====== Pleasantdale Slang: Slang of the 1950s ====== ==== A ==== * actor: show-off * agitate the gravel: to leave (hot-rodders) * ain't that a bite?: that’s too bad * ankle-biter: a child * anti-frantic: poised * apple butter: smooth talk or flattery * are you writing a book?: you're asking too many questions ==== B ==== * baby: cute girl * back seat bingo: kissing while in a car * bad news: depressing person * bake biscuits; to make records * ballad: a love letter * barbecue: a hot-looking lady * bash: great party * bash ears: to talk * bent eight: a V-8 engine (hot-rodders) * Big Daddy: an older person * big tickle: really funny * binoculars: glasses * bit: an act * blanket: sandwich * blast: a good time * blow off: to defeat in a race (hot-rodders) * bobbed: shortened * boil my cabbage: blues slang for sex * boss: great * bread: money * bug: "you bug me" - to bother * bull: a big and strong athlete * bundie: a boy in need of a haircut * burn rubber: to accelerate hard and fast (hot-rodders) * bucket of blood: spit-and-sawdust bar * bunk habit: lounging around while others smoke (opium) and inhaling the fumes * butter-and-egg: out-of-town sucker, free with their money ==== C ==== * cast an eyeball: to look * cat: a hip person * chariot: car * Chicago overcoat: coffin * Chicago lightning: gunfire * Chicago typewriter: machine gun * chill your chat: shut up * chili: a good deal * chrome-plated: dressed up (hot-rodders, originally) * circled: married * clanked: rejected * classy chassis: great body * closet case: someone to be ashamed of * cloud 9: really happy * clutched: rejected * Clyde: term of address, usually for a normal person * cold meat party: funeral * come on snake, let’s rattle!: may I have the next dance? * committed: engaged to be married * community joy ride: a drug party * cook, cookin': doing it well * cool: indefinable quality that makes something or someone extraordinary * cool it: relax, settle down * cooties: imaginary infestations of the truly un-cool * cop a breeze: to leave * corral: a school yard * cranked: excited * crazy: "like crazy, man" Implies an especially good thing * cream: originally, to dent a car. Later, to badly damage (hot-rodders, originally) * cruisin' for a bruisin': looking for trouble * cube: a normal person * cut out: leave * cut the gas: be quiet! ==== D ==== * Daddy-O: Term of address * D.D.T.: initials for “Drop Dead Twice”. The response: What, and look like you? * dead soldiers: empty beer bottles * deuce: a 1932 Ford (hot-rodders) * dibs: a claim - as in "got dibs" on that seat * dig: to understand; to approve * dime dropper: an informer (from someone who drops a dime into a payphone to call the police) * Dolly: cute girl * don't have a cow: don't get so excited * drag: (hot-rodders) a short car race; A bore * drowning: baffled * Duck Butt or D.A.: hairstyle of greasers where hair in back is combed to the middle, then with end of comb, makes a middle part. * due backs: a pack of cigarettes ==== E ==== * earthbound: reliable * earth pads: shoes * epistle: a letter to someone * eyeball: look around ==== F ==== * face: a clock * face like a Russian flag: embarrassed; red-faced * fade out: to disappear; someone who broke a promise * fake out: bad date * far out: ahead of the times * Fat City: a great thing or place; Happy; a good situation * fire up: start your engine (hot-rodders) * flat out: fast as you can * flat-top: men's hairstyle. A crewcut that is flat across the top * flick: a movie * flip: to get very excited * flip-top: a convertible car * Florida honeymoon: dirty weekend * floor it: push the accelerator to the floor (hot-rodders) * flutter bum: a good-looking boy * fracture: to amuse * frail: broke, without money * fream: someone who doesn't fit in * free to run for President: unemployed; out of work * frosted: angry * fuzzy duck: a girl with short hair ==== G ==== * germ: a pest * get bent!: disparaging remark as in "drop dead" * get with it: understand * gig: work, job * give me a bell: call me on the telephone * give me five: let’s shake hands * go ape: to explode or be really mad; to get very excited * go for pinks: a drag race where the stakes are the car's pink slip (hot-rodders) * goof: someone who makes mistakes; to make a mistake * goopy: messy * goose it: accelerate the car fully (hot-rodders) * grab a flop: have a sit down * greaser: a guy with tons of grease in his hair. * gringles: worries * grody: sloppy, messy or dirty * grundy: neither good nor bad ==== H ==== * handle: your name * hang: as in "hang out" which means to do very little; to loaf or idle * Harlem sunset: knife wounds * have one on the city: drink some water * heart: a good teacher * heat: police * hemophilia of the larynx: blabbermouth * hep: with it, cool. Someone who knows the situation. * hey bean!: hello! * hip: someone who is cool, in the know; very good; up to date and informed * hipster: same as above (hip) * hit the bottle: to bleach one’s hair blonde * hitting the hop: doing drugs * hopped up: a car modified for speed (hot-rodders) * horn: telephone * hot squat: the electric chair * hottie: a very fast car (hot-rodders) * hound: the bus * hub cap: a boy who tries to be a big wheel but fails ==== I ==== * I’ll clue you: I’ll tell you about it * ice it: tell someone to forget something * illuminations: good ideas, thoughts * in orbit: in the know * Ivy Leaguer: pants style. Also any person who attended an Ivy League college ==== J ==== * Jacked Up: car with raised rear end. (hot-rodders) * jack rabbit blood: habitual prison escaper * jacketed: going steady * Jelly Roll: men's hair combed up and forward on both sides, brought together in the middle of the forehead. * jets: smarts, brains * Joe Doe: a boy involved in a blind date * juice jolt: the electric chair ==== K ==== * keeper: parent * kick: a fun or good thing; Also, a fad * kill: to really impress * know your groceries: