1940s
  • in my book
    ( pp ) In my opinion. He an OK guy in my book.
    1940s
  • in the know
    ( pp ) Knowledgeable, aware. Let's ask Perry; he is usually in the know about these things.
    1940s
  • jive
    ( v ) To make sense, fit. Nothing you say jives with what your wife told me.
    1940s
  • johnson
    ( n ) The male organ. [Use your imagination].
    1940s
  • joint
    ( n ) A prison, jail. When he got out of the joint, he went legit.
    1940s
  • juvie
    ( n ) Juvenile delinquent. Those juvies are always stealing things.
    1940s
  • kibosh
    ( n ) A stop (to something). The rents put the kibosh on the party Saturday night.
    1940s
  • kick
    ( n ) Enjoyment. I get a kick out of watching him paint.
    1940s
  • kicks
    ( n ) Fun. She gets her kicks by going to the beach.
    1940s
  • king-size
    ( ap ) Really huge. That Caddy his dad has is king size.
    1940s
  • knock off
    ( v ) To kill. Bugsy finked on the mob and they knocked him off.
    1940s
  • knock off
    ( v ) To quit. He knocked off work early today.
    1940s
  • knocked out
    ( adj ) Asleep. Lem is knocked out; he worked all night long.
    1940s
  • knuckle sandwich
    ( np ) A punch in the mouth. Shut up or I'll give you a knuckle sandwich.
    1940s
  • Let someone have it
    ( vp ) To shoot someone. If you don't stop grabbing for my gun, I'm going to let you have it.
    1940s
  • like crazy
    ( pp ) Really fast. We're studying like crazy for the exam tomorrow.
    1940s
  • line
    ( n ) An untrue story or statement. Cornelius shot me some line about being an Eskimo who wandered too far south.
    1940s
  • lulu
    ( n ) Something excellent, outstanding. That shot he made outside the 3-point zone was a lulu!
    1940s
  • make a pass
    ( vp ) To flirt with, try to seduce. He made a pass at me but I wasn't interested.
    1940s
  • meatball
    ( n ) A stupid or foolish person. So then the meatball leans over and let's his cigarette drop into the open carburetor.
    1940s
  • megabucks
    ( n ) A lot of money. He made megabucks when he sold his company.
    1940s
  • moolah
    ( n ) Money. This guy Seamus Allgood has mucho moolah.
    1940s
  • mug
    ( n ) Face. Get out and don't let me see your mug in her again.
    1940s
  • mug
    ( v ) To make faces. He loves to mug with hit grandchildren.
    1940s
  • nada
    ( n ) Nothing. We searched her car and found nada.
    1940s
  • nerve
    ( n ) Audacity. You have some nerve telling me what to do!
    1940s
  • Nice going!
    ( int ) Interjection of congratulations. Nice going on that 3-pointer you just shot.
    1940s
  • No dice!
    ( int ) An interjection of rejection. I ask him for $10 but he said: No dice!
    1940s
  • nuts
    ( adj ) Crazy, insane. You are completely nuts if you think I will go with you.
    1940s
  • off the hook
    ( pp ) Exonerated, cleared of guilt. I'm glad Lloyd confessed to blowing the toilet; that let's me off the hook.
    1940s
  • old lady
    ( n ) Mother. My old lady burned the pancakes.
    1940s
  • on the nose
    ( pp ) Exactly. Boy, are you right on the nose when you say gas prices are high.
    1940s
  • pain in the neck
    ( np ) Annoyance. My wife's best friend is a pain in the neck.
    1940s
  • patsy
    ( n ) A scapegoat. Roy stole the horse and left me behind to be the patsy.
    1940s
  • paw
    ( n ) Hand. Get your paws off of my body!
    1940s
  • peanuts
    ( n ) Little money. I am not going to work for peanuts.
    1940s
  • peepers
    ( n ) Eyes. Cast your peepers at the hottie over by the door.
    1940s
  • pistol
    ( n ) A dynamic person. Martha's in every organization in town: she's a real pistol.
    1940s
  • pull
    ( n ) Influence. Ask Fred to help you; he has a lot of pull at city hall.
    1940s
  • through the wringer
    ( vp ) A chastising, a tough questioning. He came home potted last weekend and his wife ran him through the wringer.
    1940s
  • quarterback
    ( v ) To lead. Who is going to quarterback the meeting?
    1940s
  • queer
    ( n ) A homosexual. He is a queer with an odd perspective on life.
    1940s
  • queer
    ( adj ) Homosexual. You know Randy; he's that queer with the queer look he gives you all the time.
    1940s
  • rag
    ( v ) To make fun of, tease. My brother is always ragging me about my girlfriend.
    1940s
  • Reach for the sky!
    ( phr ) Raise your hands. Drop that gun and reach for the sky!
    1940s
  • retread
    ( n ) An old performer making a comeback. It was supposed to be a great show but it was just a bunch of retreads doing old stuff.
    1940s
  • rock
    ( n ) A diamond or other precious stone. Whenever Arlene complains about being a kept woman, Mortimer gives her another rock and she shuts up.
    1940s
  • rocks
    ( n ) Ice. Would you like your whiskey on the rocks?
    1940s
  • roughhouse
    ( v ) To play rough. OK, you guys. No roughhousing in the living room.
    1940s
  • rub out
    ( v ) To kill. Several members of the competing gang were rubbed out.
    1940s
  • rug
    ( n ) A toupee, a wig. Is that a rug on his head?
    1940s
  • run out of gas
    ( vp ) To lose interest or momentum. The politician ran out of gas during the campaign.
    1940s
  • sappy
    ( adj ) Gullible. He is so sappy I'm surprised he hasn't bought the Brooklyn Bridge.
    1940s
  • sappy
    ( adj ) Overly sentimental. I hate those sappy movies where everyone gets married and lives happily ever after.
    1940s
  • sauced
    ( adj ) Drunk, intoxicated. Man we got sauced last night at that party.
    1940s
  • screw up
    ( v ) To make a mistake, error. He screwed up when he bought that car.
