A to Z: Hats Off and Bottoms Up!

Sound the kaZoos! This is it! The moment has arrived! The day the A to Z Challenge says,

"Z END"

Bravo to all of you A to Z participants, whose brainpower collided to generate a glorious buZZ of energy throughout cyberspace. This month was the cat's meow, so let's make whoopee, maybe even organize a rub where we can dance the Charleston and celebrate our achievement! If you missed out on any of it, don't be a wurp and just sit there like a flat tire left holding the bag (you look like a bug-eyed Betty when you frown) or recline like some high hat dewdropper, acting all upstage and giving A to Z the icy mitt. I'm sure you have your excuses, but tell it to Sweeney and then ankle on over to our blogs anyway so you can know your onions. Vamps, doll up with your munitions, and smoke-eaters, bring a pack to share. Come one, come all--everyone and everything is jake at A to Z!

But you'll have to drink more than noodle juice to achieve today's final installment of 1920s slang. Pick up your panther piss or other giggle water of choice and gulp down that quilt in hearty quantity to go from an edge to positively ossified.

~*~  ZOZZLED  ~*~

Meaning: Drunk

"Ladies, I don't know about you, but it's a hot day, these are cool bottles, and after twenty-six days of the A to Z Challenge, I'm getting good and zozzled."

And to the story that inspired my A to Z theme this year, cheers, SEVEN FOR A SECRET! I wish you well, my debut book baby, as you prepare to enter the world this summer. I promise I wasn't zozzled when you were conceived...well, not the entire time.

A to Z: Hardy-Har-Har

 
It's no joke--the A to Z Challenge is almost ov-ah! Getting a little slap-happy here toward the end, but cheers to all of you whose A to Z posts have cracked me up through the month. What a lovely community of bloggers, where there's no brewhaha, only bwahaha...

Laughter is the best medicine, so they say, so let's administer this next healthy dose of 1920s slang:

~*~  YOU SLAY ME!  ~*~

Meaning: That's funny!

"Sir, what day is it?"
"Thursday."
"So am I. Let's go have another beer."
"Ha! Fella, you slay me!"

A to Z: Charleston, Charleston...

Well, huzzah and hurrah for the X-citing final week of 2014's April A to Z Blog Challenge! What an X-cellent achievement for all the A to Z participants this year, who've X-celled in X-pressing their X-pertise for nearly the full X-tent of the alphabet so far.

And I bet I'm not the only one having to make an X-ception for today's letter, which is a tricky little sucker to find an X-ample of for this blog X-cercise.

Let me X-plain: I couldn't find an X word anywhere in the 1920s slang l-X-icon. So while I can't provide an X-act fit, to suit my purposes today, "X" stands for:

~*~  CRISS-CROSS  ~*~

As in, the knee-knocking Charleston dance.

Josephine Baker shows us how it's done.

A to Z: The Toxic 'Tude

I hate to burst your bubble, but the A to Z Challenge is almost over, ya know. No one involved is posting anything tomorrow since it's Sunday, and then after that, there are only three more days left in April. Bummer.

But I don't mean to be the Eeyore of the bunch and kill your spirits. The glass may be well more than half empty, but we still have four letters left to go (including today), which means your 1920s slang lesson ain't over 'til it's over, see?

And since today is "Double-U," I'm going to double the fun with a BONUS WORD! See? Things aren't all that bad, right? So let's party like it's April 1...

~*~  WURP  ~*~

Also, WET BLANKET 
(or FIRE EXTINGUISHER if a chaperone)
Meaning: A killjoy, Debbie Downer


~*~  WHOOPEE  ~*~
Meaning: To have a good time
(not necessarily sex, you dirty birdies)

"Geez, there goes Milli again, being a total
wurp when she should be making whoopee."

A to Z: Cocktails and Cockteases

My blog is batting its eyelashes at you today, beckoning you to come hither for today's A to Z Challenge.

Tempted?

Then sway your hips on over here like the sultry little hussy you are, and we'll roll more tantalizing Twenties slang off the tips of our velvety tongues.

Ba-boom chicka...

~*~  VAMP  ~*~

Meaning: An aggressive flirt, seductress.

