Cab Calloway’s Hepster’s Dictionary
HEPSTER’S DICTIONARY
A
A hummer (n.): exceptionally good. Ex., “Man, that boy is a hummer.”
Ain’t coming on that tab (v.): won’t accept the proposition. Usually abbr. to “I ain’t coming.”
Alligator (n.): jitterbug.
Apple (n.): the big town, the main stem, Harlem.
Armstrongs (n.): musical notes in the upper register, high trumpet notes.
B
Barbecue (n.): the girl friend, a beauty.
Barrelhouse (adj.): free and easy.
Battle (n.): a very homely girl, a crone.
Beat (adj.): (1) tired, exhausted. Ex., “You look beat” or “I feel beat.” (2) lacking anything. Ex, “I am beat for my cash”, “I am beat to my socks” (lacking everything).
Beat it out (v.): play it hot, emphasize the rhythm.
Beat up (adj.): sad, uncomplimentary, tired.
Beat up the chops (or the gums) (v.): to talk, converse, be loquacious.
Beef (v.): to say, to state. Ex., “He beefed to me that, etc.”
Bible (n.): the gospel truth. Ex., “It’s the bible!”
Black (n.): night.
Black and tan (n.): dark and light colored folks. Not colored and white folks as erroneously assumed.
Blew their wigs (adj.): excited with enthusiasm, gone crazy.
Blip (n.): something very good. Ex., “That’s a blip”; “She’s a blip.”
Blow the top (v.): to be overcome with emotion (delight). Ex., “You’ll blow your top when you hear this one.”
Boogie-woogie (n.): harmony with accented bass.
Boot (v.): to give. Ex., “Boot me that glove.”
Break it up (v.): to win applause, to stop the show.
Bree (n.): girl.
Bright (n.): day.
Brightnin’ (n.): daybreak.
Bring down ((1) n. (2) v.): (1) something depressing. Ex., “That’s a bring down.” (2) Ex., “That brings me down.”
Buddy ghee (n.): fellow.
Bust your conk (v.): apply yourself diligently, break your neck.
C
Canary (n.): girl vocalist.
Capped (v.): outdone, surpassed.
Cat (n.): musician in swing band.
Chick (n.): girl.
Chime (n.): hour. Ex., “I got in at six chimes.”
Clambake (n.): ad lib session, every man for himself, a jam session not in the groove.
Chirp (n.): female singer.
Cogs (n.): sun glasses.
Collar (v.): to get, to obtain, to comprehend. Ex., “I gotta collar me some food”; “Do you collar this jive?”
Come again (v.): try it over, do better than you are doing, I don’t understand you.
Comes on like gangbusters (or like test pilot) (v.): plays, sings, or dances in a terrific manner, par excellence in any department. Sometimes abbr. to “That singer really comes on!”
Cop (v.): to get, to obtain (see collar; knock).
Corny (adj.): old-fashioned, stale.
Creeps out like the shadow (v.): “comes on,” but in smooth, suave, sophisticated manner.
Crumb crushers (n.): teeth.
Cubby (n.): room, flat, home.
Cups (n.): sleep. Ex., “I gotta catch some cups.”
Cut out (v.): to leave, to depart. Ex., “It’s time to cut out”; “I cut out from the joint in early bright.”
Cut rate (n.): a low, cheap person. Ex., “Don’t play me cut rate, Jack!”
D
Dicty (adj.): high-class, nifty, smart.
Dig (v.): (1) meet. Ex., “I’ll plant you now and dig you later.” (2) look, see. Ex., “Dig the chick on your left duke.” (3) comprehend, understand. Ex., “Do you dig this jive?”
Dim (n.): evening.
Dime note (n.): ten-dollar bill.
Doghouse (n.): bass fiddle.
Domi (n.): ordinary place to live in. Ex., “I live in a righteous domi.”
Doss (n.): sleep. Ex., “I’m a little beat for my doss.”
Down with it (adj.): through with it.
Drape (n.): suit of clothes, dress, costume.
Dreamers (n.): bed covers, blankets.
Dry-goods (n.): same as drape.
Duke (n.): hand, mitt.
Dutchess (n.): girl.
E
Early black (n.): evening
Early bright (n.): morning.
Evil (adj.): in ill humor, in a nasty temper.
F
Fall out (v.): to be overcome with emotion. Ex., “The cats fell out when he took that solo.”
Fews and two (n.): money or cash in small quantity.