    1940s
  • sell out
    ( v ) To betray someone. He wouldn't sell me out; he's my closest friend.
    1940s
  • sharp
    ( adj ) Excellent, outstanding. I've heard the new night club is really sharp.
    1940s
  • shot
    ( n ) A try, turn, go. I'll give the puzzle another shot.
    1940s
  • shove
    ( v ) Keep (contemptuous rejection). You can take your job and shove it.
    1940s
  • shut-eye
    ( n ) Sleep. I've been working all day long; I have to get some shut-eye.
    1940s
  • sing
    ( v ) To inform or tattle. If Malcolm sings to the cops, they'll get us all.
    1940s
  • skip
    ( v ) To leave with someone in pursuit. She took the money and skipped town.
    1940s
  • slug
    ( v ) To hit. Don't talk to me that way unless you want to be slugged in the chops.
    1940s
  • smoke out
    ( v ) Force out, make come out. The cops smoked the shooter out of the house with tear gas.
    1940s
  • smooch
    ( v ) To hug and kiss. I guess they are going steady; I saw them smooching on the porch last night.
    1940s
  • souse
    ( n ) A drunk. All I saw coming home was a couple of souses lying on the sidewalk in front of the bar.
    1940s
  • spew
    ( v ) To vomit. He barely made it to his car, then spewed through the sun roof.
    1940s
  • spew one's guts out
    ( v ) To tell everything one knows. When the cops picked him up, he spewed his guts out.
    1940s
  • spook
    ( n ) A spy. Word has it, Melvin was a spook for the CIA in his youth.
    1940s
  • spook
    ( v ) To frighten. The cows were spooked by the howling of the wolves.
    1940s
  • spring
    ( v ) Let out, let loose. Somehow he got sprung from jail.
    1940s
  • stacked
    ( adj ) Having a nice female figure. She was polite, pretty, and really stacked.
    1940s
  • stick around
    ( v ) Stay. The atmosphere was cozy, so I decided to stick around for a while.
    1940s
  • sticks
    ( n ) Way out in the country. Delbert lives somewhere way out in the sticks.
    1940s
  • straight up
    ( adj ) Without ice. He drinks his scotch straight up.
    1940s
  • sugar daddy
    ( np ) A rich man who supports a female. Daddy Warbucks was Little Orphan Annie's sugar daddy.
    1940s
  • sweet
    ( adj ) Excellent, outstanding. He found a really sweet job the other day.
    1940s
  • take a gander
    ( vp ) Look at, examine. Take a gander at that hunk standing by the door.
    1940s
  • take a powder
    ( v ) To leave. Look, if you don't like it here, take a powder.
    1940s
  • tap
    ( v ) To deprive of money. Can you loan me $5 till Friday? I'm completely tapped (out).
    1940s
  • the big house
    ( np ) Federal prison. Grannis served 10 years in the big house.
    1940s
  • the sticks
    ( np ) An isolated place in the country. Greta married some yahoo from the sticks.
    1940s
  • skunk
    ( v ) To hold scoreless. We skunked them 5-0 in baseball.
    1940s
  • tough
    ( adj ) Too bad. You have a date tonight? That's tough; you have to baby-sit.
    1940s
  • two cents worth
    ( np ) Weak advice, opinion. Well, that's my two cents worth.
    1940s
  • unmentionables
    ( n ) Women's underwear. When Gladys bends over you can see her unmentionables.
    1940s
  • up for grabs
    ( pp ) Available to anyone. This is a sale. Everything is up for grabs.
    1940s
  • wacky
    ( adj ) Crazy, insane. I've never known a wackier person than Smoot.
    1940s
  • wad
    ( n ) Money. You don't want to carry a wad like that with you in the big city.
    1940s
  • What's cooking?
    ( phr ) What is going on? Hey, buddy, what's cooking? Did somebody get hurt?
    1940s
  • What's up?
    ( phr ) What is going on? What's up? Aren't we shooting hoops today?
    1940s
  • whistle Dixie
    ( vp ) To be mistaken. If you think you can make a good hotrod for $2000, you're whistling Dixie.
    1940s
  • Wow!
    ( int ) An interjection of surprise. Wow! You won the lottery?
    1940s
  • wrack your brain
    ( vp ) Think hard. I wracked my brain but couldn't come up with the answer.
    1940s
  • you know
    ( int ) Speech punctuation. Then he ran out, you know, and then he, you know, wanted us to take him home.
    1940s
  • crummy
    ( adj ) Bad, no good Where did you get such a crummy baseball mitt?
    1940s
  • dreamboat
    ( n ) An extremely attractive person. Buster is such a dreamboat he had Sally snowed on the first date.
    1940s
  • blivet
    ( n ) Something unimportant or indescribable. We need a blivet to get this thing to work and I have no idea what kind.
    1940s
  • thingamabob
    ( n ) An object for which a name is unavailable. What was that thingamabob he was holding?
    1940s
  • crib notes
    ( np ) Forbidden notes taken to an exam. Farnsworth couldn't past this test with crib notes.
    1940s
  • dad-blamed
    ( adj ) An interjection of emphasis (euphemism for G. D.) That is none of your dad-blamed business.
    1940s
  • spivvy
    ( adj ) Dressed up. (See spiffy, too) Boy, don't we look spivvy today?
    1940s
  • dish
    ( n ) Pretty woman. Now, that Bobby Sue, she's a real dish!
    1940s
  • jitterbug
    ( n ) A dance to fast big band jazz. Boogie-woogie, bebop, jitterbug, I love all the fast dances.
    1940s
  • hairy
    ( adj ) Old, out-dated. I'm tired of listening to his hairy jokes that went out in the 20s.
    1940s
  • cock-eyed
    ( adj ) Crazy, cockamamie. A solar-powered flashlight? What kind of cock-eyed idea is that?
    1940s
  • glitterati
    ( n ) Rich, famous people who love bright lights and cameras. All the glitterati turned out for the Academy Awards.
