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They Say Em' From the Golden Era - Slang & Memorable Phrases

The Wolf

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,153
Location
Santa Rosa, Calif
I still use cool, neat and swell.
The monetary slang thread that the lovely Lady Day linked has one of my favorite old timey slang words: sawbuck. I love the poetry of it. A buck is a bill and a sawbuck is shaped like an X (Roman numeral for 10). Does it get better than that?

Sincerely,
The Wolf
 

Dixon Cannon

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,157
Location
Sonoran Desert Hideaway
"What in tarnation!!?"

Tarnation!.. a big one where my sister lives in North Carolina.

It's a contraction of "What in the 'Entire Nation'......?

(Also, always loved hearing 'Hoss' say "Dad-burn-it!")

-dixon cannon
 

retrogirl1941

One Too Many
Messages
1,520
Location
June Cleavers School for Girls
These slang words are from a 1937 issue of Ladies Home Journal. They wanted to keep girls going off to college informed of the latest slang.

Hardware- Fraternity Jewelry
In the Swish-In the know
Pitching Woo-Necking
To Jelly- A soda and cigerette date
Wolfing-Stealing other girls dates
Wheel a sled-To drive a car
Kee Wee-Good, Swell

I love kee wee and in the the swish! I have been using those a week straight and nobody knows what I am saying.lol But other than those swell has a permanent place in the vocabulary.

Samantha
 

LizzieMaine

Bartender
Messages
33,771
Location
Where The Tourists Meet The Sea
Aw, nertz! Commonly heard from me when something happens that shouldn't -- picked it up from my grandmother, Class of 1929.

My grandfather was a fountain of vintage slang, much of unsuitable for public consumption. But one of his favorite phrases, used whenever something pleased him, was "Ain't that a cockah!" I had no idea what it meant, until I realized it was simply a Maine dialect pronounciation of "corker," which was popular slang c. 1915 for something especially good.
 

olive bleu

One Too Many
Messages
1,667
Location
Nova Scotia
lol "what in tarnation!" was one my dad used alot. at least around us. I suspect outside of the house he might have used phrases that were a a tad less benign.I LOVE saying "Swell", and also use the word "dishy" alot...when i encounter someone that is "dishy" that is;)
 

AmateisGal

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,126
Location
Nebraska
"So long."

My grandfather always, always said this to us when we were leaving his house. We were never to say goodbye, always "so long" because saying "goodbye" meant we'd never see each other again.
 

imported_the_librarian

One of the Regulars
Messages
125
Although I would never utter this in real life, when I do my writing, I love to have the bad guys say this:

"Shut yer pie-hole..."

Perfect bad guy utterances....in a pulpy way!*

*Remember, I'm a hack writer...no class....
 

LizzieMaine

Bartender
Messages
33,771
Location
Where The Tourists Meet The Sea
My niece, when she was about five years old, looked me in the eye, folded her arms, and sneered "SHUT YER PIE HOLE." I don't know where she got it from, but I suspect somebody who writes one of those kiddie cartoons on cable may be a secret vintagephile.
 

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