1920's roleplay!

Speakeasy slang! Language was truly so much more evocative then, wasn't it? If you don't request extra foot juice tonight at that dive bar where you order the subpar pinot grigio, you are doing something wrong. In honor of this exhibition, I've scoured the Internet for a list of twenties-era words and phrases that we need to add to our contemporary conversations. Did you know that in the '20s, bimbo was used to mean "a tough guy"; butt me was "to take a cigarette"; and handcuff and manacle meant engagement and wedding ring? A person who was divorced was out on parole, a gimlet was "a chronic bore," and the exclamation "Nerts!" meant "I am amazed." Herewith, a dictionary of awesome twenties slang.

Applesauce: Remember how we were going on and on about malarkey, thanks to Joe Biden's use of it in the vice presidential debate, the other week? Applesauce is a synonym. Use it to demonstrate your lack of appreciation for the words of another. Or, alternatively, shout horsefeathers.

Bee's knees: No dictionary of twenties slang would be complete without this one, which means, in simple terms, the best. (Synonym: That's the berries.) In related bee-talk, say something is "none of your beeswax" when someone who is not the bee's knees is butting into your beeswax. Where did "bee's knees" come from? From World Wide Words, "It’s sometimes explained as being from an Italian-American way of saying business or that it’s properly Bs and Es, an abbreviation for be-alls and end-alls. Both are without doubt wrong. Bee’s knees is actually one of a set of nonsense catchphrases from 1920s America, the period of the flappers, speakeasies, feather boas and the Charleston." (Other such phrases: "elephant’s adenoids, cat’s miaow, ant’s pants, tiger’s spots, bullfrog’s beard, elephant’s instep, caterpillar’s kimono, turtle’s neck, duck’s quack, duck’s nuts, monkey’s eyebrows, gnat’s elbows, oyster’s earrings, snake’s hips, kipper’s knickers, elephant’s manicure, clam’s garter, eel’s ankle, leopard’s stripes, tadpole’s teddies, sardine’s whiskers, canary’s tusks, pig’s wings, cuckoo’s chin, and butterfly’s book.")

Clam: A dollar. "Can you spot me a few clams?" Other slang for money: cabbage, kale.

Dewdropper: A young, unemployed guy who sleeps all day. Alternate synonym: A lollygagger.

Egg: Man. "He's a funny egg."

Fire extinguisher: A chaperone (aka, a killjoy, an alarm clock).

Gams: Is there a better way to say legs, even if one is being objectifying? Pins? Stilts? Or maybe getaway sticks. "Cheese it; it's the fuzz! Move your getaway sticks or you'll end up in the cooler."

Hotsy-totsy: Perfect; the cat's pajamas.

"I have to go see a man about a dog.": To go buy whiskey.

Jake: Okey dokey. "Everything is Jake."

Know one's onions: To know one's beeswax; to know what someone's talking about.

Let's blouse: We're out of here.

Mrs. Grundy: A prudish type. Maybe also a fire extinguisher. Definitely a wurp.

Noodle juice: Tea. (But noodle on its own means head.)

Ossified: Drunk, probably from having been on a toot, or a drinking binge. Also: splifficated, fried, blotto.

Phonus balonus: Nonsense. (Related: baloney = piffle).

Quilt: A drink that warms its drinker.

Soup job: To crack a safe using nitroglycerine. (Safecrackers were yeggs.)

Tell it to Sweeney: Go say that to someone who'll believe your phonus balonus.

Upchuck: Vomit, probably after too much foot juice or giggle water. (Synonymous: to pull a Daniel Boone is to vomit.)

Voot: Money, lettuce.

Wet blanket: Someone who is no fun, no fun at all. Someone who does not like whoopee (to have a good time).

Zozzled: Drunk.

"Hey! Quit! I'm not that kind of guy! She fainted, I figured some fresh, cool air would do her good." Slightly angered at the sudden and false accusation. He looks at the girl who fainted and places a hand on the small of her back to stabilize her. "Please be careful miss."

(cool, I'm going to try to add some of this lingo)

Delilah opened her eyes and blinked a couple times, her vision was blurry and she didn't feel too hot. She giggled anyway, "Such manners! Thank you sir, for catching me, but I think I'll go back inside, I'm sure everybody's waiting for me." Delilah blew the man a kiss and moved away from the hand he'd placed on her back. She stared a bit at the Asian girl with the pretty dress as she turned around, "Well! You're looking all brooksy, aren't ya? See you later darlings! You can catch me on stage! And don't worry about me, I'm just Jake!" Delilah crooned, as she stared at the man again. "Maybe, you can save me a dance." she walked away, towards the entrance, her white skirt swishing behind her.

