rpg:charloft:worlds:pleasantdale:slang

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

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

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!

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

earthbound: reliable
earth pads: shoes
epistle: a letter to someone
eyeball: look around

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

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

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’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

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

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

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

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

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

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…

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

queen: a popular girl
quote: to repeat oneself

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

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

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

unborn: extremely naive
unreal: exceptional

vacant: uncertain
vomit on the table: speak up

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

yoot: a youngster
you make the king’s jive: your English is good
your roof is leaking: you're a bit crazy

zorros: the jitters

Table of Contents

Pleasantdale Slang: Slang of the 1950s

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

Y

Z