Speak like Gatsby: Words and Expressions of The Jazz Age (1920s/30s) | History of English 

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I was born in 1948 and knew most of these, with the exception of "noodle juice" and cake eater. Few places in the US had Chinese restaurants in the 20's outside the big cities. Most people who heard "baby grand" in the 20's would answer "piano". A type of sarcasm ran through American popular English like if there was a movie that you definitely didn't want to see because of the genre or star you might say "I'm running". When you said "listen Brother or listen Sister, it didn't signify closeness but annoyance.

With reference to the use of Gat - when referring to a gun in jazz speak - I served in the British army during the 1980s and we affectionately called our personal weapon of the time (7.62 Self Loading Rifle) a gat - which, in this sense, was short for gatling gun - an early form of multi-bareled machine gun.

I have heard “cheaters” used quite a bit here in the US, but they only seem to refer to the non-prescription reading glasses you get in a store for like $10.

My 3-month-old laughs hard when I sing Minnie the Moocher along. I had never looked the word up, but could sense it had to do with Harlem's hoodlums. Now I know. Thank you Gideon. I shall be a bad mum and keep on singing Haaa-de-haaa-de-haaaa-de-haaaa to my baby.

The acting in the end is too much!!! I'm cracking up 🤣🤣🤣 Jack is such a good sport about participating in these videos I'm even though he seems shy. You guys make a great duo! 😜

Great Gideon!! You don't lose the mojo, your videos are always unique, you made my afternoon, I traveled back in time, your text is sensational, lactose intolerance was brilliant kkkkk, Jack's participation was superb, I feel light, thanks for showing this video. 👏👏👏

What a swell moving picture. I was giggling even though I hadn't had a drop of giggle water.

Jack is rudiculously adorable 😍

I really appreciate your content. Being a Londoner living in Edinburgh, it's good to have some YT videos (you're channel) to show the many Scots in Edinburgh who hear my accent and automatically call me a cockney. I was born in West London, Hammersmith. Started working on many building sites around the city and East London (Olympic park in Stratford, and the Westfield shopping centre when they were under construction). And yes, there were plenty of East London and Essex contractors who would remind me that we were "posh" from West London, and that they were the true cockneys. Tbh I had no problem with that at all, especially being called posh, because if anyone heard me speak that will be the last thing they would label me as. But you're right, the true cockneys are a proud bunch - and rightfully so. They have been that influential on the people they've been around that their accent and mannerisms have spread across the majority of South East England. To anyone outside of London, I sound exactly like a cockney, and some people will mimic my way of talking when I'm in a conversation with them. Now, I'm not stupid, I know when someone is doing it with venom - when they are intending to belittle me. But there have been plenty of times when I've been speaking to someone for more than a few minutes and you gradually see their own way of talking change to start matching mine, and they don't realise at first. It's quite funny. I actually tried searching, "why do accents sound the way they are," a few months ago, and you're content didn't pop up. And I never got an answer to my question until I found your videos last week. Again, thank you for the interesting history of language, I look forward to more of your content.

I still use “snazzy” along with a lot of these 1920s terms! They’re way more fun to say. (I don’t think I’ll be picking up “noodle juice” any time soon though!)

I've just discovered your channel and am an immediate subscriber. I always love working on improving my English and you and Jack managed to somehow make that even more fun. You're a couple of swell fellas and I had the grandest of times absorbing this talkie of yours!

If you want a sample of dialogue in 1920's America ---- specifically in New York --- just read anything by Damon Runyon. He specialized in putting the real vernacular on paper. There was so much popular slang in his stories that now they can be difficult for a modern reader to understand. He is now thought of as a satirist/humorist, but in fact the stories were often very realistic and emotionally sensitive. However, popular speech outside of New York did not much resemble what he documented, though there was some slang that was more widespread and came to be popularized in movies during the 1930s.

Fairly awsome episode, Gideon!

McCoy was a rumrunner in the early 20s. He operated a sailboat where he brought liquor in from the Bahamas. He quit around 1923 as rumrunning became a big business and larger motorized ships took over.McCoy was noted for always having quality whiskey. But there is an argument to be made that the real McCoy was an African-American engineer, who invented an oil valve for steam engines, which changed the way trains ran in that they no longer had to stop every few miles to oil the engine, because now it could be automatically done.

This is such an amazing video - once again you excelled yourself. Many thanks for your dedication and I’m looking forward to hearing you again on Zeitgeist Banana! All these chilled chats you are having with Matt Damon are such a goldmine of trivia facts, slang words and idioms

Boy, that skit at the end sure was swell! 🤣

In the 1920s, it was common to hear the word "flat" used for "apartment". My mom used to use that word and she was born in the '20s. I think "cigarette" had a slang word too.