Final (v.): to leave, to go home. Ex., “I finaled to my pad” (went to bed); “We copped a final” (went home).
Fine dinner (n.): a good-looking girl.
Focus (v.): to look, to see.
Foxy (v.): shrewd.
Frame (n.): the body.
Fraughty issue (n.): a very sad message, a deplorable state of affairs.
Freeby (n.): no charge, gratis. Ex., “The meal was a freeby.”
Frisking the whiskers (v.): what the cats do when they are warming up for a swing session.
Frolic pad (n.): place of entertainment, theater, nightclub.
Fromby (adj.): a frompy queen is a battle or faust.
Front (n.): a suit of clothes.
Fruiting (v.): fickle, fooling around with no particular object.
Fry (v.): to go to get hair straightened.
G
Gabriels (n.): trumpet players.
Gammin’ (adj.): showing off, flirtatious.
Gasser (n, adj.): sensational. Ex., “When it comes to dancing, she’s a gasser.”
Gate (n.): a male person (a salutation), abbr. for “gate-mouth.”
Get in there (exclamation.): go to work, get busy, make it hot, give all you’ve got.
Gimme some skin (v.): shake hands.
Glims (n.): the eyes.
Got your boots on: you know what it is all about, you are a hep cat, you are wise.
Got your glasses on: you are ritzy or snooty, you fail to recognize your friends, you are up-stage.
Gravy (n.): profits.
Grease (v.): to eat.
Groovy (adj.): fine. Ex., “I feel groovy.”
Ground grippers (n.): new shoes.
Growl (n.): vibrant notes from a trumpet.
Gut-bucket (adj.): low-down music.
Guzzlin’ foam (v.): drinking beer.
H
Hard (adj.): fine, good. Ex., “That’s a hard tie you’re wearing.”
Hard spiel (n.): interesting line of talk.
Have a ball (v.): to enjoy yourself, stage a celebration. Ex., “I had myself a ball last night.”
Hep cat (n.): a guy who knows all the answers, understands jive.
Hide-beater (n.): a drummer (see skin-beater).
Hincty (adj.): conceited, snooty.
Hip (adj.): wise, sophisticated, anyone with boots on. Ex., “She’s a hip chick.”
Home-cooking (n.): something very dinner (see fine dinner).
Hot (adj.): musically torrid; before swing, tunes were hot or bands were hot.
Hype (n, v.): build up for a loan, wooing a girl, persuasive talk.
I
Icky (n.): one who is not hip, a stupid person, can’t collar the jive.
Igg (v.): to ignore someone. Ex., “Don’t igg me!)
In the groove (adj.): perfect, no deviation, down the alley.
J
Jack (n.): name for all male friends (see gate; pops).
Jam ((1)n, (2)v.): (1) improvised swing music. Ex., “That’s swell jam.” (2) to play such music. Ex., “That cat surely can jam.”
Jeff (n.): a pest, a bore, an icky.
Jelly (n.): anything free, on the house.
Jitterbug (n.): a swing fan.
Jive (n.): Harlemese speech.
Joint is jumping: the place is lively, the club is leaping with fun.
Jumped in port (v.): arrived in town.
K
Kick (n.): a pocket. Ex., “I’ve got five bucks in my kick.”
Kill me (v.): show me a good time, send me.
Killer-diller (n.): a great thrill.
Knock (v.): give. Ex., “Knock me a kiss.”
Kopasetic (adj.): absolutely okay, the tops.
L
Lamp (v.): to see, to look at.
Land o’darkness (n.): Harlem.
Lane (n.): a male, usually a nonprofessional.
Latch on (v.): grab, take hold, get wise to.
Lay some iron (v.): to tap dance. Ex., “Jack, you really laid some iron that last show!”
Lay your racket (v.): to jive, to sell an idea, to promote a proposition.
Lead sheet (n.): a topcoat.
Left raise (n.): left side. Ex., “Dig the chick on your left raise.”
Licking the chops (v.): see frisking the whiskers.
Licks (n.): hot musical phrases.
Lily whites (n.): bed sheets.
Line (n.): cost, price, money. Ex., “What is the line on this drape” (how much does this suit cost)? “Have you got the line in the mouse” (do you have the cash in your pocket)? Also, in replying, all figures are doubled. Ex., “This drape is line forty” (this suit costs twenty dollars).
Lock up: to acquire something exclusively. Ex., “He’s got that chick locked up”; “I’m gonna lock up that deal.”
