Here 'tis...
A
A Hummer (n.) -- exceptionally good. Ex., "Man, that boy is a hummer."
Action --What's happening
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.
Apple -- Naive, unsophisticated
Armstrongs (n.) -- musical notes in the upper register, high trumpet notes.
Axe (n.) -- Musical instrument used to make a living
B
Baby (n.) -- Term of endearment
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 (n.) -- short for beatific
Beatific -- intent on joy
Beat it out (v.) -- play it hot, emphasize the rhythym.
Beat up (adj.) -- sad, uncomplimentary, tired.
Beat up the chops (or the gums) (v.) -- to talk, converse, be loquacious.
Beatnik (n.) -- sarcastic term for a beat. Derived by Herb Caen in 1958 as a
combination of Beat and Sputnik
Beef (v.) -- to say, to state. Ex., "He beefed to me that, etc."
Bible (n.) -- the gospel truth. Ex., "It's the bible!"
Bird (n.) -- female
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 (v.) -- to play; to depart; to make
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."
Box (n.) -- record player
Bread (n.) -- money
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.
Casbah (n.) -- lover's lane
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.
Clyde (n.) -- a square
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!"
Cool It -- calm down
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 (v.) -- leave
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
Dad (n.) -- a male, sometimes used as sarcasim
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 dome."
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.
Drag -- a disappointment
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.
Eye (n.) -- the television
F
Fall by (v.) -- visit
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 quatity.
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.
Flip -- go nuts over
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.
Fuzz (n.) -- police
G
Gabriels (n.) -- trumpet players.
Gammin' (adj.) -- showing off, flirtatious.
Gas -- exciting event
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; money
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 (adj.) -- wise
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."
Holding (v.) -- possession of drugs or money
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.
Jim -- derogatory term for men
Jitterbug (n.) -- a swing fan.
Jive (n.) -- Harlemese speech; offensive; no good
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."
Kicks (v.) -- fun; entertainment
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.
Later -- goodbye; forget it
Lay on (v.) -- give; loan
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.
Man, the (n.) -- police
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.
Most -- greatest
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."
Nutty (adj.) -- good; wild; hip
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; home
Pecking (n.) -- a dance introduced at the Cotton Club in 1937.
Peola (n.) -- a light person, almost white.
Pick up on -- understand
Pigeon (n.) -- a young girl.
Pops (n.) -- salutation for all males (see gate; Jack).
Pounders (n.) -- policemen.
Put on -- to tease
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. A story; conversation
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 rhythym.
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; rude
Scoff (v.) -- eat food
Score -- Aquire (often drugs or sex)
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."
Short (n.) -- car
Sides (n.) -- phonograph record
Signify (v.) -- to declare yourself, to brag, to boast.
Skins (n.) -- drums.
Skin-beater (n.) -- drummer (see hide-beater).
Skirt (n.) -- sexy girl
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.
Swing to -- to be happy; content
T
Take it slow (v.) -- be careful.
Take off (v.) -- play a solo.
Tapped -- broke; arrested
The man (n.) -- the law.
Threads (n.) -- suit, dress or costuem (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 isdoubled 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.) -- toothipick.
To dribble (v.) -- to stutter. Ex., "He talked in dribbles."
Togged to the bricks -- dressed to kill, from head to toe.
Tossed (v.) -- searched by police
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.
Turn on -- take drugs
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
Wail (v.) -- play; sing; talk
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.
Wig (n.) -- brain; mind
Wig to -- get very excited
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.) -- overexaggerated as applied to clothes.
Zoot suit (n.) -- overexaggerated clothes.
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| Jeff Harper || email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] |
| Club Avengers Scooter Club || scooter: '67 Lambretta TV 175 |
| Dallas, TX USA || scooter2: '61 Vespa Sportique |
| http://www.dominoeffect.com || scooter3: '74 Vespa Rally 200 |
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