Simply the best English teacher, EVER. On and off line. Thank you! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

The word "to lick" with a meaning of "to beat" or "to blow" I first came across in M.Twain's "Adventures of T. Sawyer" and "Huck Finn". From "The Great Gatsby" I remember the usage of "toward" instead of "towards"

Truly enjoyed this video

Thanks for the idioms. I may start using a couple of them)

this vid was the cat’s meow, the bee’s knees. you’re really Puttin’ on the Ritz - lots of razzamatazz :) 😋

What a great history lesson included, all in one 🎉

So much fun to watch. Swell!

"Cake eater" is current US military slang for "officer", as opposed to enlisted personnel (lower ranks) who don't get to eat fancy stuff while downrange (deployed in a battle zone).

Most of these I knew mainly from watching old B&W classic movies altho some are still in usage today. Baby Grand I wasn't familar with but considering a Grand Piano or Baby Grand Piano is a large/heavy object (I'm assuming this is the reference) it makes sense as slang for a larger person.

Loved it. I'm hooked you MOJO!

Entertaining and informative. I particularly enjoyed the preliminary historical background for the jazz era. There are a couple of items that you might add, though: - "gat" is from "Gatling gun", which was an alternate reference for a "tommy gun", based on the old weapon with multiple barrels. Some used it as a reference to a double action revolver, though. - "swell" is also used to refer to a rich (or posh) individual "That guy's a real swell." - "the real McCoy". What you said was pretty close, but this is the full information, which is pretty interesting and you might enjoy: "The real McCoy" was the inventor Elijah McCoy (black),born in Canada in 1844. He had many different inventions including an ironing board and a lawn sprinkler. Other companies copied his devices, but these never worked as well as Elijah's so people would say, "I want a , and make sure it's a real McCoy."

Gideon, what a clever man you are. Absolutely amazing video! Your guest is handsome and pleasant in communication. Have a lovely December for both of you.

You are a very good teacher, I am really sorry for my previous comments ...God bless you

You have definitely got your mojo working. Outdone yourself on this one, Gideon! Thanks for this great video. And now for some tomato cake ...

That cabaret at the finish line was swell!

Swell, guys ! I really digged it . That Trac(e)y must be some broad ! Kudos, but don't smoke each other, for her, we don't want a stiff with the cops crawling around. I'm saving the video, I want to watch it again.

I got ALL the transatlantic expressions easily... Now where's my prize? The roaring 20s giggle juice screen play should get you an Academy Award.

That was swell!! 👏👏

Love this video...😊

Nifty video. Now I'm on the trolley.

That was swell! 😍👏🏼

Noodle Juice reminded me of Umbrella Juice. In Spanish we have the equivalent to “umbrella juice” (jugo de paraguas) for a bad quality coffee.

What a grand flick!

😂I loved this. I’m 67 and to young for the jazz age jargon but I grew up watching old movies. I also grew up in Chicago. I figure that as late as 1970 when I was 15 my friends and I used at least half of these terms. I certainly know the guys used the term broad. A gat became a piece. Liquor was booze. I read recently that Chicagoans no longer want a Chicago accent. I suppose it has to do with being pegged as the working class, blue collar. For example, dat was that and I was a nort sider, meaning I lived on the north side of the city, north of Madison.

Great videos

"Swell" also means a rich person, who may live "where the swells live". My dad used to say that. A "baby grand" is a smaller version of a concert piano ("a grand piano"), still current. Both are larger than an upright piano. I've never heard "noodle juice".

"Broad", meaning a woman, is a strange word. I remember Frank Sinatra referring to his then wife Mia Farrow as a broad, which sounded quite insulting, and didn't seem to fit her.

You are truly a big shot. A got the drift of jazz age through your video. And the Great Gatsby is a big shot.

That was really swell!

Come to thinks of it: Merry chrimbo to you Gideon! Greetings from Casablanca Morocco. I have been with you through thick and thin since the lockdown started. Have a good one gaffer! Thanks ever so much for your time, as well as dog's bollocks lessons. Off I go ! Bye for now and stay mellow as you would say.