be hip, aware, alert to the situation * knuckle sandwich: a fist in the face * kookie: nuts, in the nicest possible way ==== L ==== * large charge: something that is exciting * later, also later, gator: goodbye. See ya later, alligator. Response: after while crocodile. * lay a patch: to accelerate so rapidly that you leave a patch of rubber on the road. * lay dead: wait a minute * lay on: to give * lid: a hat * lighter: a crew cut * lighting up the tilt sign: not telling the truth * like crazy; like wow: really good, better than cool * little monsters: younger siblings * longhairs: non-hipsters, squares, lovers of straight music * low: depressed * lumpy: mediocre ==== M ==== * machine: car (hot-rodders) * made in the shade: success guaranteed * Madison Avenue: sharp, cunning * make out: a kissing session * make the scene: to attend an event or activity * mark: one’s signature * mattress route: sleeping your way to the top * meanwhile, back at the ranch: from TV Westerns. Usually used to get a storyteller back on track. * Mickey Mouse: dumb * mirror warmer: a piece of pastel fabric (often cashmere) tied around the rear view mirror. A 50s version of the Medieval wearing your lady's colors. * moldy: a bad teacher * moose-eyes: a leering dude * most: as in "the most" - high praise usually of the opposite sex * mush: homework ==== N ==== * negative perspiration: easy * nerd: same as now. Bill Gates without the money. * nest: a hair-do * nickel rats: cheap crooks * nighthawk: late-night person * night shift: a slumber party * nod: drift off to sleep * noggin: brain * nosebleed: as in “hey, nosebleed” - hey, stupid. Not a compliment! * no sweat: no problem * nowhere: opposite of cool. * Nowheresville: a boring, bad place to be. * nuggets: loose change ==== O ==== * odd ball: someone a bit off the norm * off: to steal * off the line: start of a drag race (hot-rodders) * old enough to vote: vintage liquor or wine * on pills: dieting * on the hook: in love * on the stick: pulled together. Bright, prepared... ==== P ==== * pad: home; an apartment * pale one: a dull person * panic and a half: a very funny joke * paper shaker: cheerleader or Pom-Pom girl * party pooper: no fun at all; a killjoy * passion pit: drive-in movie theatre * peel your ears: listen up * peepers: glasses * pile up Z's: get some sleep * Pinky’s out of jail: your slip is showing * play dead: to keep quiet * pooper: no fun at all * pop the Clutch: Release the clutch pedal quickly so as to get a fast start * pound: beat up * preparing bait: putting on makeup * proof: identification showing that one is old enough to buy liquor * pulling the Dutch act: committing suicide * punch it: step on the gas (hot-rodders) * punk: a weak, useless person * put an egg in your shoe and beat it!: leave! * put down: to say bad things about someone ==== Q ==== * queen: a popular girl * quote: to repeat oneself ==== R ==== * radioactive: very popular * rag top: a convertible car * rap: to tattle on someone * rattle your cage: get upset * raunchy: messy or gross in some other way * razz my berries: excite or impress me * real gone: very much in love. Also a little unstable. * reds: the Communists; an angry state of mind * refuel: to eat * riding academy: brothel * righto: okay * rock: a diamond * rocket: a car (hot-rodders) * rod: a car (hot-rodders) * round up time: the end of summer vacation * roundheels: party girl (deriving from a supposed natural ability to regularly fall over backwards) * roust: under arrest * running lights: eyes ==== S ==== * salty: angry * scooch: a friend * scorch: popular * scramble egg treatment: a sex show * scream: go fast * screamer: a hot rod * screwed, blued, and tattooed: a wild night out * set of wheels: a car * sewer: someone who is incapable of keeping a secret * shoot low, they're riding Shetlands: be careful * shot down: failed * shuck, shuckster: a deceiver, liar or cheat * sides: vinyl records * sing: to tattle or inform on someone * sinhound: a priest * skinny: broke, without money * slip me: give me * slodge: a friend * sluff: to cut classes * slurg: a milkshake * smog in the noggin: lost memory; forgot something * sniffing Arizona perfume: going to the gas chamber * snowed: infatuated * Sophie: one’s girlfriend * sounds: music * souped up: a car modified to go fast * spaz: someone who is uncoordinated. A klutz. * split: leave * square: a regular, normal person. A conformist. * stable the horses: park the car * stack up: to wreck a car (hot rodder) * storming machine: a car that will go fast * straight: reliable, honest * straight from the fridge: cool * subterranean: a hipster ==== T ==== * taken off the payroll: assassinated/killed * tank: a large sedan (usually driven by parents) * that's close: something wrong or not true * that vibrates me: I'm impressed, I really like that * the man: police * thin one: a dime * think Fast: usually said right before someone threw something at you * threads: clothes * throw that dirt in your face: being buried * tight: good friends * total: to completely destroy, most often in reference to a car * torso tosser: a stripper * touch home: to make sense * tube steak: a hot dog * tune out: to go away ==== U ==== * unborn: extremely naive * unreal: exceptional ==== V ==== * vacant: uncertain * vomit on the table: speak up ==== W ==== * wail: go fast (as in a car); or to perform superbly * warden: a teacher * way out: innovative * weed: a cigarette * week at the knees: unsuccessful courtship * wet rag: someone who's just no fun; unpopular * what's buzzin, cuzzin: what's new? * what's your tale, nightingale: what's the story? * wheelie: lift the car's front wheels off the ground by rapid acceleration * wig chop: a haircut * word from the bird: the truth ==== Y ==== * yoot: a youngster * you make the king’s jive: your English is good * your roof is leaking: you're a bit crazy ==== Z ==== * zorros: the jitters