    1940s
  • clip
    ( v ) To kill. Da god fadda wants we should clip Johhny Two-Faces tonight.
    1940s
  • natch
    ( adv ) Naturally, of course. Did I take him up on the offer? Natch, it was too good to pass up.
    1940s
  • yuck
    ( n ) A stupid or foolish person. The yucks who chose the TV shows don't know what they are doing.
    1940s
  • blast
    ( v ) To shoot. I don't have anything to do with the mob; that's a good way to get yourself blasted.
    1940s
  • hots
    ( n ) Strong desire for a person of the opposite sex. Wendy told me that Fran Tastik has the hots for Gordon Lowe.
    1940s
  • rhubarb
    ( n ) Argument, squabble. Harry Batten was thrown out of the game for getting in a rhubarb with the umpire behind homeplate.
    1940s
  • swigger
    ( n ) A drinker. Mojo was a heavy swigger in his youth.
    1940s
  • wolf
    ( n ) Aggressively forward male. Stay away from Lance Sterling; he is the biggest wolf in school.
    1940s
  • Hang!
    ( int ) Interjection of frustration or emphasis. Hang! I can eat six hotdogs in in 10 minutes.
    1940s
  • knucklehead
    ( n ) A stupid or foolish person. That knucklehead can't read his own name without moving his lips!
    1940s
  • boob
    ( n ) (Offensive) A woman's breast. What's gotten into you, Ruby Sue? You look like your boob got caught in the wringer.
    1940s
  • heave-ho
    ( n ) An ejection, throwing out physically. Frothingschloss became so rambunctious in the bar that they gave him the old heave-ho.
    1940s
  • brush-off
    ( n ) A rebuff, snub. Every time I ask dad for a job, I get the brush-off.
    1940s
  • brush off
    ( v ) To rebuff, snub. Carly brushed off all my advances like I was a bug.
    1940s
  • megillah
    ( n ) A tediously detailed account. You don't have to give me the whole megillah, just the highlights.
    1940s
  • get lost
    ( int ) To leave, go away. Stop bothering me! Get lost!
    1940s
  • gunsel
    ( n ) A stupid thug or bodyguard who carries a gun. You never see Robin Banks without a couple of gunsels with him.
    1940s
  • bupkis
    ( n ) Nothing, zip. I worked all day for him and he gave me bupkis!
    1940s
  • crown
    ( v ) To hit someone over the head. Helen Highwater crowned her old man on the head with a frying pan.
    1940s
  • fathead
    ( n ) A stupid or foolish person. That fathead thought Moby Dick is a social disease.
    1940s
  • schnook
    ( n ) A sucker. You can always find a schnook to sell that old crate of yours to.
    1940s
  • schnozz
    ( n ) Nose. Ferlin has trouble kissing because his schnozz gets in the way.
    1940s
  • schnozzola
    ( n ) Nose. Marvin would be handsome if he had less of a schnozzola.
    1940s
  • gobbledygook
    ( n ) Nonsense. That old gasbag talks nothing but gobbledy gook.
    1940s
  • armpit
    ( n ) An undesirable place. This town is really an armpit.
    1950s
  • badass
    ( n ) A tough guy. Fred thinks that he is a badass but underneath he is just a sweetie.
    1950s
  • ball
    ( n ) Great fun. Her class is a ball.
    1950s
  • barf
    ( v, n ) To vomit. He barfed all over the seat of the airplane.
    1950s
  • bash
    ( n ) A party. Melanie had a great bash at her house last night.
    1950s
  • beat
    ( adj ) Turned off, exiled, underground. The Beat Generation and its beatniks withdrew from society because they were beat.
    1950s
  • beatnik
    ( n ) Member of the counterculture. He is a beatnik who hangs around the underground coffee shops downtown.
    1950s
  • beefcake
    ( n ) Well-proportioned male. Alan Ladd was considered beefcake in his time.
    1950s
  • bench
    ( v ) Remove from action. He was benched during the basketball playoffs.
    1950s
  • big daddy
    ( np ) An older person. Preston is the big daddy I tell my troubles to.
    1950s
  • Big deal!
    ( int ) An interjection of dismissal. You sold your car for $500. Big deal! I got $750 for mine.
    1950s
  • big wheel
    ( np ) An important person. Stan thinks that he is a big wheel just because his dad owns the bank.
    1950s
  • blackhead
    ( n ) Pimple. His beard is coming out now and his blackheads are going away.
    1950s
  • blitzed
    ( adj ) Drunk, intoxicated. He was so blitzed he couldn't find his shoes.
    1950s
  • blow
    ( v ) To leave. I'm going to blow out of here now.
    1950s
  • bombed
    ( adj ) Drunk, intoxicated. The driver of the car was bombed.
    1950s
  • boo
    ( n ) Marijuana. He just came back from Mexico with a load of boo.
    1950s
  • boo-boo
    ( n ) A mistake, error. If you make another boo-boo like that, you won't have a job.
    1950s
  • boost
    ( v ) To steal. I think he boosted those sneakers.
    1950s
  • booty
    ( n ) The buttocks. Scope out the booty on that chick!
    1950s
  • break
    ( v ) To leave. I have To leave. now; it's time to break (out of here).
    1950s
  • brown-nose
    ( n ) A toady, teacher's pet. The creepy brown-nose is the teacher's pet.
    1950s
  • brown-nose
    ( v ) To toady. He gets low grades even though he brown-noses every teacher in school.
    1950s
  • brown-noser
    ( n ) A toady, teacher's pet. Farley is the biggest brown-noser in school.
    1950s
  • bug
    ( v ) To hide a live microphone. I think they've bugged my apartment.
    1950s
  • bum
    ( v ) To depress. That really bums me!
    1950s
  • bum out
    ( v ) To depress. I was really bummed after I heard the news.
    1950s
  • burn rubber
    ( vp ) To screech your tires pulling out. That car is so powerful it can burn rubber in second gear.
    1950s
  • bust out
    ( v ) To leave. Let's bust out of here and shoot some hoops.