Big Shot is still everyday talk for me in the US (late gen x - early millennial) . Mojo, everyday speech since before Austin Powers, Real MacCoy is maybe not daily but common speech, Fat Chance - daily speech, Carry a torch - daily speech, noodle juice - for broth, occasionally; for tea - never, it's racist, Baby Grand, rarely but it could be considered body-shaming, Dead Soldiers - rarely, possibly also for cigarette butts, Cheaters - Never, it's shaming the visually impaired, live wire - common but not daily speech, joint = place makes me realize that I'm not sure if I've ever used the word "place" in common speech - the normal word for place unless you say "spot"... I've said "Ready to blow this joint?" a million times, swell - still used if you are intentionally trying to sound ironically pure, giggle water- occasionally used if you want to be cute, manacle/handcuff - not really used anymore (most people have no idea what a manacle is, we don't use that word here in any context, but they would still understand handcuff), tomato - not really used unless you want to sound old-timey but people still know what it means, cake-eater - lol not daily but we still use it (cuz cake is also slang for sex or...um the "kitty"), goofy for - not really used often but we get it, dipped the bill - not common, flapper - everyone knows but it's not really a style/designation now, gun slang has changed but we get/use most gun slang at least occasionally, mooch - daily speech and the most common term for that meaning out of all terms equaled possibly only be free-loader.... crazy that so much of our modern American speech has it's origins in the Jazz age. The vast majority of these both myself, my older, and my younger friends use daily!!!! It only sounds old-fashioned is you use them all in one conversation. Even the extra stuff from the skit: on the level, broad, razz, dolled up, yes, siree, licked, cheese ($), jitters - all daily usage, many others common or at least understandable....also I WAS a cigarette girl at one point, (early 2000s) lol. I never thought about how American these phrases are. Thanks for the video.

snazzy (adj.) "stylish, flashy," 1932, U.S. colloquial, perhaps a blend of snappy and jazzy... one of my fave words from this era... "A Gat" came from the Gatling gun invented in 1861 by Richard Gatling. It is an early machine gun and a forerunner of the modern electric motor-driven rotary cannon... you have seen it used in tons of Cowboy movies...

Thanks for the informative and enjoyable video. As 60-year-old American, I never heard the idiom "noodle juice." - Sincerely, Mark

That was swell fellas!

I hadn't heard about that McCoy! Fascinating! I'd only heard of the earlier one, Elijah McCoy, a Black Detroiter (born in nearby Essex Co., Ontario) who invented a self-lubricating device for train motors. (Trains were once one of Detroit's big industries but it wall went to Chicago pretty quickly for obvious geographic reasons.)

I assimilated so much about your video, that I use some of phrases...but my friends are not English-people speaking...so I have to explain, and come back to my school Emglish. So, I keep all your funny and cultural phrases for myself...as long as I can use them to UK-US and other "natives".

0:38 “Jazz era was still in full *swing*”

I grew up in rural Maine, in northern New England, and dead soldiers is a very common expression there.

Haha, I believe it's the kind of language whose equivalent in French is that spoken in the movies staring Jean Gabin. Thank you---take care 👍👍

That was the cat's pajamas! The bee's knees!

Swell video - it got my mojo rising! 😁

25:41 very famous song - “Minnie the Moocher” sung by Cab Calloway. (26:03 you played it! :) it was made into an incredible cartoon in a Betty Boop by Fleischer Studios. the movement in their cartoons was so fluid. nothing like their work has ever been done. the Hallowe’en ones were fantastic - dancing skeletons, ghosts and witches. even trees danced. it’s as if the cartoonists were high. rotfl 😋🤣

Gat: from Gatling Gun, one of the earliest rapid-fire weapons. Named for inventor Richard Jordan Gatling.

Another great cultural & lingual video. Thanks for sharing our mission, for anyone interested in seeing how language shapes our understanding of breaking news check out the link in the description.

Say, that was really swell!

23:00 Well might be used by someone old-fashioned, but I learned it from the Hey Arnold cartoon where Helga Pataki said "I'm never feeling goofy inside about any guy!" :)))))

That was swell!

American here- "gat" is definitely not obsolete. It is less common today- but it features prominently in the chorus of Notorious BIG song "Spit Yo Game" and a lot of other 90s and 2000s rap. Heater and stick are also still common, sadly. All 3 of these words people will know exactly what you mean.

Absolutely great & funny 👍💐🍾🍺

"If you must know mate, I gaught, ma self a girl now, that's right!" "Oh innit mate? Guvna?"

