Cab Calloway's "Hepsters' Dictionary," c. 1944

The poster on the right was in the room where we played our Ben Franklin show at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich.

From Tonic Vocals and Swing Virginia, here are some entries from THE NEW CAB CALLOWAY'S HEPSTER'S DICTIONARY, Language of Jive (1944 edition). I see a song has been written with these words as lyrics but I haven't been able to buy a copy online. The authors wrote: "Cab coined the term "Jive" to describe it and he set out to create a dictionary to decode their phraseology."

Accordion

Squeeze-Box or Groan-Box

Ain't coming on that tab

won't accept the proposition. Usually abbr. to "I ain't coming."

Armstrongs

musical notes in the upper register, high trumpet notes.

Barbecue

the girl friend, a beauty

Battle

a very homely girl, a crone.

Beat

Lacking anything. Ex, "I am beat for my cash", "I am beat to my socks" (lacking everything).

Beat it out

play it hot, emphasize the rhythym.

Beat up the chops (or the gums)

to talk, converse, be loquacious.

Bible

the gospel truth. Ex., "It's the bible!"

Blew their wigs

excited with enthusiasm, gone crazy.

Blip

something very good. Ex., "That's a blip"; "She's a blip."

Blow your wig

get excited, enthusiastic

Boot

to give. Ex., "Boot me that glove."

Break it up

to win applause, to stop the show.

Bust your conk

apply yourself diligently, break your neck.

Canary

girl vocalist.

Capped

outdone, surpassed.

Chirp

female singer.

Clambake

ad lib session, every man for himself, a jam session not in the groove.

Clarinet

Licorice Stick or Gob Stick

Comes on like gangbusters

plays, sings, or dances in a terrific manner, par excellence in any department. Sometimes abbr. to "That singer really comes on!"

Corny

old-fashioned, stale.

Creeps out like the shadow

"comes on," but in smooth, suave, sophisticated manner.

Crumb crushers

teeth.

Cups

sleep. Ex., "I gotta catch some cups."

Dicty

high-class, nifty, smart.

Dig

meet. Ex., "I'll plant you now and dig you later."

Doghouse

bass fiddle.

Doss

sleep. Ex., "I'm a little beat for my doss." [See dosshouse]

Down with it

through with it.

Drums

Suitcase, Hides, or Skins

Fall out

to be overcome with emotion. Ex., "The cats fell out when he took that solo."

Final

to leave, to go home. Ex., "I finaled to my pad" (went to bed); "We copped a final" (went home).

Fine dinner

a good-looking girl.

Fraughty issue

a very sad message, a deplorable state of affairs.

Freeby

no charge, gratis. Ex., "The meal was a freeby."

Frisking the whiskers

what the cats do when they are warming up for a swing session.

Frolic pad

place of entertainment, theater, nightclub

Fruiting

fickle, fooling around with no particular object.

Gabriels

trumpet players.

Get in there

go to work, get busy, make it hot, give all you've got.

Gimme some skin

shake hands.

Got your boots on

you know what it is all about, you are a hep cat, you are wise.

Got your glasses on

you are ritzy or snooty, you fail to recognize your friends, you are up-stage.

Gravy

profits.

Groovy

fine. Ex., "I feel groovy." [Didn't know it was such an old expression.]

Ground grippers

new shoes.

Gut-bucket

low-down music.

Hard

fine, good. Ex., "That's a hard tie you're wearing."

Hard spiel

interesting line of talk. [From Yiddish]

Hincty

conceited, snooty.

Hype

build up for a loan, wooing a girl, persuasive talk, cajole.

Ickaroo

someone who can't dance or dig the jive

Icky

one who is not hip, a stupid person, can't collar the jive.

Igg

to ignore someone. Ex., "Don't igg me!)

In the groove

perfect, no deviation, down the alley.

Jam

improvised swing music. Ex., "That's swell jam."

Jelly

anything free, on the house.

Joint is jumping

the place is lively, the club is leaping with fun.

Jumped in port

arrived in town.

Kill me

show me a good time, send me.

Killer-diller

a great thrill.

Knock

give. Ex., "Knock me a kiss."

Kopasetic

absolutely okay, the tops.

Land O'Darkness

Harlem

Lay some iron

to tap dance. Ex., "Jack, you really laid some iron that last show!"

Lay your racket

to jive, to sell an idea, to promote a proposition.

Lindy Crush

Girl or Guy you would just LOVE to dance with.

Line

cost, price, money. Ex., "What is the line on this drape" (how much does this suit cost)? "Have you got the line in the mouse" (do you have the cash in your pocket)? Also, in replying, all figures are doubled. Ex., "This drape is line forty" (this suit costs twenty dollars).Lock (v.): to acquire something

Lock up

to acquire something exclusively. Ex., "He's got that chick locked up"; "I'm gonna lock up that deal."

Melted out

broke.

Mess

something good. Ex., "That last drink was a mess."

Mitt pounding

applause.

Muggin'

making 'em laugh, putting on the jive.

Murder

something excellent or terrific. Ex., "That's solid murder, gate!"

Nix out

to eliminate, get rid of. Ex., "I nixed that chick out last week"; "I nixed my garments" (undressed).

Off-time jive

a sorry excuse, saying the wrong thing.

Off the cob

corny, out of date.

Out of the world

perfect rendition. Ex., "That sax chorus was out of the world."

Piano

Storehouse or Ivories

Ready

100 per cent in every way. Ex., "That fried chicken was ready."

Ride

to swing, to keep perfect tempo in playing or singing

Righteous

splendid, okay. Ex., "That was a righteous queen I dug you with last black."

Rock me

send me, kill me, move me with rhythym.

Sad

terrible. Ex., "That man is sadder than a map." "That was the saddest meal I ever collared."

Sam got you

you've been drafted into the army.

Saxophone

Plumbing or Reeds

Sky piece

hat.

Spoutin'

talking too much.

Stache

to file, to hide away, to secrete.

To dribble

to stutter. Ex., "He talked in dribbles."

Togged to the bricks

dressed to kill, from head to toe.

Trilly

to leave, to depart. Ex., "Well, I guess I'll trilly."

Trombone

Tram or Slush-Pump

Truck

to go somewhere. Ex., "I think I'll truck on down to the ginmill (bar)."

Tuba

Foghorn

Twister to the slammer

the key to the door.

V-8

a chick who spurns company, is independent, is not amenable.

Vibraphone

Ironworks

Violin

Squeak-Box

Wrong riff

the wrong thing said or done. Ex., "You're coming up on the wrong riff."

Xylophone

Woodpile

Yarddog

uncouth, badly attired, unattractive male or female.

Zoot suit

the ultimate in clothes. The only totally and truly American civilian suit

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