Silent on screen,
this vamp had va-voom.

A to Z: The Indiscreet Elite

Condescending to join me again for the A to Z Challenge? Thank you, daaahhlings, for not turning your sophisticated noses up at my vulgar language.

The spirit of this month's theme stems from my debut novel, SEVEN FOR A SECRET, due for release by Omnific Publishing this summer. It's a half-contemporary, half-historical romance in which a Jazz Age tragedy haunts a modern woman's love life. So to shape you into the right attitude for the haughty high hats and floozy flappers of Al Capone's Chicago, let's recommence our elocution lessons with some new 1920s vocabulary, dears...

~*~  UPSTAGE  ~*~

Meaning: Snobby, arrogant.

"Everything jake? Wanna come back inside?"
"Aw, those women are so upstage, I'll never live down this run in my stocking."

A to Z: Shyeah, Right!

 
If I told you we're so close to being done with the A to Z Challenge, that I've managed to keep up with every letter of the alphabet so far, would ya believe it? I hardly can myself, but it's true--see for yourself, starting from here: A to Z: Talk the Talk for Walking the Walk.

And just to show that I'm still sticking with the program, I'll put my money where my slang-speaking mouth is with this next installment of Twenties terminology...

~*~  TELL IT TO SWEENEY  ~*~

Meaning: Tell it to someone who'll care/believe it.

"I just did the Charleston with an elephant!"
"Oh, yeah? Tell it to Sweeney."

A to Z: Put This in Your Pipe and Smoke it

New to the A to Z Challenge or my blog? Don't huff and puff--just take a long, smooth inhaaaaale and exhaaaaale and take the edge off with some background info:

My April 2014 A-Z theme

Who I am and what I'm sellin' ;)

Now that we've cleared the air on that, let's get our daily fix of 1920s slang...

~*~  SMOKE-EATER  ~*~

Meaning: A smoker.
(According to some sources, specifically a female smoker)

If you liked Snakes on a Plane (did you? Really?),
you'll love
Smoke-Eaters on a Train

A to Z: Buffalo Gals, Won't You Come Out Tonight?

Feeling fancy of foot? Well, put on yer dancin' shoes for the A to Z Challenge! Whether you do the Collegiate Shag or Varsity Drag, those spectators you're wearing are not for spectating today.

My personal favorite move? Knocking your knees while criss-crossing your arms over them.

Charleston, Charleston

Made in Carolina...

So peel yourselves away from the sidelines, my little wallflowers (and see if you can't get in a good neck when the chaperone's not looking).

~*~  RUB  ~*~

Meaning: A dance party for high school or college students.

"Say, Mary, this rub ain't such a flat tire after all."

A to Z: The Wet Blanket

In wrapping up the third week of Aprils' A to Z Challenge, I'm feeling the warm fuzzies from everyone's visits so far. Of all the blogs in all the A-to-Z world, you didn't have to pop into mine, but you did, so I hope this gin joint's been worth it. :)

Speakeasy, I mean, speaking of gin, if there's one thing to glean from a lot of this 1920s slang, it's that spirits warmed the spirit back then--significantly so, as alcohol became the forbidden fruit and rebellious young women who dared to bare more skin cloaked themselves instead in more than a lover's arms...

~*~  QUILT  ~*~

Meaning: A drink that warms you up.

"Who needs clothes when I drank a quilt?"

A to Z: The Whiskey with Whiskers

The manufacture and sale of alcohol might've been outlawed under Prohibition, but drinking it sure wasn't. While you could procure proper liquor through illegal channels, another option lay closer to home--as in right in the bathtub, if not by other moonshine means that gave you a real (boot)leg up on the law.

Forget the cat's meow; today's slang put the ROAR in "Roaring Twenties." And it's what my character Lon Ashby guzzles from a hollowed-out cane in SEVEN FOR A SECRET, learning the hard way that this kitten's got claws!

~*~  PANTHER PISS  ~*~

Also, PANTHER SWEAT
Meaning: Homemade whiskey.

"And now a splash of fusel oil to give our panther piss a good kick."

A to Z: High on the Hooch

It's one thing when your giggle water gives you an edge, quite another when it sends you over one...

