Hindoo (1974) (and more "Brooklynese")

[Jonathan Lighter]

The _Newsday_ original must have been written about 1940.

  What, no "erl" ?

  JL

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Sender: American Dialect Society
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Subject: Hindoo (1974) (and more "Brooklynese")
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_Youse Might Need a Translation_
(http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=2&did=669081422&SrchMode=1&sid=1&Fmt=10&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=HNP&TS=11
42706810&clientId=65882)
Los Angeles Times (1886-Current File). Los Angeles, Calif.: Aug 12, 1974. p.
A4 (1 page)
...
_Youse Might Need a Translation_
>From Newsday
...
Brooklynese and their translations:
...
Ast -- To inquire, as in "If de dicks ast you, say youse don't know nuttin."
...
Baloney -- Empty talk; as in "That's a lotta baloney." A coruption of
blarney.
...
Berl -- Boil, as in "berld eggs."
...
Biddy -- A gossip; from Bridget, a common Irish name now taken over bythe
French.
...
Card --A humorous fellow or practical joker, as in "He's a card." From Irish
caird, a wandering tramp or tinkers.
...
Cheese It -- Look out! As in "Cheese it, de cops!"
...
Chickey -- A lookout, as in "to lay chickey" or a warning, as in "Chickey,
the cops."
...
Doze -- A pronoun, as in "doze bums."
...
Erster -- A succulent bivalve, as in "fried ersters."
...
Foist -- First, as in "Who's on foist?"
...
Force -- False, as in "force alarm."
...
Gab, Gabby -- Empty talk, as in "gift of gab." From Irish gob, mouth.
...
Gob -- Mouth, as in "shut you gob."
...
Gom -- A foolish person, a simpleton, as in "You big gom!" Fro mIrish gom, a
simpleton.
...
Guff, Guffy -- Backtalk, as in "I want none of yer guff" or "Don't get guffy
wit me.: From Irish guth, pronounced guff.
...
Herst -- To raise, as in "to herst a flat."
...
Hindoo -- A term used in handball to indicate a hinderance. A corruption of
"hinder."
...
Hurl -- A famous authority on card games, as in "according to Hurl."
...
Jints -- Giants, a bunch of palookas who represented New York in the
National League, Public Enemy No. 1 in Greenpernt.
...
Kern -- To invent, as in "to kern a phrase."
...
Lallygaggin -- wasting time, as in "Quitcha lallygaggin and get woiking."
...
Mickey -- A potato, probably from "Mick," American slang for Irishman. Many
Irish names begin with Mc.
...
Oil --An English nobleman, as "the Oil of Doiby."
...
Palooka -- A gom, as in "Yuh big palooka." Pure Brooklynese, and, according
to a writer in the American Mercury of March, 1929, may be Irish. Wentworth
and Flexner also give an Irish etymology for this word.


...

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