M
Main kick (n.): the stage.
Main on the hitch (n.): husband.
Main queen (n.): favorite girl friend, sweetheart.
Man in gray (n.): the postman.
Mash me a fin (command.): Give me $5.
Mellow (adj.): all right, fine. Ex., “That’s mellow, Jack.”
Melted out (adj.): broke.
Mess (n.): something good. Ex., “That last drink was a mess.”
Meter (n.): quarter, twenty-five cents.
Mezz (n.): anything supreme, genuine. Ex., “this is really the mezz.”
Mitt pounding (n.): applause.
Moo juice (n.): milk.
Mouse (n.): pocket. Ex., “I’ve got a meter in the mouse.”
Muggin’ (v.): making ’em laugh, putting on the jive. “Muggin’ lightly,” light staccato swing; “muggin’ heavy,” heavy staccato swing.
Murder (n.): something excellent or terrific. Ex., “That’s solid murder, gate!”
N
Neigho, pops: Nothing doing, pal.
Nicklette (n.): automatic phonograph, music box.
Nickel note (n.): five-dollar bill.
Nix out (v.): to eliminate, get rid of. Ex., “I nixed that chick out last week”; “I nixed my garments” (undressed).
Nod (n.): sleep. Ex., “I think I’l cop a nod.”
O
Ofay (n.): white person.
Off the cob (adj.): corny, out of date.
Off-time jive (n.): a sorry excuse, saying the wrong thing.
Orchestration (n.): an overcoat.
Out of the world (adj.): perfect rendition. Ex., “That sax chorus was out of the world.”
Ow!: an exclamation with varied meaning. When a beautiful chick passes by, it’s “Ow!”; and when someone pulls an awful pun, it’s also “Ow!”
P
Pad (n.): bed.
Pecking (n.): a dance introduced at the Cotton Club in 1937.
Peola (n.): a light person, almost white.
Pigeon (n.): a young girl.
Pops (n.): salutation for all males (see gate; Jack).
Pounders (n.): policemen.
Q
Queen (n.): a beautiful girl.
R
Rank (v.): to lower.
Ready (adj.): 100 per cent in every way. Ex., “That fried chicken was ready.”
Ride (v.): to swing, to keep perfect tempo in playing or singing.
Riff (n.): hot lick, musical phrase.
Righteous (adj.): splendid, okay. Ex., “That was a righteous queen I dug you with last black.”
Rock me (v.): send me, kill me, move me with rhythm.
Ruff (n.): quarter, twenty-five cents.
Rug cutter (n.): a very good dancer, an active jitterbug.
S
Sad (adj.): very bad. Ex., “That was the saddest meal I ever collared.”
Sadder than a map (adj.): terrible. Ex., “That man is sadder than a map.”
Salty (adj.): angry, ill-tempered.
Sam got you: you’ve been drafted into the army.
Send (v.): to arouse the emotions. (joyful). Ex., “That sends me!”
Set of seven brights (n.): one week.
Sharp (adj.): neat, smart, tricky. Ex., “That hat is sharp as a tack.”
Signify (v.): to declare yourself, to brag, to boast.
Skins (n.): drums.
Skin-beater (n.): drummer (see hide-beater).
Sky piece (n.): hat.
Slave (v.): to work, whether arduous labor or not.
Slide your jib (v.): to talk freely.
Snatcher (n.): detective.
So help me: it’s the truth, that’s a fact.
Solid (adj.): great, swell, okay.
Sounded off (v.): began a program or conversation.
Spoutin’ (v.): talking too much.
Square (n.): an unhep person (see icky; Jeff).
Stache (v.): to file, to hide away, to secrete.
Stand one up (v.): to play one cheap, to assume one is a cut-rate.
To be stashed (v.): to stand or remain.
Susie-Q (n.): a dance introduced at the Cotton Club in 1936.
T
Take it slow (v.): be careful.
Take off (v.): play a solo.
The man (n.): the law.
Threads (n.): suit, dress or costume (see drape; dry-goods).
Tick (n.): minute, moment. Ex., “I’ll dig you in a few ticks.” Also, ticks are doubled in accounting time, just as money is doubled in giving “line.” Ex., “I finaled to the pad this early bright at tick twenty” (I got to bed this morning at ten o’clock).
Timber (n.): toothpick.
To dribble (v.): to stutter. Ex., “He talked in dribbles.”
