ABSTRACT
Slang terms like “get away sticks,” “let’s blouse,” and “hayburner” were a part of everyday conversation. During the 1920s and 1930s, gangsters used slang terms so they could talk in public without other people understanding what they were saying. Young people thought the gangster speak was fun and began using it in their everyday conversations. Pretty soon, everybody understood that if people dressed up to go to a party they were “putting on their glad rags.” Being the “cat’s meow” or the “bee’s knees” was a compliment, but being called a “palooka” or “rube” was an insult. With a little practice, people can talk like the gangsters, bootleggers, and flappers of Prohibition days. They need to use their noodle and the dictionary. Pretty soon they will be on the level with their gangster slang and able to beat their gums with the every big cheese.
