Our film noir is set in the 1920s and so to make it truly authentic I decided to research 1920s popular slang that can possibly be used by the characters in the film; this will add authenticy and make the film more realisitic.

1920s Popular Slang:
all wet: incorrect
ankle: to walk, i.e. “Let’s ankle!”
Apple sauce: flattery, nonsense, i.e. “Aw, applesauce!”
Baby grand: heavily built man
baby vamp: an attractive or popular female, student.
Balled up: confused, messed up
baloney: Nonsense!
Bank’s closed: no kissing or making out i.e. “Sorry, mac, bank’s closed.”
Beeswax: business, i.e. “None of your beeswax.” Student.
bent: drunk
big cheese: important person
blotto (1930 at the latest): drunk, especially to an extreme
Butt me.: I’ll take a cigarette.
cake-eater: a lady’s man
cat’s meow: great, also “cat’s pajamas” and “cat’s whiskers”
cash: a kiss
Cash or check?: Do we kiss now or later?
clam: a dollar
daddy: a young woman’s boyfriend or lover, especially if he’s rich.
daddy-o: a term of address; strictly an African-American term.
darb: a great person or thing. “That movie was darb.”
dogs: feet
doll: an attractive woman.
Ethel: an effeminate male.
fire extinguisher: a chaperone
flour lover: a girl with too much face powder
futz: a euphemism for “fuck.” i.e. “Don’t futz around.”
get-up (1930): an outfit.
gold-digger (1925): a woman who pursues men for their money.
goods, the: (1) the right material, or a person who has it (2) the facts, the
truth, i.e.”Make sure the cops don’t get the goods on you.”
heavy sugar (1929): a lot of money
heebie-jeebies (1926): “the shakes,” named after a hit song.
hip to the jive: cool, trendy
hooch: booze
hopped up: under the influence of drugs
“I have to go see a man about a dog.”: “I’ve got to leave now,” often meaning
to go buy whiskey.
Jane: any female
java: coffee
jeepers creepers: “Jesus Christ!”
joe: coffee
Joe Brooks: a perfectly dressed person; student.
john: a toilet
juice joint: a speakeasy
killjoy: a solemn person
knock up: to make pregnant
lollygagger: (1) a young man who enjoys making out (2) an idle person
mazuma: money
moonshine: homemade whiskey
neck: to kiss passionately
nifty: great, excellent
nookie: sex
on the lam: fleeing from police
on the level: legitimate, honest
ossified: drunk
panther sweat (1925): whiskey
petting pantry: movie theater
pill: (1) a teacher (2) an unlikable person
putting on the ritz: after the Ritz Hotel in Paris (and its namesake Caesar
Ritz); doing something in high style. Also “ritzy.”
quiff: a slut or cheap prostitute
rag-a-muffin: a dirty or disheveled individual
razz: to make fun of
Real McCoy: a genuine item
says you: a reaction of disbelief
scratch: money
sheba: one’s girlfriend
sheik: one’s boyfriend
simolean: a dollar
skirt: an attractive female
smarty: a cute flapper
so’s your old man: a reply of irritation
speakeasy: a bar selling illegal liquor
splifficated: drunk
spoon: to neck, or at least talk of love
sugar daddy: older boyfriend who showers girlfriend with gifts in exchange for sex
swanky: (1) good (2) elegant
swell: (1) good (2) a high class person
take someone for a ride: to take someone to a deserted location and murder them.
unreal: special
upchuck: to vomit
vamp: (1) a seducer of men, an aggressive flirt (2) to seduce
voot: money
zozzled: drunk