    1950s
  • bust your butt
    ( vp ) To exert yourself. Rachel busted her butt working for her father and he never appreciated it.
    1950s
  • call
    ( n ) Prediction, interpretation. The weatherman made a good call about when the storm would come.
    1950s
  • can
    ( n ) A bathroom or toilet. Do you know where the can is around here?
    1950s
  • cat
    ( n ) A guy. He was a real cool cat.
    1950s
  • catty
    ( adj ) Spiteful. She made a catty remark that upset Linda.
    1950s
  • chariot
    ( n ) Car. That old chariot of his won't make it to San Francisco.
    1950s
  • check out
    ( v ) Look at, examine. Check out that shorty over there.
    1950s
  • check out
    ( v ) To leave. It's time for us to check out, Suzy; there's a funny smell in the air.
    1950s
  • chief
    ( n ) A big shot. He thinks he's the chief but he's just another nobody.
    1950s
  • choke
    ( v ) To panic and be unable to function. Don't choke. We've still got time to study for the final.
    1950s
  • chow down
    ( v ) To eat. I need to find a place to chow down.
    1950s
  • church key
    ( np ) Can or bottle opener. I need to open a Coke; does anyone have a church key?
    1950s
  • classy chassis
    ( np ) Great female figure. She is a sassy lassie with a classy chassis.
    1950s
  • clunker
    ( n ) A old, beat-up car. I can't go on a date in that old clunker.
    1950s
  • Clyde
    ( n ) Term of address for males. Let it slide, Clyde; it isn't that important.
    1950s
  • cook
    ( v ) To do something right. Now, you're cooking! Keep on doing it that way.
    1950s
  • cool
    ( adj ) Slow, romantic (music). I like my jazz cool, not hot.
    1950s
  • cool
    ( adj ) Knowledgeable about the current scene. Jed is cool, man, you can talk to him.
    1950s
  • cool
    ( adj ) OK, alright. I'm cool with that.
    1950s
  • cool head
    ( np ) Someone in control. Look, the boat is sinking. We need a cool head in charge.
    1950s
  • cow
    ( n ) A fit. When she saw the damage to her car, she had a cow.
    1950s
  • cow college
    ( np ) An agricultural college. He grew up on a farm and went to a cow college when he graduated from high school.
    1950s
  • crash
    ( v ) Totally collapse. I came home from shopping all afternoon and just crashed on the sofa.
    1950s
  • cream
    ( v ) To beat or defeat roundly. Our team creamed them when we played on our home court.
    1950s
  • creepy
    ( adj ) Scary, repulsive. It is so creepy in our attic, I'm afraid to go up there.
    1950s
  • crewcut
    ( n ) A haircut so short that the hair stands straight up. All his friends have crewcuts; I only mess around with guys wearing duck tails.
    1950s
  • cruise
    ( v ) To drive around aimlessly and flirt. The skier was cruising down the hill.
    1950s
  • cut
    ( v ) To miss, to not attend. Let's cut physics today and go to the library.
    1950s
  • cut out
    ( v ) To leave. It is late; I have to cut out.
    1950s
  • daddy-o
    ( Int ) Term of address for males. OK, daddy-o, let's hit the road!
    1950s
  • deck
    ( v ) To knock down. He was decked in the fight.
    1950s
  • dicey
    ( adj ) Risky. Since the weather is a little dicey, I won't go today.
    1950s
  • down the tubes
    ( ap ) In deep trouble or out of business. My English grade is down the tubes; I missed the final.
    1950s
  • drag
    ( v ) To race another car a short distance. He loved to drag (race) until the cops picked him up.
    1950s
  • dragster
    ( n ) A car designed for drag racing. You'll never beat his dragster on the quarter mile.
    1950s
  • drain
    ( n ) A place from which there is no return. I can see all my efforts to get into a good college going down the drain.
    1950s
  • drain
    ( v ) To tire, exhaust, wear out. That girl had totally drained me; I wish she'd leave.
    1950s
  • ducktail
    ( n ) A man's long hair style with the sides combed to the back of the head, then parted with a downward stroke of the comb. He is a cool cat with a ducktail, pegged pants, an blue suede shoes.
    1950s
  • easy
    ( adj ) Easily seduced. All the guys like Mary; she's so easy.
    1950s
  • eyeball
    ( v ) To look at. Lela, I saw Gordon eyeballing you in the office yesterday.
    1950s
  • fantabulous
    ( adj ) Fantastic, fabulous. Billy did a fantabulous job on his science project.
    1950s
  • fess up
    ( v ) Confess, own up. Fess up, you love him, don't you?
    1950s
  • finger
    ( v ) Stick up the middle finger. When I told him he favored his dog a little, he fingered me.
    1950s
  • fink
    ( n ) An informer, a tattle-tale. You're such a ratty little fink. Why do you always tell mom everything I do?
    1950s
  • fire up
    ( v ) Get someone excited. OK! I'm all fired up to get this math homework done!
    1950s
  • flat out
    ( adv ) To the limit. He was running the car flat-out.
    1950s
  • flat-out
    ( adv ) Plainly, directly. He flat-out lied to me.
    1950s
  • flattop
    ( n ) Men's hairstyle: a crewcut flat across the top. He cut off his ducktail and now he has a flattop.
    1950s
  • flat-top
    ( n ) A short men's hair style cut flat across the top so all the hair stands up. He cut off his ducktail and now he has a flat-top.
    1950s
  • flick
    ( n ) A movie. I haven't seen a good flick in a long time.
    1950s
  • flip side
    ( np ) The other side (of a record). What kind of music do you have on the flip side of the tape?
    1950s
  • floor
    ( v ) Push the accelerator to the floor. The coast is clear: floor it!
    1950s
  • Forget it!
    ( int ) I won't do it! You want me to lend you $5 for the movies? Forget it!
    1950s
  • four on the floor
    ( np ) Four-speed gear shift in a car. That sports car has four on the floor, man, cool!
