When you read a book, you’re reading an awesome story—but there are so many things that happen behind the scenes to create that story that you never get to hear about. Between the side writing, research, cutting, plotting, and everything else, there’s a whole other world that has happened “between the pages.”  And when a book requires research, there are even more things authors learn along the way that can’t make it into the story due to space restrictions. So in this new blog feature, Between the Pages, I will share with you some of my behind-the-scenes fun—research tidbits, technique, side-writing—all kinds of things. Hope you enjoy my world from “Between the Pages”!

 

In my novel, The Orchard, Jules finds herself at one point plopped into the world of 1946. She’s first struck with the obvious differences like the music, attire, and hairstyles, but the language was a bit different back then too. There were so many “nifty” phrases that you don’t often hear anymore today.

Here are just a few of the fun ones I found along the way:

  • Ace – A person with some serious expertise
  • Ameche – Telephone
  • Anchor Clanker – A sailor
  • Bellyache – Complain
  • Black and White – Police car
  • Bop – Enthusiastic dancing
  • Bupkis – Nothing, or when you don’t receive anything for your efforts
  • Cheaters – Sunglasses
  • Choppers – Teeth
  • Chrome Dome – A bald person
  • Clams – Money
  • Cookie – A cute girl
  • Cooking With Gas – Making good progress or doing something right
  • Cold Fish – A not-very-responsive person
  • Cut A Rug – Dance
  • Dame – A woman
  • Dang Rabbit – An angry exclamation in place of a curse word
  • Dish – Hot guy/girl
  • Doll Dizzy – Girl Crazy
  • Dope – Scoop or Gossip
  • Dreamboat – A hot man
  • Drip – A boring person
  • Ducky Shincracker – A great dancer
  • Flip Your Wig – Lose control or temper
  • Gas – Something hilarious or having a fun time
  • Glitterati – A celebrity
  • Gobbledygook – Talking nonsense
  • Grandstand – Showing off
  • Hairy – Outdated
  • Hen Fruit – Eggs
  • Holy Mackerel – Expression of excitement or being impressed
  • Hot Diggity Dog – “Wow” or expression of excitement
  • Humdinger – Amazing
  • Jive Bomber – Good dancer
  • Joe – Coffee
  • Khaki Wacky – A boy-crazy girl
  • Killer Diller – Awesome
  • Kisser – Mouth
  • Knuckle Sandwich – Punching someone in the mouth
  • Landing Gear – Legs
  • Lettuce – Paper money
  • Moxie – Courage
  • Natch – Certainly or of course
  • On The Beam – Cool, or on the right track
  • Peepers – Eyes
  • Rhubarb – An arugument or disagreement
  • Rusty Dusty – Your bum
  • Schnook – A gullible person (sucker)
  • Shuteye – Sleep
  • Snap Your Cap – Get angry
  • Specs – Eyeglasses
  • Stompers – Shoes
  • Take a Powder – To leave
  • Unmentionables – Women’s undergarments
  • Whistling Dixie – Wasting time
  • Yuck – An idiot

Want more slang from the 1940s? Check out some other sites like these two to get you started:

 

40s Slang Words and Phrases (130+ Examples – Complete List)

 

https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/slang/1940s-slang.html

 

Photo Credit: Museums Victoria on Unsplash