JARGON OF THE UNDERWORLD
"The gorilla grabbed his rod and let the fall guy have the works. His bus was hot and be had been inhaling poison with his lingerie. When the bulls eased in J the mob had taken it on tbe lam." This is a specimen of the jargon employed by inhabitants of the underworld in some of the large cities of the tJnited States. Translated, the paragraph reads:— "The ruffian grabbed his gun and shot his victim. He was driving a stolen motor car and had been drinking bootleg liquor with hL girl. When the police arrived, the ruffians had beaten a retreat." In this language the finest jewels are referred to as "cracked ice." A small salary is "coffee and beans." A "hoofer" is a dancing man. A sophisticated man is one who knows his "goulash." An elderly and wealthy lady is a "classy mamma." Similarly a well-to-do man is a "sugar daddy." A good-looking girl is a "swell dish." To murder a person is to "bump him off."
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Bibliographic details
Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 109, 10 May 1928, Page 16
Word Count
173JARGON OF THE UNDERWORLD Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 109, 10 May 1928, Page 16
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