Togged to the bricks: dressed to kill, from head to toe.
Too much (adj.): term of highest praise. Ex., “You are too much!”
Trickeration (n.): struttin’ your stuff, muggin’ lightly and politely.
Trilly (v.): to leave, to depart. Ex., “Well, I guess I’ll trilly.”
Truck (v.): to go somewhere. Ex., “I think I’ll truck on down to the ginmill (bar).”
Trucking (n.): a dance introduced at the Cotton Club in 1933.
Twister to the slammer (n.): the key to the door.
Two cents (n.): two dollars.
U
Unhep (adj.): not wise to the jive, said of an icky, a Jeff, a square.
V
Vine (n.): a suit of clothes.
V-8 (n.): a chick who spurns company, is independent, is not amenable.
W
What’s your story?: What do you want? What have you got to say for yourself? How are tricks? What excuse can you offer? Ex., “I don’t know what his story is.”
Whipped up (adj.): worn out, exhausted, beat for your everything.
Wren (n.): a chick, a queen.
Wrong riff: the wrong thing said or done. Ex., “You’re coming up on the wrong riff.”
Y
Yarddog (n.): uncouth, badly attired, unattractive male or female.
Yeah, man: an exclamation of assent.
Z
Zoot (adj.): exaggerated
Zoot suit (n.): the ultimate in clothes. The only totally and truly American civilian suit.
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Sayings & Slang of the Setting
Exactly what it says on the tin! Trying to find and keep collections of slang from the 1950s and also from Kansas. Also maybe the 20s-40s when i edit this later. ‘Cause that’s probably still being used by people, even if it’s not ~fresh.~ ‘Specially the older characters, moreso than the recent phrases. You know. Anyway here’s what I could find condensed into one biiiiig list so I can reference it easily when writing dialogue
1950s
Agitate the Gravel: To leave in a hurry. To run the fuck away, as it were.
Apple Butter: Smooth Talk & Flattery
Backseat Bingo: Car fuckin. unspeakable acts in backseats.
Bundie: Guy that needs a haircut
Classy Chassis: Attractive Body. usually female
Come on, snake! Let’s rattle!: Contextual. You’re either asking to dance or “dance” (as in Fight)
Cut the gas!: Be quiet!
Earth Pads: Shoes
Fuzzy Duck: Girl with especially short hair
Gringles: Worries
Lay dead: Wait a minute
Negative Perspiration: Easy
Panic and a Half: A funny joke
Put an egg in your shoe and beat it!: Fuck Off.
Razz my berries!: Impress me
That Razzes my berries: It’s exciting
Got the zorros: Feeling nervous
Bash ears: To talk too much
Bird dog: Someone that tries to steal girlfriends
Circled: Married
Papershaker: Cheerleader
Supermurgitroid: Cool, “With it.”
Cheaters, Peepers: spectacles
Horn: Telephone
Shiner: A black eye
Goose it: Accelerate a vehichle
Radioactive: Current trend. Popular and stylish. IN.
Real gone: Head over heels in love, or just unstable.
Made in the shade: An easy life - to be in a good situation.
That’s the living end!: Superlative. It’s very. The most extreme form of something. Used as an exclamation of pleasant shock or joy.
Everything’s Copacetic: Chillll. Under Control.
Are you writing a book?: You’re asking too many questions
Royal shaft: Poor or unfair treatment
What’s your tale, nightingale?: What’s up? What’s the story?
Blanket: sandwich : )
Chrome Plated: All dressed up and Snazzy!! Got the Sweetest Threads on
Fat City: A Great Place to Be
Have a cow: To get overly worked up
Kansas Specific
Caddy Corner: Kinda diagonally across the way
Ope: like oops
The Concrete: Some kind of custard based icecream
Yums: Treats
Sodbuster: Someone who breaks up the “sod” (farm soil) in order to plant crops, eliminating most of the weeds before they can become a problem in the process. Difficult, but worth it in the long run.
Cornhole: A family game involving the throwing of beanbags into a hole and not hitting the other beanbags I believe?
Reddit post about just common ways of phrasing things in general
Calling everything A Deal
Yeah, no & No, yeah
Caddywhumpus: Chaotic, disorderly, WAY off balance
it wouldn’t be bad if it wasn’t so windy...........
Good People: The highest of compliments...