    1950s
  • freak
    ( n ) A strange person. There were a bunch of freaky freaks at that party.
    1950s
  • freddie frat
    ( n ) A fraternity brother. I don't know what all those freddie frats were at a townie party.
    1950s
  • from nowhere
    ( adv ) Bad, no good. His taste in women is from nowhere, man.
    1950s
  • funk
    ( n ) Down-to-earth, original jazz. I think their music has too much funk in it; I prefer something more modern.
    1950s
  • funky
    ( adj ) Musically down-to-earth, original. I love that funky New Orleans sound.
    1950s
  • garbage
    ( n ) Nonsense. Everything you are saying is pure garbage!
    1950s
  • gay
    ( n ) A homosexual. Gays are at last getting equal treatment in society.
    1950s
  • gay
    ( adj ) Homosexual. There is nothing wrong with being gay.
    1950s
  • geek
    ( n ) A studious, unsociable person. He is a geek so he keeps pretty much to himself.
    1950s
  • get it
    ( vp ) To come to understand, catch on. I told her the joke twice but she just didn't get it.
    1950s
  • get off your back
    ( vp ) To stop annoying, bothering. Get off my back, man; I'm tired of listening to you.
    1950s
  • give me five
    ( vp ) Shake hands. You passed the test? Give me five!
    1950s
  • give the finger
    ( vp ) Stick up the middle finger. I told him his mother wears combat boots and he gave me the finger.
    1950s
  • glasspack
    ( n ) A muffler packed with fiberglass improve performance and/or increase noise. He just added dual glasspacks to his rod and doesn't it sound wicked!
    1950s
  • go ape
    ( vp ) To lose control of yourself, go crazy. He went ape when his friends dropped a frog down his collar.
    1950s
  • gone
    ( adj ) Totally carried away with. I think Martha's complete gone over him.
    1950s
  • goof
    ( n ) A mistake, error. Making a pass at the boss's wife was a major goof.
    1950s
  • goof off
    ( v ) Loaf, waste time. I am really a goof at times.
    1950s
  • goose
    ( n ) A poke between the buttocks. Somebody gave the rat fink a goose in the hall and he jumped so high he fell.
    1950s
  • goose
    ( v ) To poke someone between the buttocks. She goosed Freddy in class and he jumped halfway across the room.
    1950s
  • goose
    ( v ) To speed up, accelerate. Hey, they're catching up. Goose it!
    1950s
  • hardware
    ( n ) A gun. The police were surprised by all the hardware the gang members had.
    1950s
  • haul ass
    ( vp ) Fly, move very fast. When he passed my house he was hauling ass.
    1950s
  • have a cow
    ( vp ) Throw a fit. I thought mama would have a cow when she saw the damage to the car.
    1950s
  • have a hissy
    ( vp ) Throw a fit. Mama had a hissy when she saw me in the tank top and miniskirt.
    1950s
  • heap
    ( n ) An old, beat-up car. That old heap of his couldn't make it to the beach.
    1950s
  • hissy
    ( n ) A fit. She threw a hissy when she saw him with another girl.
    1950s
  • hit the books
    ( vp ) To study. Cut the gabbing; it's time to hit the books.
    1950s
  • hit the sack
    ( vp ) Go to bed. Is it 11 o'clock already? Time for me to hit the sack.
    1950s
  • hit man
    ( n ) A hired killer. Olga hired a hit man to off her husband but her contact turned out to be a police officer.
    1950s
  • Holy moly!
    ( int ) An interjection of surprise. Holy moly! I just won the jackpot!
    1950s
  • hop up
    ( v ) Increase the power and speed of a car. His wheels are faster since he hopped up the engine and installed dual glasspacks.
    1950s
  • horny
    ( adj ) Sexually aroused; randy. I haven't been horny since I started taking that antidepressant.
    1950s
  • horse
    ( n ) A large, strong man with a big appetite. Reilly is a horse; you had better fix him a big dinner.
    1950s
  • horse's ass
    ( np ) A disgusting person. That horse's ass never showed up, so we had to do it all.
    1950s
  • hot
    ( adj ) Sexy, attractive. That girl is hot!
    1950s
  • hot and bothered
    ( ap ) Irritated. Don't get all hot and bothered about a parking ticket.
    1950s
  • hot to trot
    ( ap ) Sexy, seductive (a female). Selma seemed hot to trot last night.
    1950s
  • ID
    ( n ) Identification. Can you show me some ID please?
    1950s
  • in the groove
    ( pp ) Excellent, outstanding. It was a real hep band that stayed in the groove all night long.
    1950s
  • Ivy Leaguers
    ( np ) A type of men's pants with no pleats and a buckle in the back. I guess I've have to buy a pair of Ivy Leaguers; everybody else is wearing them.
    1950s
  • jail bait
    ( np ) A girl too young for sexual advances. Don't hit on her; she's only 15 and jail bait.
    1950s
  • jam
    ( v ) To make music informally. After the gig last night, the group went over to Tooter's and jammed the rest of the night.
    1950s
  • jerk around
    ( v ) Mislead. Recently it seems like everyone is jerking me around.
    1950s
  • jock
    ( n ) An athlete. He likes to hang out at jock bars and talk sports all the time.
    1950s
  • Joe Blow
    ( np ) An ordinary, average person. Joe Blow doesn't buy many yachts in his lifetime.
    1950s
  • john
    ( n ) Bathroom. The john really smells.
    1950s
  • John Law
    ( n ) The police. Watch out for John Law.
    1950s
  • joint
    ( n ) Jail or prison. He claims that he did time in the joint.
    1950s
  • juiced
    ( adj ) Drunk, intoxicated. Orville got pretty juiced at the party last night.
    1950s
  • kick the habit
    ( vp ) To end an addiction. If you don't kick the ice cream habit you're going to buy the farm.
    1950s
  • knock
    ( v ) Criticize, insult. Hey, don't knock my new hat!
    1950s
  • kook
    ( n ) An eccentric, non-conformist. The kook thinks he's making a fashion statement wearing his shirt backwards.