Wow, that Zozzled baby vamp was something else. Jack walked back inside right behind her after giving the Asian girl a once over. He scoped out the woman who so conveniently fell into his lap to make sure she wasn't getting into any trouble.

Lau stood feeling pretty sheepish. "Well, there I was trying to be a hero, and what else but I'm all wrong. Swell, perfectly swell." She rolled her eyes and headed back into the club.

As soon as Delilah entered the building, she was approached by twenty different men asking for a dance. "Maybe later," she said, a small smile still played out on her face. There was only one man that Delilah wanted to dance with, and he was outside. She swayed to the music being played on the record player, holding onto her skirt and curtsying and laughing as she danced around. The music stopped as the man with the microphone came to stage, and found Delilah in the crowd. He pointed backstage and Delilah nodded. She headed towards the back into her dressing room, she studied all of her gowns and dresses, before settling on a silver dress with embroidered flowers and a lace overlay across her chest. It would reach just above her knees. Delilah held it to herself and looked in the mirror, imagining it on her.

She pulled on her dress and walked to stage, where her microphone stand was waiting. The band started to play and Delilah opened her mouth to sing and the whole club went silent. Her voice was crisp and clear and was unparalleled by even the angels.
"I once had a gown, it was almost new,
Oh, the daintiest thing, it was sweet Alice blue,
With little forget-me-nots placed here and there,
When I had it on, oh, I walked on the air!
And it wore, and it wore, and it wore,
'Til it went, and it wasn't no more."
Delilah closed her eyes and smiled, her dress glinting in the harsh lighting that illuminated her face, yet still she looked beautiful. The crowd held their breath, waiting for her to start again.
"In my sweet little Alice blue gown,
When I first wandered down into town,
I was so proud inside,
As I felt every eye,
And in every shop window I primped, passing by."

((Alicia is very shy. but once you get though to her she's down for anything. She has several talents, such as she can sing, make clothes, and paint really well. she gathers her opinions on people from first impressions

There she was, approached by several men, but she turned down everyone. Why was that? Could she want a dance from him? Couldn't be, but then again maybe. As she walked onto center stage the lights glinted off her dress, illuminating her face. Was it possible for this woman to become anymore beautiful? Jack didn't know what to do; he didn't usually feel like this, but this talented woman, she was different.

"Whatcha lookin' at, cake-eater?" Lau appeared behind Jack with a mischevious grin. "Like the view? She's a real sheba, ain't she?"

Alicia stopped, realizing she left her signature lipstick at the venue. She rushed back and swung the doors open.

Jack slowly turned around to see the Asian girl grinning, "Yeah, she's a looker for sure." He turned back to look at the stage.

Alicia got her lipstick off the mirror's rim and thought it'd be a good idea to check of she had left anything else at her table. She is very forgetful after all. She opened the main door and was taken aback when she saw people by her table. Shocked anyone was still at the venue, she tried to sneak away, but the faint sounds of her shoes and her earrings alerted the figures of her presence.

"It's Lau, by the way," she said, feeling peevish. She wasn't used to being ignored. "What's your name?"

Giving up hope, Alicia turned back, fixing up her dress and walking over, "excuse me, I don't mean to interrupt, but, I was on my way home and thought I might've forgotten something here."

Delilah caught the man's eyes in the crowd and gave him a quick wink. She held onto the microphone stand and belted out her song, the people in the club shimmying and flappers wandering around with dashing men on their arms. When the song ended, she mouthed towards the handsome blond man, save me a dance.

(See ya guys tomorrow!)

Jack turned and saw a girl walk up out the corner of his eye, but he answered Lau first, "Name's Jack," as the girl approached he sat up a bit as she spoke and replied, "I don't think you left anything honey," Jack searched around the table a bit, but looked at the stage occasionally. He saw the woman mouth save me a dance and he nodded, then flashed a brilliant smile at her.

(Morning guys)

hi madison

Hi Audrey

"Sorry," Lau said to Alicia, "nothin here." She smiled almost flirtatiously. "Your lipstick is so ritzy."

"Where ya off to so fast?" Lau asked, pouting.

"oh, im on my way home for the night." Alicia replied glancing back at the door.

Lau shrugged. "You're missing out. Majore's gonna do her big finale and you don't wanna miss it. It's a whoopee show, really."

Jack ignored the hum of voices behind him and focus on this hotsy-totsy girl on stage. Usually he was oblivious to the fact that women wanted to be with him, but for some reason this woman stood out to him. He sat staring her up and down, marveling at her gams and bod. Why her?

"should I stay then?" Alicia smirked as she sat on the edge of the seat and turned to the woman belting on stage with transfixed eyes.

"I'd say." Lau leaned in. "It's almost as good as Delilah Pip, innit?"

"it is indeed." Alicia replied, tapping her toe on the floor of the venue.