How about sharing some old, out of use, expressions with me?
I am watching the Maltese Falcon and I am way digging the old expressions they use like “dingus” for the bird; “shove off” for get lost and “the cooler” for jail. I might just take up using these expressions. Any other you can think of?
Observing members:
0
Composing members:
0
67 Answers
I’ve always been a fan of “to the tune of” as a descriptor of money spent.
IE, “Just today, the House weighed in on how much it cares about health care in America, to the tune of a trillion dollars”.
I like it a lot, because it makes me think that people spend money like a weird orchestra, or that there are certain purchases that are “harmonic”.
But I am weird, to the tune of “a whole lot of weird.”
I still refer to the radio as the wireless
“Out of sight!”
“Boss, man!”
“Far Out.”
“Neato!”
“Keen”
I always liked ‘grody’ to describe something gross or dirty.
“Your father’s mustache.”
“Bully” as an affirmation of awesomeness.
“So I hear old Shanksides finally got himself a good woman!”
“BULLY!”
This question is the bee’s knees.
Oh my stars and garters!
Heavens to Betsy!
Here’s lookin’ at you, kid.
Boss! (as a way of saying something is good)
edited to add: @Aphi, I always think of that in the phrase, “Well, bully for you.”
Skedaddle
Shenanigans
23 Skiddoo
Chump
Mickey Finn
Yegg
Tomato
Gams
So’s yer old man!
Blow it out your barracks bag.
The Cat’s Pajamas
Now you’re on the trolley!
I’m stumped, but thanks for the groovy question!
Wise guy hunh?
The use of “sand” to mean moxie or balls.
I also love the gesture of clasping your hands together and shaking them firmly on one side of your head and then the other to indicate some type of congratulation or self congratulation. I can imagine people cheering Huzzah!
Oh! @kalafatic! I like moxie in general and think it is highly underused!
The cat’s meow.
Tickled pink (possibly a southern thing, but I think only people my grandmother’s age really say it anymore)
This post sure has drawn out the peanut gallery, by crackey!
@EmpressPixie ; I still say “tickled Pink!” I’m old but not old enough to be your grandma!!
Another phrase I often use that is quite dated is “I tell thee” for example:
“By heck it’s nithering outside I tell thee”
@Judi: We all have old-fashioned phrases we like. But now every time I read your posts they’re going to be in my grandmother’s voice.
Sit on it!
You’re the cat’s pajamas!
Snarfle as in I snarfled the whole bag of chips in one sitting.
@EmpressPixie ; I hope your grandmother is a “sweet old lady,” and not a mean grumpy grandma!
Bodacious!
That’s dope!
“Get sloppy” for being all emotional
They’ll “give you the business”
That’s swell!
All that jazz (though, honestly, I still use this)
Golly!
What a goon
Leaping lizards!
Jumpin’ crayfish
Boss
Where’s the Beef?
G-men
Another one I’m guilty of Okey Dokey
Well I’ll be a monkey’s uncle
Well cut of my legs and call me Shorty
I say “tuckered out” a lot and apparently this is a result of me residing with my grandparents because no one uses this phrase and my bf often makes fun of me for saying it.
@OreetCocker Sounds like you’re a Yorkshireman!
“Ready to roll.”
We used to say “scratch” or “moted” when someone was proved wrong or made a mistake.
By Jiminy!
Dad gum
Gee, whillikers!
Swell
Neato
Professor Egghead
I wish my brother George was here… (from Liberace’s TV show in the 50s)
Zip! POW! To the moon, Alice!
My mother often uses the word ‘song’ to suggest a very low price or amount of money. As in, ‘She sold that house for a song.’ Or, ‘He got that tractor for a song.’
She also says ‘sow your wild oats.’ There are variations on it. I guess it means this: ‘to do wild and foolish things in one’s youth’.
She’s from Texas.
Check out this page (may not be SFW or anyone)! And why was I shocked to see that there was slang for heroin in those days? D’uuuuh.
Beeswax is from the 20s, as in “none of your beeswax!” Also, things could be “the bees’ knees.” And I still say both though I was born 45+ years later.
Say goodnight Gracie
Goodnight Mrs. Kalabash wherever you are
Along the lines of Maltese Falcon
Gat, rod, – gun
Moll, skirt, dame – woman
Moola, greenbacks, bread – Money
Copper, flatfoot – Cop
@ccrow Love the close up avatar!
@ccrow ; that looks a lot like my dog molly!
@Dog What does Wing Nut mean? Perhaps it is a west coast saying that us easterner’s haven’t heard?
It means that someone has bats in his bellfry.
“Boarding house reach” refers to reaching across the table for a plate that should have been handed down.
Having a hitch in your get-along is another great one.
Loved these, you guys! I’m going to make a list (@aprilsimnel: great link to the 30’s list!) and promise to start using some of these.
@chyna
My corgi is also named Molly. ._.
“Egad!”
“A stitch in time saves nine”
“Blast”
“Swell”
“Dandy”
“Your Mother wears army shoes”
“Mad as a hatter”
“Rubber Biscuit”
“Eat my grits”
“That’s Cherry”
“Birds of a feather flock together”
“Jasper”
“Owl Hoot”
“Elevator does not go to the top floor”
“Plum dandy”
(sorry if any of the above have been said- I am on sleep deprivation)
He was nice enough but her was Half a bubble off plumb.
“Riding the blind” ... It means to ride in the frame beneath a box car. In the blind spot, where the conductor can’t see you while the train is moving.
I gave him “all nine yards.” Several maybes on where this came from. One popular one is that the .50 caliber machine gun used in US fighter planes from world war two had nine yard ammunition belts.
He was a “rounder.” Means he’s no good.
“The whole nine yards,” I thought came from cement trucks. The load was measured in (cubic) yards, and a standard truck was nine of ‘em.
And I’d heard it meant wearing the 9-yards of Great Kilt like a true Scotsman, and not just the smaller, “wee kilt.” <shrug>
Well, wait, now, I like a wee kilt! On a Scotsman. Easier to remove.
If I’m not mistaken, I believe that “Plum Dandy” has been supplanted by “Plum Diddy”.
I’m just sayin’..
I like the catch phase “Cat’s Pajama’s”
@MorenoMelissa1: MIlo here; I wouldn’t be caught dead in pajamas. I sleep (most of the day) in my luxuriant black and white coat.
Answer this question 
Composing members:
0