    1950s
  • kooky
    ( adj ) Crazy, insane. What happened to your kooky friend?
    1950s
  • lay a patch
    ( vp ) To screech your tires pulling out. Hilda just left; I heard her lay a patch pulling out.
    1950s
  • lay a strip
    ( vp ) To screech your tires pulling out. Heidi just went home; I heard her lay a strip pulling out.
    1950s
  • lay on
    ( v ) To tell. OK, lay the bad news on me; I'm ready.
    1950s
  • lay rubber
    ( vp ) To screech your tires pulling out. Let's get out of here; lay some rubber, man!
    1950s
  • lift
    ( v ) To steal. He was picked up for lifting hubcaps.
    1950s
  • lockup
    ( n ) Jail or prison. He was picked up on a DUI and spent the night in the lockup.
    1950s
  • loser
    ( n ) A person who cannot succeed. John is a loser who has never held a job for a year.
    1950s
  • made in the shade
    ( vp ) Success guaranteed. Since Hoodad got that job, he has it made in the shade.
    1950s
  • make no nevermind.
    ( vp ) To not matter. It makes no nevermind to me what she does.
    1950s
  • make out
    ( v ) To hug and kiss. Their parents caught them making out on the couch in the living room.
    1950s
  • make tracks
    ( vp ) To leave. When are you going to make tracks?
    1950s
  • Man!
    ( n ) An emphatic interjection. Man, that was a hard test!
    1950s
  • man
    ( n ) From of address to a male in the North. Hey, man, why are you doing that?
    1950s
  • mean
    ( adj ) Excellent, outstanding. Rusty Carr's rod is the meanest car in town.
    1950s
  • Mickey-Mouse
    ( adj ) Easy, simple. The homework the teacher gave us was mickey mouse.
    1950s
  • midnight auto supply
    ( np ) Obtaining auto parts through theft. These hubcaps are too cheap; they must have come from midnight auto supply.
    1950s
  • mirror warmer
    ( n ) A piece of pastel fabric from your girl tied around the rear view mirror. He was using one of her handkerchief's as a mirror warmer.
    1950s
  • neck
    ( v ) To hug and kiss. There isn't enough room in my Beetle to neck.
    1950s
  • nerd
    ( n ) A studious, unsociable person. See if you can get the nerd to leave his computer long enough to go for coffee.
    1950s
  • nifty
    ( adj ) Neat, cute. She was wearing this really nifty, low-cut dress with a fringe around the hem.
    1950s
  • No joke!
    ( int ) An interjection of dismissal. The vote was along party lines? No joke!.
    1950s
  • No joke!
    ( int ) An interjection of emphasis. No joke! Ronnie really did let the air out of the tires of the squad car.
    1950s
  • no sweat
    ( np ) No problem. It's no sweat to have the report in to you by Monday.
    1950s
  • nooky
    ( n ) Female genitalia. [Use your imagination].
    1950s
  • Not a chance!
    ( int ) An interjection of rejection. Loan you $20? Not a chance!.
    1950s
  • number one
    ( np ) Yourself. I'm taking care of number one and you guys can fend for yourselves.
    1950s
  • off the wall
    ( pp ) Crazy, insane. Most of what he says is off the wall.
    1950s
  • on cloud seven
    ( pp ) Really happy. She's been on cloud seven ever since she got her new car.
    1950s
  • on the rag
    ( pp ) Having one's menstrual period. I'm not in the mood; I am on my rag.
    1950s
  • on the stick
    ( pp ) Bright, prepared. This new freshman is always on the stick when it comes to homework.
    1950s
  • pain in the ass
    ( np ) Annoyance. Having to redo my homework is a real pain in the ass.
    1950s
  • party-pooper
    ( n ) A squelcher. Don't be a party-pooper and leave so early.
    1950s
  • passion pit
    ( np ) Drive-in movie theatre. We made out in the passion pit last night.
    1950s
  • patootie
    ( n ) The buttocks. Get out of here before I kick you in the patootie!
    1950s
  • pee off
    ( v ) To make angry, mad. Why are you peed off with me? I didn't scratch your fender.
    1950s
  • pegged pants
    ( np ) Pants tapering to a narrow opening at the cuff. He was all decked out in a ducktail haircut and a pair of pegged pants.
    1950s
  • peggers
    ( n ) Pants tapering to a narrow opening at the cuff. He always wore peggers and a T-shirt to class.
    1950s
  • pickle
    ( n ) Jam, trouble. She is such an airhead, getting in one pickle after another.
    1950s
  • pickled
    ( adj ) Drunk, intoxicated. He gets pickled after only one beer.
    1950s
  • pip
    ( n ) A difficult person. Hulda is quite a pip; she likes to do things her way.
    1950s
  • play chicken
    ( vp ) A head-on race between two cars in which the first to pull to the side loses. Manny was seriously injured playing chicken with his friend.
    1950s
  • pony-tail
    ( n ) Long hair tied in back with a rubber band. The professor thought he was cool, wearing a pony tail.
    1950s
  • poop out
    ( v ) Get tired. He pooped out after we started to do the hard work.
    1950s
  • pooper
    ( np ) A squelcher. Don't invite Marvin; he is such as pooper he'll ruin the party.
    1950s
  • Princeton cut
    ( np ) Close haircut. That Princeton cut makes him look too preppy.
    1950s
  • psycho
    ( n ) A crazy person. Lila is a psycho who should be in a hospital.
    1950s
  • push off
    ( v ) To leave. I am going to push off now.
    1950s
  • put out
    ( v ) To intentionally allure men. Mavis was at the party putting out, as usual.
    1950s
  • rabbit ears
    ( np ) Indoor television antennae. He can't get diddledy on his TV with those rabbit ears.
    1950s
  • rack out
    ( v ) To sleep. I am going to rack out for two hours.
    1950s
  • ragtop
    ( np ) A convertible car. There were a lot of ragtops at the auto show.
