The Jazz Age

1920s

Jazz Age Slang1-Cat’s Meow

2-Gatecrasher

3-Blind Date

4-Big Cheese

5-Bump Off

6-Cake Eater

7-Flat Tire

8-Giggle Water

11-Gams12-Heebie Jeebies13-High Hat14-Flapper15-Gyp16-Darb17-Gin Mill18-Bee’s Knees19-Sheba20-Carry a Torch

Jazz Age Slang

1. Cat’s Meow= Fantastic

2. Gatecrasher= Someone who “crashes” a party

3. Blind Date= Date with someone you’ve never met

4. Big Cheese= Important person

5. Bump Off= Murder

6. Cake Eater= A lady’s man

7. Flat Tire= Dull, boring person

8. Giggle Water= Alcoholic drink

9. Gams= Woman’s legs

10. Heebie Jeebies= Jitters

11. High Hat= Snob

12. Flapper= “New Woman” of 1920s

13. Gyp= Cheat

14. Darb= Great or Wonderful

15. Gin Mill= Speakeasy

16. Bee’s Knees= Superb person or think

17. Sheba= Young sexy lady

18. Carry a Torch= Suffer from unrequited love

Jazz Age Slang Cont.

How does this new vocabulary reflect the culture of the Jazz Age?

What role does slang play in your life today?

Is the way we talk a reflection of our society today, if so, how?

Nativism

Preference for native born people

Limit immigration

Normalcy

People felt threatened by immigrants

Sacco and Vanzetti

Immigrants and anarchists

Blamed for the murder and robbery of two men

Found guilty and executed

Eugenics

Improving hereditary traits

Inequalities are inherited

Don’t breed with “inferior” races

KKK

Resurgence during the 20s

Targeted African Americans as well as Jews and other immigrants

Pledged to preserve America’s white, Protestant civilization

New Morality

Encouraged youth and freedomWomen in the workforceCars= independenceFlapper= unconventional woman

Drank prohibited liquorSmokedClothing was too revealingCharleston

Prohibition

Banning alcoholEighteenth Amendment, 1920Speakeasies= secret barsBootlegging= illegal production and distribution of alcoholOrganized crime fostered speakeasiesAl Capone= dominated organized crime

Prohibition

How do you get people to stop doing something that isn’t good for them? Do the lessons of Prohibition apply to drugs? Some people say we should make it legal to buy drugs; then criminals could not earn big money selling drugs. Others say that would encourage people to use drugs. What do you think?