A few entries from THE NEW CAB CALLOWAY'S HEPSTER'S DICTIONARY, Language of Jive (1944 edition). How much we still use these words and phrases, particularly among musicians. Sinatra had his own language as well, with "bird" (penis) and "Harvey" (square guy) being among the entries. Nowhere near as hep, er, hip as Cab. Check these out. - Accordion
- Squeeze-Box or Groan-Box
- Ain't coming on that tab
- won't accept the proposition. Usually abbr. to "I ain't coming."
- Armstrongs
- musical notes in the upper register, high trumpet notes.
- Barbecue
- the girl friend, a beauty
- Battle
- a very homely girl, a crone.
- Beat
- Lacking anything. Ex, "I am beat for my cash", "I am beat to my socks" (lacking everything).
- Beat it out
- play it hot, emphasize the rhythym.
- Beat up the chops (or the gums)
- to talk, converse, be loquacious.
- Bible
- the gospel truth. Ex., "It's the bible!"
- Blew their wigs
- excited with enthusiasm, gone crazy.
- Blip
- something very good. Ex., "That's a blip"; "She's a blip."
- Blow your wig
- get excited, enthusiastic
- Boot
- to give. Ex., "Boot me that glove."
- Break it up
- to win applause, to stop the show.
- Bust your conk
- apply yourself diligently, break your neck.
- Canary
- girl vocalist.
- Capped
- outdone, surpassed.
- Chirp
- female singer.
- Clambake
- ad lib session, every man for himself, a jam session not in the groove.
- Clarinet
- Licorice Stick or Gob Stick
- Comes on like gangbusters
- plays, sings, or dances in a terrific manner, par excellence in any department. Sometimes abbr. to "That singer really comes on!"
- Corny
- old-fashioned, stale.
- Creeps out like the shadow
- "comes on," but in smooth, suave, sophisticated manner.
- Crumb crushers
- teeth.
- Cups
- sleep. Ex., "I gotta catch some cups."
- Dicty
- high-class, nifty, smart.
- Dig
- meet. Ex., "I'll plant you now and dig you later."
- Doghouse
- bass fiddle.
- Doss
- sleep. Ex., "I'm a little beat for my doss." [See dosshouse]
- Down with it
- through with it.
- Drums
- Suitcase, Hides, or Skins
- Fall out
- to be overcome with emotion. Ex., "The cats fell out when he took that solo."
- Final
- to leave, to go home. Ex., "I finaled to my pad" (went to bed); "We copped a final" (went home).
- Fine dinner
- a good-looking girl.
- Fraughty issue
- a very sad message, a deplorable state of affairs.
- Freeby
- no charge, gratis. Ex., "The meal was a freeby."
- Frisking the whiskers
- what the cats do when they are warming up for a swing session.
- Frolic pad
- place of entertainment, theater, nightclub
- Fruiting
- fickle, fooling around with no particular object.
- Gabriels
- trumpet players.
- Get in there
- go to work, get busy, make it hot, give all you've got.
- Gimme some skin
- shake hands.
- 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
- profits.
- Groovy
- fine. Ex., "I feel groovy." [Didn't know it was such an old expression.]
- Ground grippers
- new shoes.
- Gut-bucket
- low-down music.
- Hard
- fine, good. Ex., "That's a hard tie you're wearing."
- Hard spiel
- interesting line of talk. [From Yiddish]
- Hincty
- conceited, snooty.
- Hype
- build up for a loan, wooing a girl, persuasive talk, cajole.
- Ickaroo
- someone who can't dance or dig the jive
- Icky
- one who is not hip, a stupid person, can't collar the jive.
- Igg
- to ignore someone. Ex., "Don't igg me!)
- In the groove
- perfect, no deviation, down the alley.
- Jam
- improvised swing music. Ex., "That's swell jam."
- Jelly
- anything free, on the house.
- Joint is jumping
- the place is lively, the club is leaping with fun.
- Jumped in port
- arrived in town.
- Kill me
- show me a good time, send me.
- Killer-diller
- a great thrill.
- Knock
- give. Ex., "Knock me a kiss."
- Kopasetic
- absolutely okay, the tops.
- Land O'Darkness
- Harlem
- Lay some iron
- to tap dance. Ex., "Jack, you really laid some iron that last show!"
- Lay your racket
- to jive, to sell an idea, to promote a proposition.
- Lindy Crush
- Girl or Guy you would just LOVE to dance with.
- Line
- 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 (v.): to acquire something
- Lock up
- to acquire something exclusively. Ex., "He's got that chick locked up"; "I'm gonna lock up that deal."
- Melted out
- broke.
- Mess
- something good. Ex., "That last drink was a mess."
- Mitt pounding
- applause.
- Muggin'
- making 'em laugh, putting on the jive.
- Murder
- something excellent or terrific. Ex., "That's solid murder, gate!"
- Nix out
- to eliminate, get rid of. Ex., "I nixed that chick out last week"; "I nixed my garments" (undressed).
- Off-time jive
- a sorry excuse, saying the wrong thing.
- Off the cob
- corny, out of date.
- Out of the world
- perfect rendition. Ex., "That sax chorus was out of the world."
- Piano
- Storehouse or Ivories
- Ready
- 100 per cent in every way. Ex., "That fried chicken was ready."
- Ride
- to swing, to keep perfect tempo in playing or singing
- Righteous
- splendid, okay. Ex., "That was a righteous queen I dug you with last black."
- Rock me
- send me, kill me, move me with rhythym.
- Sad
- terrible. Ex., "That man is sadder than a map." "That was the saddest meal I ever collared."
- Sam got you
- you've been drafted into the army.
- Saxophone
- Plumbing or Reeds
- Sky piece
- hat.
- Spoutin'
- talking too much.
- Stache
- to file, to hide away, to secrete.
- To dribble
- to stutter. Ex., "He talked in dribbles."
- Togged to the bricks
- dressed to kill, from head to toe.
- Trilly
- to leave, to depart. Ex., "Well, I guess I'll trilly."
- Trombone
- Tram or Slush-Pump
- Truck
- to go somewhere. Ex., "I think I'll truck on down to the ginmill (bar)."
- Tuba
- Foghorn
- Twister to the slammer
- the key to the door.
- V-8
- a chick who spurns company, is independent, is not amenable.
- Vibraphone
- Ironworks
- Violin
- Squeak-Box
- Wrong riff
- the wrong thing said or done. Ex., "You're coming up on the wrong riff."
- Xylophone
- Woodpile
- Yarddog
- uncouth, badly attired, unattractive male or female.
- Zoot suit
- the ultimate in clothes. The only totally and truly American civilian suit