    1950s
  • rake
    ( n ) A lowered front end on a hotrod. He just gave his rod a rake and twice pipes; nice.
    1950s
  • rake
    ( v ) To lower the front end of a hotrod. It doesn't look like much now but when I rake it, it will be hot stuff.
    1950s
  • ream out
    ( v ) To scold, chastise. The boss really reamed him out for his bad report.
    1950s
  • ride
    ( n ) A car or other vehicle. That's a pretty rusty ride you have their, Lester.
    1950s
  • Right on!
    ( int ) An interjection of agreement. You want to raise collards in the garden? Right on!.
    1950s
  • ripped
    ( adj ) Drunk, intoxicated. He's so ripped he can't find his pocket.
    1950s
  • road hog
    ( np ) Someone who takes up to much of the road. I can't pass because the driver ahead of me is a road hog.
    1950s
  • rod
    ( n ) A car (hot-rodders). Delmar has the hottest rod on the block.
    1950s
  • roll
    ( v ) To leave. Eleven o'clock? It's time to roll!
    1950s
  • royal shaft
    ( np ) A great destructive unfair act. He got the royal shaft from the principal for cutting so many classes.
    1950s
  • run off at the mouth
    ( vp ) To talk too much. He is always running off at the mouth.
    1950s
  • sack
    ( n ) Bed. When did you hit the sack last night?
    1950s
  • Say what?
    ( int ) Are you serious. Malik got shot last night. Say what?!
    1950s
  • scratch off
    ( v ) Screech your tires pulling out. Nathan just left; I heard him scratching off.
    1950s
  • screwup
    ( n ) A mistake, error. His marriage turned out to be one great screwup.
    1950s
  • See you later, alligator
    ( int ) Good-bye. See you later, alligator. (After while, crocodile.).
    1950s
  • sex-pot
    ( n ) A sexy or seductive woman. She thinks she is a sex pot when she wears those low-cut blouses.
    1950s
  • shaft
    ( n ) A double-cross. I sent her out to buy a car but she gave me the shaft and skipped with the money.
    1950s
  • shaft
    ( v ) To double-cross. I was shafted by best friend!
    1950s
  • shag ass
    ( v ) To leave. This library sucks; let's shag ass.
    1950s
  • sharp
    ( adj ) Attractive or appealing. Who was the sharp guy I saw her out with last weekend?
    1950s
  • shoot down
    ( v ) To reject. Everyone shot down my idea.
    1950s
  • shotgun
    ( n ) A place of honor in the front seat of a car beside the driver. Why do you always get to ride shotgun? It's my turn!
    1950s
  • shuck
    ( v ) To cheat or deceive. Don't try to shuck me with your jive talk, man; I know what you're up to.
    1950s
  • shucked
    ( adj ) Drunk, intoxicated. He came home shucked and his wife locked him out.
    1950s
  • shuckster
    ( n ) A deceiver, liar, or cheat. I've learned my lesson: never buy a car from a shuckster.
    1950s
  • side
    ( n ) A vinyl record. He has a great collection of sides at home.
    1950s
  • skirt
    ( n ) A girl or a woman. Hey, Rube, take a gander at the legs on that skirt over there.
    1950s
  • slammer
    ( n ) Jail or prison. The police threw them both in the slammer.
    1950s
  • snafu
    ( n ) A mistake, error. Sending your gripe to everyone in the company was a major snafu.
    1950s
  • snarf
    ( v ) Gulp, gobble, swallow whole Ted snarfed down the hamburger as though he hadn't eaten in a month.
    1950s
  • snockered
    ( adj ) Drunk, intoxicated. Baldwin was so snockered, he couldn't find the bathroom.
    1950s
  • snooker
    ( v ) To cheat or deceive. I don't know how I got snookered into referring the game.
    1950s
  • snow
    ( v ) To make someone adore you. Olga has Percy snowed; he can't live without her.
    1950s
  • split
    ( v ) To leave. It is time to split and go see the movie.
    1950s
  • spring (for)
    ( v ) To pay for. It is my turn to spring for the doughnuts.
    1950s
  • squirrel
    ( n ) The female genitalia. [Use your imagination].
    1950s
  • stiff
    ( v ) To leave the bill for someone else to pay. He invited me out then stiffed me with the bill.
    1950s
  • straight
    ( adj ) Truthful. That's straight, man; she cancelled the final!
    1950s
  • stuff
    ( v ) Keep (contemptuous rejection). You can take your job and stuff it.
    1950s
  • suicide knob
    ( np ) A knob on your steering wheel. When he hit the curb, the steering wheel spun around and the suicide knob knocked him out.
    1950s
  • sweat
    ( v ) To worry. Don't sweat it; we'll finish on time.
    1950s
  • swinging
    ( adj ) Full of jazz or the latest music. I like to go to a swinging club on weekends.
    1950s
  • tad
    ( n ) A little. He is a tad up-tight tonight.
    1950s
  • tank
    ( n ) A large sedan (usually driven by parents). You should see the tank her dad drives.
    1950s
  • teach
    ( n ) A Teacher. She isn't such a bad teach.
    1950s
  • tear up
    ( v ) To upset. She was torn up over losing her boyfriend.
    1950s
  • tear-ass
    ( v ) Drive (or go) very fast. He dropped a water balloon then tore-ass down the hall.
    1950s
  • the finger
    ( n ) The raised middle finger. The little twit gave me the finger when I asked him for a light.
    1950s
  • the most
    ( n ) Excellent, outstanding. Thanks for all the help, Barry; you're the most.
    1950s
  • the sack
    ( n ) Bed. It is time for me to hit the sack.
    1950s
  • three on the tree
    ( np ) A car with 3-speed manual transmission with the shifter on the steering column. That old car is fast for wheels with three on a tree.
    1950s
  • tight
    ( adj ) Drunk, intoxicated. After the party he sure had a tight head.
    1950s
  • total
    ( v ) To completely destroy. He totaled his car last night.
    1950s
  • town-gown
    ( adj ) Pertaining to relations between students and local residents in a college town. That guy over there isn't doing much for town-gown relations.
