Swing Lingo
A HUMMER: Exceptionally good
AIN’T COMING TO THAT TAB: Won’t accept the proposition b>
ALLIGATOR: Jitterbug
APPLE: The big town, Harlem
BARBECUE: A girlfriend
BARRELHOUSE: Free and easy
BATTLE: A very homely girl
BEAT IT OUT: Play it hot
BEAT UP: Sad or tired
BLACK: Night
BLEW THEIR WIGS: Excited, enthusiastic
BLOW THE TOP: To be overcome with emotion and excitement
BREAK IT UP: To stop the show
BREE: A girl
BRING DOWN: Something depressed
CANARY: A female vocalist
CAPPED: Outdone, surpassed
CAT: A musician in a swing band
CLAMBAKE: A jam session
CHIRP: A female singer
COGS: Sun glasses
COLLAR: To comprehend or understand
COME AGAIN: I don’t understand you. Repeat yourself.
CORNY: Old fashioned
CUBBY: Home, room
CUT OUT: to leave or depart
DICTY: High class, nifty, smart
DOWN WITH IT: Through with it
DUTCHESS: A girl
EARLY BLACK: Evening
EARLY BRIGHT: Morning
FALL OUT: To be overcome with emotion
FAUST: An ugly girl
FOXY: Shrewd
FRONT: A suit of clothes
GATE: A male person
GET IN THERE: Go to work, get busy, give it everything you’ve got
GIMME SOME SKIN: Shake hands
GOT YOUR BOOTS ON: You’re wise, you know what’s going on
GOT YOUR GLASSES ON: You don’t know who you’re friends are
GREASE: To eat
GROOVY: To feel fine
HEP CAT: A guy who understands jive
HINCTY: Snooty, stuck up
I GROOVED THIS PLATTER FROM THE VERY FIRST LICK: I got the record figured out from the beginning
ICKY: A stupid person, doesn’t know anything about jive
IGG: To ignore someone
JITTERBUG: A swing fan
JIVE: Harmless speech
JOINT IS JUMPING: The place is lively
KILL ME: Show me a good time
KILLER-DILLER: A great thrill
MAIN QUEEN: A sweetheart, a favorite girl friend
MASH ME A FIN: Give me $5
MELLOW: All right, everything’s fine
MURDERISTIC: Superlative
OFAY: A white person
OFF THE COB: Corny, out of date
OFF TIME JIVE: A sorry excuse, saying the wrong thing
PIGEON: A young girl
PRISS: A Crush
RANK: To lower
RIDE: To swing
SADDER THEN A MAP: Terrible
SALTY: Angry, ill tempered
SAM GOT YOU: You’ve been drafted into the army
SEND: To arouse the emotions
SOLID: Great, well, okay
SUPERMERGENTROID: Wonderful, terrific, etc.
TAKE IT SLOW: Be careful
TART: A girl
TRILLY: To leave, to depart
TWISTER TO THE SLAMMER: The key to the door
UNHEP: No wise to the jive
VINE: A suit of clothes
V-8: A chick who is independent
WRONG RIFF: The wrong thing has been said or done
YOU DON'T KNOW WHICH PLATTERS TO PICK: You don't know which records to pick
ZOOT: Over exaggerated
ZOOT SUIT: Over exaggerated clothes