1930s Slang Dictionary
One of the best parts about writing the 1930s is the colourful slang of the time period. The context of the slang in the books makes its meaning fairly easy to understand, but here is a slang dictionary to help you along. I have divided the dictionary alphabetically by the start of the slang phrase. The slang included is found in Book 1 - Dust and Devils. More slang will be added as the books are released.
A
Aces - very good ("That's aces," I said, grinnin'. - Dust and Devils)
B
Bean shooter - gun ("I didn't wanna wait around to see if he pulled out a knife or a bean shooter." - Dust and Devils)
Billy - a police officer's billy club ("I caught the policeman's billy across the back of my neck." - Dust and Devils)
Bulls - one of the many names used to describe a policeman. Bull was the generic term, whereas a "harness bull" was specifically a city cop. ("I nodded to a harness bull walkin' his beat." - Dust and Devils)
Billy - a police officer's billy club ("I caught the policeman's billy across the back of my neck." - Dust and Devils)
Bulls - one of the many names used to describe a policeman. Bull was the generic term, whereas a "harness bull" was specifically a city cop. ("I nodded to a harness bull walkin' his beat." - Dust and Devils)
C
Cabbage - money ("I couldn't imagine leavin' that kinda cabbage sittin' there for anyone to nick." - Dust and Devils)
Clink - jail ("I was likely buyin' myself a one-way ticket to the clink for the night." - Dust and Devils)
Copped - grabbed by the cops ("This was the first time I'd been copped in the big city." - Dust and Devils)
Coppers - policemen ("They ain't gonna look so normal when the coppers come bustin' through the bushes after them." - Dust and Devils)
Clink - jail ("I was likely buyin' myself a one-way ticket to the clink for the night." - Dust and Devils)
Copped - grabbed by the cops ("This was the first time I'd been copped in the big city." - Dust and Devils)
Coppers - policemen ("They ain't gonna look so normal when the coppers come bustin' through the bushes after them." - Dust and Devils)
D
Dino - a person who ordered a meal in a restaurant, ate it and then said he couldn't pay ("I'd seen guys do it before - dinos, we called them - but I didn't have the guts for it." - Dust and Devils)
Don't blow your wig - Don't get so excited ("Don't go blowin' your wig, buddy." - Dust and Devils)
Doped - figured for ("I had you doped way back in Calgary." - Dust and Devils)
Dough - money ("I ain't eaten in two days and a little dough would sure come in handy." - Dust and Devils)
Duck soup - easy ("He was on me before I could say duck soup." - Dust and Devils)
Dumb to the fact - ignorant of what one's talking about ("I'm dumb to that fact." - Dust and Devils)
Don't blow your wig - Don't get so excited ("Don't go blowin' your wig, buddy." - Dust and Devils)
Doped - figured for ("I had you doped way back in Calgary." - Dust and Devils)
Dough - money ("I ain't eaten in two days and a little dough would sure come in handy." - Dust and Devils)
Duck soup - easy ("He was on me before I could say duck soup." - Dust and Devils)
Dumb to the fact - ignorant of what one's talking about ("I'm dumb to that fact." - Dust and Devils)
E
Elbows checked - being arrested ("He'd had his elbows checked a time or two." - Dust and Devils)
F
Fast Freight - a fast moving train that made few stops ("I had hopped the fast freight outta Calgary around suppertime." - Dust and Devils)
Flatfoot - detective ("It'd be a mite easier to convince the flatfoot." - Dust and Devils)
Flatties - cops ("The flatties had roughed him up." - Dust and Devils)
Flatfoot - detective ("It'd be a mite easier to convince the flatfoot." - Dust and Devils)
Flatties - cops ("The flatties had roughed him up." - Dust and Devils)
G
Grift - to swindle ("I didn't have a sniff what grift he was pullin'." - Dust and Devils)
Grifter - a con man ("I didn't have nothin' for them grifters to con me outta." - Dust and Devils)
Grifter - a con man ("I didn't have nothin' for them grifters to con me outta." - Dust and Devils)
J
Jawing - talking ("He spent his evenings jawin' with me over our options for travellin'." - Dust and Devils)
Joint - a place ("I couldn't tell if the lack of patrons was a result of the depression or if the joint was just a dump." - Dust and Devils)
Jungle - unemployed encampments, usually on the outskirts of the big cities ("The hobos' jungle outside Winnipeg was a welcome sight ..." - Dust and Devils)
Joint - a place ("I couldn't tell if the lack of patrons was a result of the depression or if the joint was just a dump." - Dust and Devils)
Jungle - unemployed encampments, usually on the outskirts of the big cities ("The hobos' jungle outside Winnipeg was a welcome sight ..." - Dust and Devils)
M
Mulligan - a stew made by the hobos from whatever scraps of food were available ("Tawny added the rest of the meat and vegetables to the mulligan, lettin' it stew for a while." - Dust and Devils)
N
Nick - steal ("I couldn't imagine leavin' that kinda cabbage sittin' there for anyone to nick." - Dust and Devils)
P
Paste - punch ("He pasted the guy a good one." - Dust and Devils)
R
Rat out - inform on ("For a moment I thought he was gonna rat me out." - Dust and Devils)
Riding the Rails - riding trains without paying for passage ("I wondered what he was doin' ridin' the rails anyway." - Dust and Devils)
Riding the Rails - riding trains without paying for passage ("I wondered what he was doin' ridin' the rails anyway." - Dust and Devils)
S
Sap - a billy club ("He sure knew how to plant that sap of his where it'd hurt." - Dust and Devils)
Scenery hog - green transient ("Hey, you scenery hogs want to get us some vegetables?" - Dust and Devils)
Shiv - knife ("He pasted the guy a good one and he dropped his shiv." - Dust and Devils)
Skate around plenty - to be of easy virtue ("You've been skating around plenty, boy." - Dust and Devils)
Smooth - very good or well dressed ("I finally gave up on tryin' to make myself look smooth." - Dust and Devils)
Snitch - informer ("Maybe the fella ... had enough pity not to turn into a snitch." - Dust and Devils)
Stiff - a hobo ("I'll make a right proper stiff out of you yet." - Dust and Devils)
Scenery hog - green transient ("Hey, you scenery hogs want to get us some vegetables?" - Dust and Devils)
Shiv - knife ("He pasted the guy a good one and he dropped his shiv." - Dust and Devils)
Skate around plenty - to be of easy virtue ("You've been skating around plenty, boy." - Dust and Devils)
Smooth - very good or well dressed ("I finally gave up on tryin' to make myself look smooth." - Dust and Devils)
Snitch - informer ("Maybe the fella ... had enough pity not to turn into a snitch." - Dust and Devils)
Stiff - a hobo ("I'll make a right proper stiff out of you yet." - Dust and Devils)
T
Togged to the bricks - dressed up ("It wasn't like I'd ever been togged to the bricks, but I wanted to look at least a little respectable." - Dust and Devils)
W
Wearing iron - carrying a gun ("I couldn't even tell if he was really wearin' iron." - Dust and Devils)
Wheat - person unused to city ways ("It was pretty obvious that I was a wheat." - Dust and Devils)
Wheat - person unused to city ways ("It was pretty obvious that I was a wheat." - Dust and Devils)