    1950s
  • turkey
    ( n ) A stupid or foolish person. That turkey hasn't sense enough to come in out of the rain.
    1950s
  • turn on
    ( v ) To show off. Go out in the surf and turn on for everyone.
    1950s
  • twice pipes
    ( np ) Dual exhaust pipes. He has a cool ride with dual carbs and twice pipes.
    1950s
  • up the creek
    ( pp ) In trouble. He's up the creek without a paddle.
    1950s
  • walking-papers
    ( n ) Notice of being fired. I hear Sheila got her walking papers today.
    1950s
  • wash out
    ( v ) To become jaded, no longer effective. I've worked on this job so long that I'm washed out.
    1950s
  • Way to go!
    ( int ) Good going, nice job. Nice 3-pointer, Bev. Way to go!
    1950s
  • wedgy
    ( n ) Pulling someone's pants up sharply to wedge them in the crack of the buttocks. Get Finley! He always loses his cool when we give him a wedgy.
    1950s
  • What the frig?
    ( int ) An interjection of disgust. What the frig! We're having a pop quiz?
    1950s
  • wheelie
    ( n ) Squealing tires. He can't pull away from the curve without making a wheelie.
    1950s
  • wheels
    ( n ) A car. I can't take my girlfriend out tonight because I don't have wheels.
    1950s
  • whomp
    ( v ) Beat, whip. If you don't shut up, I'm going to whomp you.
    1950s
  • wipe out
    ( v ) To completely tire, fatigue. I've been shopping all day and right now I'm simply wiped out.
    1950s
  • word from the bird
    ( np ) The truth. No school tomorrow and that's the word from the bird!
    1950s
  • yack
    ( v ) To talk mindlessly. All she does is yack. It drives me crazy.
    1950s
  • zonk
    ( v ) To hit. He zonked me on the head with his baseball glove.
    1950s
  • have legs
    ( vp ) Be workable. Your idea doesn't have legs; it won't fly.
    1950s
  • D. A.
    ( abb ) A man's long hair style with the sides combed to the back of the head, then parted with a downward stroke of the comb. He has gorgeous blond hair that he combs in a D. A..
    1950s
  • fantabulous
    ( adj ) Fantastic, fabulous. Gigi always throws fantabulous bashes.
    1950s
  • Get out of here!
    ( phr ) You're kidding me; I don't believe you. You won $500 at the track? Get out of here!
    1950s
  • park
    ( v ) To hug and kiss in a parked car. Freddie and Mayola love to park up on Mulholland Drive.
    1950s
  • zinger
    ( n ) Something that gets your attention; a sharp punch line. Aunt Mavis can always come up with a zinger for anything you say.
    1950s
  • drag
    ( n ) Something depressing or disappointing. Sunny is such a drag I would never invite her to my parties.
    1950s
  • wrap-up
    ( n ) A summary at the end of an event. Bert watched the late evening wrap-up of the news.
    1950s
  • plugola
    ( n ) A bribe to promote someone or something. Anyone can become famous if they pay enough plugola.
    1950s
  • pickle
    ( pp ) Trouble. Pedro forgot that he had invited Remona to the party and got himself in a pickle when he invited Kristin, too.
    1950s
  • one-upmanship
    ( n ) Showing off by trying to be better than everyone else. Every thing that Polly Graf says about herself is colored by her constant one-upmanship.
    1950s
  • oneupmanship
    ( n ) Showing off by trying to be better than everyone else. Every thing that Polly Graf says about herself is colored by her constant oneupmanship.
    1950s
  • one-upsmanship
    ( n ) Showing off by trying to be better than everyone else. Every thing that Polly Graf says about herself is colored by her constant one-upsmanship.
    1950s
  • hickey
    ( n ) Bruise on the skin left by sucking. They must have at least petted last night; she cam to work today with a hickey on her neck.
    1950s
  • head
    ( n ) Bathroom, toilet. Hold the game, boys, I have to go to the head.
    1950s
  • lame
    ( adj ) Bad, of poor quality. What a lame excuse!
    1950s
  • -nik
    ( suf ) Someone associated with the root of the word: nogoodnik, peacenik, beatnik, refusenik. The nogoodnick flunked out of college then moved in with some beatniks in Soho.
    1950s
  • frenemy
    ( n ) A friend who betrays you. That frenemy of Daphne's posted revealing pictures of her on the Internet.
    1950s
  • hinky
    ( adj ) Nervous. Riding so fast in a car driven by a knucklehead left Clara a little hinky.
    1950s
  • belt
    ( v ) To sing out loudly. No one could belt 'God Bless America' like Kate Smith.
    1950s
  • lean on
    ( v ) To apply pressure, threaten. Fritzy wouldn't pay Tommy Gunn the $100 he owed him, so Tommy brought a couple of his friends to lean on Fritzy a little.
    1950s
  • terminate
    ( v ) To kill. Rat on the mob? Are you crazy? I don't want to be terminated in my youth.
    1950s
  • tube
    ( n ) Television, TV. I spent all day watching the tube yesterday.
    1950s
  • wheel
    ( n ) An important person. Hardy Partier thinks he's a wheel because he's manager of the mailroom.
    1950s
  • wheeler-dealer
    ( n ) An important person. Hardy Partier thinks he's a wheel because he's manager of the mailroom.
    1950s
  • grease
    ( v ) To kill. If that squeeler lets the cat out of the bag, I'll grease him!
    1950s
  • boat
    ( n ) A large luxurious car. Hey, man, I saw you cruising around in that old boat of your dad's
    1950s
  • fazangas
    ( n ) Breasts. Did you see the fazangas on that girl?
    1950s
  • dust off
    ( v ) To reactivate, resurrect. Why not dust off your old tap dance routine for the show.
    1950s
  • H
    ( n ) Horse, heroine. I know where you can by "H" on the street corner.
    1950s
  • turf
    ( n ) Territory claimed by someone. You're on my turf now; you do as I say.
    1950s

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