Today's 1920s slang term makes a cameo in my part-contemporary, part-historical novel SEVEN FOR A SECRET, and it's not a pretty scene. Let's just say when my dear Lon Ashby drinks to drown his sorrows, his evening goes from jazz to jail. :(

~*~  OSSIFIED  ~*~

Meaning: Drunk.

  

Evil-eyed when ossified.

A to Z: Whatever Wets Your Whistle

Bring out the biscuits, cream, and fine bone china...the scones, the silver, and a saucer of slang.

It's A-to-Z time, darlings!
Do you take your cup-o-Twenties terminology with one lump or two?

Now let's raise our postures and pinkies and stir up some fun. For whilst the ladies of Downton sip sweetly as Grantham walks his pooch, the flappers of Downtown spike this drink with two-parts hip-flask hooch.

~*~  NOODLE JUICE  ~*~

Meaning: Tea.

"I'm ready to chase this noodle juice with something stronger."

A to Z: Bringing out the Big Guns

If you stepped out a moment to powder your nose, don't muss yourself over what you may have missed. You can brush up on the A to Zs of 1920s slang from here: Talk the Talk for Walking the Walk.

Or simply gloss over that and pick up from here, the heavy artillery packed with some of the flapper's most powerful ammo...

~*~  MUNITIONS  ~*~

Meaning: Face powder & rouge.

"Drastic times call for drastic measures.
Bring out the munitions, darling."

A to Z: You Have it Comin'...or Do You?

There's an overwhelming number of participants in this year's A to Z Challenge, so if you haven't made it over to my blog until now, don't worry. I don't blame you. I haven't gotten around to many blogs myself, so I don't feel owed anything.

But today's slang of the 1920s is dedicated to those crummy times when we don't get paid what's due to us or, even worse, must pay the price for someone else's folly.

~*~  LEFT HOLDING THE BAG  ~*~

Meaning: Getting the blame. / Being cheated out of your fair share.

"I didn't do it, I swear! Harvey killed 'im and left me holding the bag, that lousy rat!"

A to Z: The Ease of Expertise

Ignorance is not always bliss. So if you're first joining me here and still don't get what Blogging from A to Z is all about, it's time to get in the know: A to Z Challenge.

Now that you're informed and ready to proceed, allow me to further educate you on Roaring Twenties slang so you don't go into my debut novel blindly.

~*~  KNOW YOUR ONIONS  ~*~

Meaning: Know what's up. Know what you're doing/talking about.

"So then I says to him,
'Listen. The next time you check under my hood, you'd better know your onions.'"
--Gladys on persisting car troubles, but her innuendo helps her colleagues pass the workday.

A to Z: It's All Good

First joining me for the A to Z Challenge? Don't worry, be happy! Because you can still catch up from here: A-Z, and all that jA-Zz.

We cool?

You see, today is all about hakuna matata, my friends. The flapper finds her freedom in always feeling good and feeling fine. So ev'ryting be irie for this little nugget of Twenties slang:

~*~  JAKE  ~*~

Meaning: Cool, fine, great

Everything's jake until someone looks down.

A to Z: The Colder Shoulder

Welcome back to the April A to Z Challenge, where my blog shall not spurn your advances should you wish to shower it with comments--even if today's topic is devoted to the sad affair of unrequited love...

*sigh*

Like a fickle lover who dost not warm to your tender embrace, this next 1920s slang term only puckers its lips to deliver the kiss off.

~*~  ICY MITT  ~*~

Meaning: Rejection

"Blast you, temptress! I gave you my heart, only to receive the icy mitt."

A to Z: Don't Scrape Your Nose on the Way Out

Hm? You're here for what? Oh, yes...well. I suppose I could condescend to continue with the April A to Z Challenge. I can't be bothered to explain the whole drab affair to you again, however, and the help has the day off, otherwise I'd ring them, so please redirect your inquiry here: A-Z, and all that jA-Zz

I really do think it's marvelous you came to my blog, though, darling. I apologize that I'm not dressed up for the occasion; I only wear this old thing when I don't care what I look like. And the language of commoners isn't quite the worthy spectacle, is it? So let's just be done with this next linguistic lesson in 1920s slang, as featured in my upcoming novel Seven for a Secret--which I'd love for you read, if it's not too high-brow for your tastes, of course... ;)

~*~  HIGH HAT  ~*~

Meaning: Snob

"Boy, would I like to give those high hats a real spit-shine!"

