Chicago Defender: "Back Door Stuff"

[Wilson Gray]

A few of these have never gone out of use or have changed their meanings or
pronunciations only slightly.

The slam(mer) – any kind of local lock-up; also referred to as "The house of
many doors."

Cut out – form and meaning remain unchanged


Fly – likewise

Getting one's kicks – enjoying oneself in any way at all

In bondage – I know only the usual "in hock"

Bur(r)-head – An insulting term known to, but not - or no longer - used by,
blacks

Blackhead – I know only the standard meaning, though, if this is a misprint
for "blockhead," it reminds me of the St. Louis "hardhead": any random black
male

Stallion – in St. Louis, a sexually-attractive woman, especially a "healthy"
one with broad hips, a large, "cut-under" arse, what my ace boon coon
referred to as "those mee-tee, mee-tee thighs," and "big" legs.

Scarf –  identical meaning; considered by some to be a hypercorrect
respelling of "scoff," based on _Escoffier_.

-Wilson Gray


On 12/17/05, Benjamin Zimmer <bgzimmer at babel.ling.upenn.edu> wrote:
>
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Benjamin Zimmer <bgzimmer at BABEL.LING.UPENN.EDU>
> Subject:      Chicago Defender: "Back Door Stuff"
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Now that the Chicago Defender is online, one feature worthy of
> investigation is "Back Door Stuff," a column written by Dan Burley
> from late 1935 to early 1937 (when he switched to a sports column,
> "Talkin' Out Loud"). The columns are full of descriptions of Chicago
> nightlife, and in several of them Burley provides entries for what he
> calls "Back Door's Revised Dictionary." Below are the definitions I
> came across -- notable entries include "fly", "gettin' my kicks", and
> "scarf" ('eat' OED/MWCD 1960).
>
>
> May 2, 1936, p. 23/4, Doc ID 745705882
> Hoist-man -- Holdup or stickup man.
> Bottle squad -- Police detailed to arrest drunks.
> Bottle gang -- Group to which belong the "lush heads."
> Boigal -- Two genders in one person.
>
> May 9, 1936, p. 23/5, Doc ID 761158162
> The slammer -- 48th St. jail.
> Cut out -- To leave.
> Treading the shorts -- Walking up and down 47th St.
> Copper -- Not a policeman, but a continual liar (Bennie's is full of 'em
> --Ed.).
> Fly -- When something looks very okay.
> Milk-fed -- Term applied to real "mellow chicks."
>
> May 16, 1936, p. 19/7, Doc ID 761163622
> Gettin' my kicks -- Padding down with "tea."
> Headquarters -- What broke politicians open.
> In bondage -- Held by Israelites for ransom.
> Out West -- Not a vacation, but a sojourn in Ft. Leavenworth.
>
> June 6, 1936, p. 23/7, Doc ID 745713162
> "Brace of chollies" -- Two bucks.
> "Bur-heads" -- Same as "Black~heads."
> "Tarrapin" -- Same as above.
>
> June 27, 1936, p. 10/2, Doc ID 761174732
> "Twister to the slammer" -- Meaning key to the door.
> "Demon" -- A dime.
> "Stallion" -- Taxicab used by "cowboys" on the boulevards.
>
> July 4, 1936, p. 10/1, Doc ID 761180952
> "On a Zoom" -- Methods wherein gets by free of charge.
> "Sportsman" -- One with no visible means of support.
> "Cannon" -- Robber with a gun.
>
> July 25, 1936, p. 22/1, Doc ID 761205292
> "Squatter" -- one who tries to outsit the other Boy Friend.
> "Scarf" -- meaning to dine; act of doing the same.
> "Hustle Shirt" -- Polo shirts worn by 55th street "sportsmen," and others.
>
> Aug 29, 1936, p. 18/8, Doc ID 761588902
> "Chick-o-cile" -- Place where all girls live. A dormitory.
> "Hennery" -- Place peopled mostly by elderly dames.
>
> Oct 31, 1936, p. 26/7, Doc ID 745721422
> Mints -- Telephone slugs.
> Brimmer -- A heavy drinker.
> Hit -- To ask, obtain, to get.
> Layer -- A dollar, from the Italian "lire."
>
> Nov 7, 1936, p. 6/2, Doc ID 761638272
> To your dictionary add the word "Glow Boy." From much research around
> the stroll and stem we deduce it means "one who seeks the bright
> lights; one who, like a moth, flutters where e'er there be light."
>
>
> --Ben Zimmer
>



--
-Wilson Gray