I can't agree with you that the Jazz Age continued into the 1930s. Life was wonderful until the Crash of 1929, I gather. My Grandfather born in 1888 went bankrupt in 1929 because his crop failed and he lost his Alberta grain farm. He never recovered from that. My father's father died in 1933 and born in 1864, but he married late and had a family with very young children that threw his family in northern New Brunswick deeper into the poverty in which they were already mired. My mother and father (mother born in late 1923 and father born in 1918) were both raised in the Jazz Age & Great Depression Era. They experienced the good times of the Jazz Age and, then, the poverty-stricken years of the Great Depression. My mother when she was forced to come back to rural Alberta with her mother and younger brother: "Nobody had a car." My Grandmother actually in the 1920s drove her neighbours into town to shop! Now, in the 1930s, "nobody had a car." Maybe, in the big American cities, there were speak easies, but in the Calvinistic smaller towns, I can't see that happening. Cigarette smoking for women? My Grandmother liked to tell the story about how she caught my mother at 16 smoking behind the barn! She didn't approve. Not one bit. My mother liked to rat on her father, "He didn't approve of dancing, but he liked playing cards so that wasn't a sin." LOLOL! My mother liked dancing and playing cards. She also had a beer every day. She dropped cigarettes in the 1950s long before it was fashionable not to smoke when cigarette went up a cent or 2 a pack and one of us dumped an ash tray at 2 over the other one's head. You're showing a 1920's and 1930's lifestyle maybe enjoyed by the college set, not most of the people. I was shocked that such a high percentage of Americans owned a car. I doubt that was true in Canada though although I think my parents came from backgrounds that were poorer than most.

Swell performance fellas!

Do you know the music hall duo Mr. Flotsam and Mr. Jetsam? They poked fun at American slang from the British perspective in the 1930s and 40s. “Oh yeah? And how! Says you? Says me.”

Hello , seeying many videos of yours i was getting curious about Irish accent , found some usefull tech but i wonder if you can find anything close to Alastair Duncan AK - " Mimir " from GOW Ragnarok , i just love that accent and i wanna learn that in some way as my accent goes more to russian accent and i have to rectify that , if this could be consider advertisement , i'm sorry and i will delete my comm . Many thanks !

"Spit your game, talk your sh*t, grab your gat, call your click, squeeze that clip, hit the right one, pass that w**d, got to light one." - Notorious B.I.G. One of many examples in modern rap music. Now all you've got to do is decipher the rest. 😂

Hey there, Can you make a video on helping speakers somehow to mimic the rhythm of English? Im Hungarian and we speak in such a low monoton tone that i find very hard to beat obviously because it comes from within.. Most of the time it's not my pronunciation that's wrong but the tone the flatness of my voice. Any suggestions pls? I hate when ppl don't understand me it destroys the little confidence i have when i need to speak :(

I love Jazz

It is a misconception that consumption of alcohol was outlawed during prohibition. Actually, only the manufacture, transport, and sale of alcohol was outlawed. The thinking was the current supply would eventually run out and people would then be forced to stop drinking.

There is a style of speech in Gatsby that reflects the spirit of the age - and if you want to hear more speech like this, you should watch American films from the 1930s. Movies like King Kong etc.

Dead soldiers is also still used in Canada. I heard it in French and learned its meaning back in 2011.

Gat is still used today. Especially in East coast (usa) slang.

Amazing! How long did it take to find all those movie scenes?🎥

We still use dead soldier in the st. louis area. When you finish your can of bud you throw the can and yell "dead soldier".

Also, the sketch is funny)

I just wanted to say where I am in the US we still use dead soldiers to refer to empty beer bottles and cans

Holy Toledo! That’s a gangster era exclamation one still hears in the states. Not sure if it made its way across the pond.

That was the cats meow.

That was a swell video! You haven't lost your acting chops ..

That gun gave me jitters..

Subtitle is very usefull🙏❤

“Cake eater” is now used disparagingly amongst carnies to mean a “dupe” or a “sucker” or an easy target

Best English classes there are...! I got my mojo back!

Hi Gideon！It's World Cup season now. What about talking about the sports English in the next video？Thank you and Happy winter！

Super duper.

40yr old American. Fascinating.

in German we use the term 'dead soldiers' = tote Soldaten for the speed breaker bumps on the roads, which are supposed to slow down motorists. Ironically here we have British black humor made in Germany.

Some of these were already used in the Old West not the 1920's, but became more common do to the 1920's and 30's. Ok I watched more of the video... he is saying the same thing.

"Seems to me , friend , that most Brits need to pack a heater when visiting their local giggle palace , with all these crumb-bums looking for action".

I think you'd say "Let's blow this joint" rather than "Let's leave this joint." And I think it implies that the joint is somehow lousy or disreputable. Do others hear it the same way?

Solid, Jack! And I got me a couple of Tommy guns! Swell, yeah!

that is a hit

I always thought a live wire is an electric cable or wire that is at a voltage high enough to give you a shock, for example a wire connected to the mains electrical supply, as opposed to a neutral or earth wire. Is a trip wire also known as a live wire?