A to Z: From Bathtub to Bottle, this Brew's for You!

Welcome back *hiccup* to my contri--*hic*--bution to the April 2014 *hiccup* A to Z Challenge. If you're new to the challenge or *hiccup* my blog, here's a brief explanation of what I--*hic*--I'm aiming for here: A-Z, and all that jA-Zz

Pardon the hiccups; perhaps I over-imbibed. Or maybe I just need to wash 'em down with more smooth 1920s slang. Bottom's up!

~*~  GIGGLE WATER  ~*~

Meaning: Booze, hooch

"This date's a flat tire.
Nothing like giggle water
to give me an edge."

A to Z: The Young and the Yawning

*yawn*
Hm? What? Oh sorry, I must have zoned out for a second there on this dull and dreary day. But that's not the right attitude, is it? We must have zest for life! Live like there's no tomorrow! That's the fun of a flapper, after all, so let's dance!

If you're scratching your head in a daze because you missed my original post about the A to Z Challenge, don't feel deflated. You can find it here:  A-Z, and all that jA-Zz

Meanwhile, the Devil is finding work for idle hands to do, so let's keep ourselves occupied brushing up on our 1920s slang:

~*~  FLAT TIRE  ~*~

Meaning: A bore

"Boy, this road trip sure became
a real flat tire once we got
that...flat tire."

A to Z: Tipsy from Your Tipple?

Why, hello, hellooo! Fancy meeting you here! If you've stumbled in here after-hours and are curious what this is all about, my explanation is at this link, if you can still read it through your beer goggles:  A-Z, and all that jA-Zz

And now, let us raise our drinks in toast to my next A to Z Challenge 1920s slang term, as well as the intoxicating debut novel that inspired this theme. Cheers!

~*~  EDGE  ~*~

Meaning: Intoxication, a buzz 

"Woo! I've got an edge from that gin fizz."

A to Z: You Snooze, You Lose

 
Rise and shine! Get outta bed, you lazy lunks--there's work to be done here! Language lessons to be learned!

If you missed my first post about the Blogging from A to Z Challenge and can't be bother to navigate back to it manually, I'll make it easier for you: A-Z, and all that jA-Zz

And now it's time to roll up your sleeves to take on a new 1920s slang term. This one appears in my contemporary/historical romance novel Seven for a Secret (due out in August), so stop dawdling,  you dandy, and get wise to the jive:

~*~  DEWDROPPER  ~*~

Meaning: An unemployed young man who lies around all day

"At least have the decency to remove your hat,
you idle dewdropper."

A to Z: Felines are the Fashion

Ladies and gentlemen! Step right up to the latest craze since knees on bees...

But first, if you missed my original post about the Blogging from A to Z Challenge: A-Z, and all that jA-Zz

And now, without further ado, I give you today's installment of 1920s slang to prepare you for when Seven for a Secret is the next greatest thing. ;)

~*~  CAT'S MEOW  ~*~

Also, the CAT'S PAJAMAS or WHISKERS

Meaning: Something great, wonderful

"I'm telling you, 
cats in hats are the cat's meow.
Everyone's doing it."

A to Z: The Bee's Knees She Ain't

Well, good morning, everyone! Welcome back to my humble abode, where by the end of the month, I hope to have you speaking in Twenties tongues.

In case you missed my original post about the Blogging from A to Z Challenge:

 A-Z, and all that jA-Zz

The full list of A-Z blog-hoppers

I now bring you the next installment of 1920s slang so you're hip to the jive by the time my 1920s novel Seven for a Secret come out. I will be the first to say that this one's rather mean, but it does appear in the book, so I'd be remiss not to help you translate:

~*~  BUG-EYED BETTY  ~*~

Meaning: An undesirable woman

"Fellas, just wait-n-see. 
I'm not the bug-eyed Betty I used to be."