Ran across this delightful post from a used bookseller in Pennsylvania. He acquired the July 1922 edition of Flapper magazine and reproduced an uncredited article that listed phrases and jargon that, while probably quite cheeky at the time, seem quaint and amusing now. It's fun working out the chain of associations that lead from the slang to the definition.
I wonder really how old the writer of the article was; I smell a fuddy-duddy who wants to appeal to the "with-it" generation. I could imagine a Beatnik or Hippie dictionary article of the same stripe.
Some of my favorites:
- Cancelled Stamp—A wallflower.
- Embalmer—A bootlegger.
- Eye Opener—A marriage.
- Father Time—Any man over 30 years of age.
- Strike Breaker—A young woman who goes with her friend’s “Steady” while there is a coolness.
- Rock of Ages—Any woman over 30 years of age.
- Meringue—Personality.
- Lallygagger—A young man addicted to attempts at hallway spooning.
- Houdini—To be on time for a date.
- Smith Brothers—Guys who never cough up.
