This "Flapper Dictionairy" was reblogged from "Taylorology" #74. Taylorology is a site devoted to William Desmond Taylor, there's an awful lot of stuff there, I never read it all. This information came from newspapers published in 1922, but some of the same slang terms were still in use in the 1930's and after. You frequently come across these terms in old comedy films.
A Dictionary of Flapper Slang
The following are extracts from several "flapper dictionaries" published in
newspapers within two months of Taylor's murder, from the NEW YORK EVENING
MAIL, BALTIMORE EVENING SUN, and CINCINNATI COMMERCIAL TRIBUNE.
Airdale -- homely man.
Alarm clock -- chaperon.
An alibi -- a box of flowers.
Anchor -- bank roll.
Apple-sauce -- flattery or bunk.
Bean picker -- one who tries to patch up trouble.
The berries -- applied to express surprise, disgust, indignation; said this
way: "Ain't that the berries!"
Blouse -- to leave, to beat it, to take the air, to blow; "Let's blouse."
Button shining -- close dancing, or achieving the same effect without the
music.
Cake basket -- a limousine.
Cake eater -- a small-salaried male person who frequents teas and other
entertainments and never makes any effort to repay his social obligations;
harmless lounge lizard.
The cat's pajamas -- anything that is very good.
Cellar-sheller -- a young man who always turns up where liquor is to be had
without cost.
Cheaters -- same as glimmers, optics, eyes; sometimes meaning eye glasses.
Clothesline -- one who tells the neighborhood secrets.
Cluck -- a girl who dances clumsily.
Corn shredder -- young man who dances on lady's feet.
Crepehanger -- reformer.
Cuddle-cootie -- young man who takes a girl for ride on a bus.
Cutting yourself a piece of cake -- making yourself wait patiently.
Darbs -- a person with money who can be relied on to pay the check.
Did I was -- an exclamation of approval.
Dimbox -- a taxicab.
Dingledangler -- one who persists in telephoning.
Dog kennels -- pair of shoes.
Dogs -- feet.
Dropping the pilot -- getting a divorce.
Ducksoup -- anything agreeable, easy or congenial to the moment.
Dud -- a wall flower.
Dumbdora -- a stupid girl.
Ear muffs -- radio receivers.
Egg harbor -- a dance hall where no admission is charged.
Father Time -- any man over thirty years of age.
Feathers -- small talk.
Fig leaf -- one-piece bathing suit.
Finagler -- a young man who stalls until some one else pays the checks.
Finale hopper -- a young man or a young woman who makes a business of
appearing late at dances after the ticket takers have gone.
Fire alarm -- a divorced woman.
Flatwheeler -- young man who takes young lady to an egg harbor.
Forty-niner -- man who is prospecting for a rich wife.
G. G. -- refers to a man; coded form of the English expression Gullible Goof,
which speaks for itself, but he doesn't.
Given the air -- when a girl or fellow is thrown down on a date.
Glimmers -- the eyes of either sex; "To put the glimmers on" is to take
notice.
Goofy -- To be in love with or attracted to, "I'm goofy about Jack."
Grubstake -- invitation to dinner.
Handcuff -- engagement ring.
Hiphound -- one who drinks hooch.
His tempo's bad -- a phrase used about any one off color in any way.
Holyholy -- Flapper who won't indulge in mugging match.
Hush money -- allowance from father.
Jane -- a girl who meets you on the stoop.
Jewelers -- flappers who measure college success by the number of fraternity
pins they collect.
John Bananas -- otherwise a goof, chump, sap; one who is silly, impossible,
dense or dead, but too lazy to lie down.
John D. -- an oily person.
Lollygagger -- a young man addicted to attempts at hallway spooning.
Mad money -- carfare home if she has a fight with her escort.
Monogs -- Taken from the old English "monogamist," referring to the male or
female student who plays with but one person of the opposite sex.
Mugging match -- a necking party.
Nice girl -- one who takes you in and introduces you to her family.
The office -- a sign of warning, done covertly; vis: "I gave him the office
to duck."
Oilcan -- an impostor.
Out on parole -- a person of either sex who has been divorced.
Owl -- Flapper who cuts classes and is only seen at night at dances and
parties; usually wise enough to get high grades in academic work.
Pillowcase -- young man who is full of feathers.
Pocket twister -- girl who eats, dances and drinks up all of a man's spare
change.
Police dog -- young woman's fiance.
Punching the bag -- Act of a man who chats with a girl--and keeps on
chatting.
Ritzy -- stuck up.
Rug hopper -- a young man who never takes a girl out; a parlor hound.
Seraph -- Girl who likes to be kissed, but not violently.
Slat -- young man.
Smudger -- one who does all the closefitting dancing steps.
Snake-charmer -- a female bootlegger.
Snugglepup -- young man who frequents petting parties.
Sodbuster -- an undertaker.
Static -- conversation that means nothing.
Stilts -- legs.
Strike breaker -- young woman who goes with her friend's "steady" while there
is a coolness.
Struggle -- a dance.
Strut your stuff -- otherwise show them how it is done; to dance, sing, etc.
Sugar -- money.
Sweetie -- anybody she hates.
Swift's premium -- clumsy flapper; wall flower.
Tomato -- good looking girl with no brains.
Weeping willow -- same as crepehanger.
Whangdoodle -- jazz band music.
Whiskbroom -- a man who cultivates whiskers.
Windsucker -- any person giving to boasting.
A Wow -- denoting something extremely clever, brilliant or pleasing.
Taylorology:
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