Glossary of Swing and Jitterbug Terms (part 1)

[Bapopik at AOL.COM]

   I just reached the last line when AOL signed me off.  I'll try this again in two parts.
   This undated, unsourced item was in the Barry Buchanan papers.  Lighter doesn't cite it in the RHHDAS, and also doesn't have some of these terms.
   This probably dates from 1938 or 1939.

(Pg. 32)
_Glossary of Swing and Jitterbug Terms_

"alligators"...swing fans, jitterbugs, also dancers
"barrel house"...crude, low down playing
"beat"...tired, lacking anything, low in spirit
"beat to your socks"...lacking everything, broke, exhausted
"beat your chops"...to talk, be loquacious
"blow your top off"...in happy spirit, in a gay mood
"boogie-woogie"...heavy bass (as applied to blues)
"break it up"...to stop the show
"bring down"...depressing, anything you don't like
"bust your conk"...something that will make you enthuse, "send you," go to your head, apply yourself diligently
"canary"...girl vocalist in orchestra
"carpet-cutting"...dancing (same as rug-cutter)
"cat"...devotee of swing
"chick"...a girl
"chilly-chang"...sensational, out-of-this-world
"clambake"...every man for himself, resulting in bad music
"come again"...to do better than you are doing
"cooling"...laying off between engagements
"corn"...not modern, "dated"
"corny"...old fashioned
"creep"...slow dancing, not much pep
"cut out"...depart or leave
"dig"...look, meet or comprehend
"dig me"...see me later and tell me more
"Dracula"...in a class by itself
"easy Jackson"...a guy who will take a drink, but seldom buys one
"evil" in bad humor
"fall out"...oversome with emotion
"fems"...the fairer sex
"floogie"...a dance innovation, a dance step
(Col. 2--ed.)
"floosey"...a girl who rides on the rear seat of a motorcycle
"fluke"...an odd person, very clever
"fooey"...terrible, false, hard to believe
"four-six and five"...a jumbled conversation
"from Dixie"...stale, lacking interest, antiquated
"fruiting"...fooling around
"gage"...reefers
"gate"...a salutation, a man, a "hepster" or a pal
"ghee"...a fellow, man, guy
"got your boots on"...know what ti's all about, awake, aware of what is going on
"grip the flesh"...let me shake your hand, shake my hand
"gutbucket"...low down music
"having myself a time"...to enjoy one's self, having fun or celebrating
"he walks in six-eight tempo"...someone who has been kicked in the shins
"hep cat"...one who knows what it's all about
"hepped"...to be wise to things, in-the-know
"high"...intoxicated by liquor or marihuana
"high as a kite"...giddy, feeling good, aesthetic
"hitchy"...snooty or conceited
"icky"...one who is not hep; a corny person
"in the chips"...having money
"in the groove"...inspired emotionally
"in your cups"...intoxicated, half-asleep
"jam"...improvised swing music
"jamboree"...a meeting place for jitterbugs, a dance contest
"jam session"...a swingfest in which all men improvise
"Jeff"...a fellow (same as ghee)
"jelly"...anything free; on the house
"jitterbug"...a swing fan, a dance of the modern school

Continued on pg. 33...