20 Charming Slang Expressions From the 1930s

Ever been frustrated when a tipsy troublemaker ruins your fun at the local hangout? Whether you’ve experienced it or are completely baffled by the lingo, here are 20 vintage 1930s slang phrases to add to your vocabulary.

1. Nogoodnik

With the suffix -nik indicating someone connected to a particular trait, nogoodnik naturally refers to an individual who’s nothing but a source of problems.

2. Bazillion

While the largest named number is the googolplex, which is 10 raised to the power of 10^100, the 1930s had a more casual way to describe unimaginably large amounts—they used bazillion to emphasize vast, unspecified quantities.

3. Blow One’s Wig

Having a bazillion of something, whether it’s dollars in your account or cars stuck in traffic, might cause you to blow your wig. In the first scenario, it could mean feeling thrilled or overjoyed, but as Cassell’s Dictionary of Slang explains, blowing one’s wig might also describe someone who’s absolutely livid—a reaction that fits perfectly in the second situation.

4. Ackamarackus

The Oxford English Dictionary defines ackamarackus as precisely what it implies—“ridiculous nonsense.” It’s the 1930s version of malarkey or bosher. The term first emerged in the expression the old ackamarackus, which the OED links to a 1933 article in Collier’s: “A monocle in one eye ... is strictly the old ackamarackuss.”

5. Eighty-six

If you’ve ever worked in food service or visited an American diner, you’ve probably heard eighty-six used to describe an item no longer available. In the 1930s, eighty-six meant a dish that had run out at a restaurant. Later, it evolved into a verb meaning “to deny service” or “to discard.” While the exact origin remains uncertain, as Merriam-Webster points out, there are numerous theories about its roots.

6. Dog’s Soup

Requesting dog’s soup from a server today might earn you a puzzled look, but in the 1930s, it simply meant a refreshing glass of water. The term originated in the mid-1800s as slang for rainwater but evolved during the 1930s to become a popular American expression for plain drinking water.

7. Boondoggle

The next time you’re stuck with pointless or impractical tasks, lighten the mood by calling it a “boondoggle.” This term refers to a trivial waste of time, and it’s undeniably enjoyable to say.

Merriam-Webster suggests a potential origin for boondoggle traces back to American scoutmaster Robert H. Link, who used it to describe the braided leather cords worn by Boy Scouts. The term gained traction in the 1920s and evolved to its modern definition by the mid-1930s,

8. Juke

For many years, jukes served as the main gathering places, particularly in the South, where Black communities would come together to enjoy food, drinks, and dancing. Zora Neale Hurston (who spelled it jook) celebrated them in the 1930s as “musically speaking ... the most significant place in America” [PDF].

The OED suggests the term likely originates from Gullah, an English-based creole language spoken mainly by Black Americans in coastal regions of South Carolina and Georgia—specifically the word juke or joog, meaning “disorderly, wicked.” Several West African languages feature similar terms: Wolof, for instance, has jug, and Banbara includes jugu, meaning “a violent person.” Juke might also have roots in Haitian or French; jwe and jouer, respectively, both translate to “play.”

9. Cockamamie

The OED notes that when cockamamie first appeared in 1931, it was children’s slang for a decal applied to the skin, similar to a temporary tattoo. By 1936, it had transformed into an adjective describing “a ridiculous, crazy, or wildly eccentric person.”

10. Kaylied Up

Anyone who overindulged at a juke would end up kaylied up, or “completely intoxicated,” as defined by the OED.

11. Gobsmacked

An astonishing or unexpected display of flair might leave you gobsmacked, a British slang term meaning “utterly astonished; rendered speechless or overwhelmed with amazement,” according to the OED. First recorded in 1935, it combines gob (“mouth”) and smack (either “to slap” or “to make a noise when parting lips”), creating the vivid image of someone covering their mouth in shock or dropping their jaw in disbelief.

12. Meat Wagon

Given the grim realities of the Depression era, it’s no surprise that people used dark slang. Meat wagon is a fitting example. Initially coined in 1925 to describe an ambulance, the term took on a more macabre meaning by 1934, becoming a grim nickname for a hearse.

13. Nitwittery

Nitwittery is a rather sophisticated term for foolishness. The next time you’re in a dispute with someone acting absurd, pulling out this word might give you an edge. You may not win the argument, but you’ll definitely sound sharp.

14. Off the Cob

Even during the Great Depression, people found ways to craft witty puns. Off the cob refers to someone whose style or behavior is outdated or dull. In simpler terms, it means they’re corny.

15. Chicago Overcoat

While a trip to the Windy City might call for a warm coat, this phrase has a darker meaning. Despite a significant drop in Chicago’s homicide rates from 1930 to 1940 compared to earlier years, the city’s violent reputation inspired this term for a coffin, which first appeared in the 1939 novel The Big Sleep. Raymond Chandler, the detective novelist, adapted the word overcoat, which had been slang for coffins since the late 1800s, even though his story is set in southern California, not Chicago.

16. Seat-of-the-pants

A 1935 edition of Popular Science Weekly suggested that the phrase flying by the seat-of-the-pants might have roots in aviation. They described “blind flying” as “‘seat-of-the-pants’ flying,” where pilots navigating through fog without instruments relied on the pressure against their parachute packs to determine if they were flying upright. The OED defines the phrase in two ways: when referring to a person, it means “acting on instinct or impulse”; when referring to an activity, it means “done based on practical experience rather than formal knowledge; informal; imprecise.” Flying by the seat-of-the-pants and making spontaneous decisions could result in an unforgettable adventure—or a total disaster. It’s anyone’s guess.

17. Ripsnort

Everyone has had a ripsnort moment at the juke at least once. To ripsnort means to act in an extremely lively or rowdy way. At least, that’s what it meant in the 1930s—over time, it became one of many slang terms for a very loud fart.

18. Simpy

Nowadays, the term simp often brings to mind the Gen Z slang for “someone overly submissive to a romantic interest.” However, an earlier version of simp existed in the early 1900s, along with simpy, which the OED traces back to 1932. Simpy describes someone as “weak, ineffective; soft, [and] ‘wimpy,’” or “foolish, [and] simple-minded.” Both terms derive from simple or simpleton, meaning “an unintelligent, ignorant, or gullible person.”

19. On Sus

Another piece of slang connecting 1930s folks to Gen-Z, sus, according to the OED, is short for suspicion or suspect, and suggests a sense that something shady is going on. While today’s youth often use it as an adjective (“you’ve been acting pretty sus”), in the ’30s, sus was used as a noun, frequently preceded by on. Being on sus meant someone was under suspicion for a crime or other dubious behavior.

20. Floss

While you might link flossing to dental care, the term for the activity dentists advise you to do between your teeth is surprisingly modern—the OED notes that this meaning didn’t appear until the 1970s (though dentists began recommending floss in the mid-1930s). In 1938, floss or flossing meant flirting or bragging, particularly about one’s belongings. Perhaps this list of vintage slang will let you showcase your smarts—a true “Mytour,” if you will.