Dollars to donuts!: To express that you’re DAMN sure of something. Swear to god
Saying ‘cut’ instead of turn or switch, like cut that off
A draw: Beer from the tap
Carbonated drinks are called pop - which is just as well bc it’s what we call it here too
Bit under the house is consistently called the Cellar, rather than basement or whatever
1940s
Anchor Clanker: Sailor
Dead Hoofer: A bad dancer
Dish: An attractive person
Doll Dizzy: Crazy about girls
Drip: Someone boring
Ducky Shincracker: A really good dancer
Fat head: An insulting term for someone you think is an idiot
Glitterati: Famous, wealthy people with a high profile
Jive Bomber: A regular good dancer
Khaki Wacky: Crazy about boys
Yuck: Another idiot
Jitterbug: Fast dancing to modern music
Killer Diller: The best! Amazing!
Natch: Of course. Certainly.
On the Beam: On the right track or course. Cool.
Take a Powder: To leave
What’s buzzin’ cousin?: How’s it going?
Bupkis: Nothing. When you receive fuck all for your efforts.
Crib Notes: A cheat sheet for a test, trying to get a good grade
Hairy: Outdated
Peanuts: A small, insufficient amount. Usually refers to money.
Snap your cap: Get angry
Whistling Dixie: Wasting your time
Armored Heifer: Canned milk
Hen Fruit: Eggs
Schnook: Gullible. A sucker.
Active Duty: A promiscuous male
Floy-floy: Nonsense
Gammin’: Showing off
Going fishing: Trying to get a date
Hey sugar, are you rationed?: Do you have a steady boyfriend?
Motorized Freckles: Insects
Mud: Coffee
Reet: Very
Share crop: A promiscuous female
Strictly from Dixie: Laaaaaaame
Admiral’s Watch: A good night’s sleep
Amscray: Get out, leave
Armchair General: Someone who gives his confident opinion on everything despite being totally uninformed
Barney: A fixed contest
Bilge: Bullshit
Blivet: Something unimportant
Boodling: Makin out
Buy the farm: To die
Chiseler: A petty swindler or cheat
Cloud Walker: A good dancer
Cold fish: An unresponsive person
Crab patch: A strict person
Cutting out paper dolls: Crazy, insane
Drive it in the hanger: Shut up
Earbanger: Kissup
Educated fox: A fast boy
General’s car: A wheelbarrow
Gladlad: A nice looking guy
Gooball: Girl who necks with everyone
Gripes my cookies: It irritates and disgusts me
Gripes my middle kidney: To give pain or irritate
Katzenjammers: The shakes after a day of heavy drinking
Lammister: A fugitive
O lord and butter!: An exclamation
Patsy: A scapegoat
Pennies from Heaven: Easy money
See the chaplain: Shut up, don’t tell me your troubles
Well cut off my leg and call me shorty: You’re kidding.
1930s
Abyssinia: Said fast it sounds like “I’ll be seein’ ya!”
Bumping Gums: Making conversation of little substance
Dog soup: A glass of water
Convincer/Gat/Heater/Rod: Gun
Butter and egg: An attractive woman
Cute as a bug’s ear: That’s very cute
Fel/Filly/Flame/Flirt/Fuss: When a guy has consistent girl companion, I guess just a girl he hangs out with too much, people might call her these things to him
Greaseball/Half portion/Wet sock/Jellybean: An unpopular person
Honey cooler: A kiss
Lunger: A person with tuberculosis
Make tracks/Dangle: To leave abruptly and/or in a hurry
Micky/Micky Finn: A drink spiked with knockout drugs. So a roofie basically.
Stool pigeon: A snitch
All six, hit on: To hit on all six cylinders. 100% performance
All wet: Describes how erroneous a person or idea is. It’s all wet.
And howl!: An emphatic response like you said it!
Baby Vamp/Angel/Thrill/Peach/Choice Bit of Calico/Sweet Patootie: An attractive woman. These terms are the realm of college boys.
Bank’s Closed: NO KISSING.
Bearcat: A hot blooded or firey girl
Bug-eyed Betty/Pig’s Coattail: Ways to insult girls for being unnattractive or unpopular. Used by college boys
Bunny: A term of sympathy for someone that seems lost and confused
Butterfly’s Boots: Great or Dreamy. Like the cat’s meow
Carry a torch/Stuck on: To have a crush on someone
Cast a Kitten: To have a fit
Dumb Dora: A way to call a woman Stupid
Fire Extinguisher: A chaperone
to Know One’s Onions: To know what you’re talking about
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