Writing Tips

Slangs/Phrases of the 1950's

Bad news: Depressing person.

Bake biscuits: To make records.

Ballad: A love letter.

Bash: A party.

Bash ears: Talking too much.

Binoculars: Glasses.

Bird Dog: Someone who tries to steal your girl.

Bit: An act.

Bitchin': Really good or fun.

Blast: A good time.

Blow-off: To defeat in a race (hot-rodders).

Bobbed: Shortened.

Bogus: False, fake, bad, poor, and untrue.

Boss: Great.

Bread: Money.

Bug: To bother.

Burn Rubber: To accelerate hard and fast.

Bust a gut: Laugh very hard.

Candy ass: Wimp or easily scared.

Cast and eyeball: To look.

Cat: A hip person.

Chariot: Cars.

Cheaters: Sunglasses.

Cherry: Originally,an unaltered car. Later, anything attractive (hot-rodders).

Chili: A good deal.

Chop: Mild put down in a good natured way.

Circled: Married.

Cloud Nine: Really happy.

Clutched: Rejected.

Clyde: Term to address, usually for a normal person.

Come on, snake let's rattle: Ask a girl to dance or a guy to fight.

Cooler: Jail, detention or other punishment.

Cookin' Doing it well.

Cooking with gas: Finally doing it the easy or best way.

Cookie: A person.

Cool: Indefinable quality that makes something or someone extraordinary.

Cool it: Relax, settle down.

Cooties: Germs/imaginary infestations of the truly uncool.

Cowabunga: From the 50s TV show, Howdy Doody.

Cranked: Excited.

Crazy: Implying a good thing. 

Cream: Originally, to dent a car; badly damage.

Cruising: Driving around, looking for action.

Cube: A normal person.

Curtain climbers: Small children.
Cut the gas: Be quiet!

Cut out: Leave.

Cut a rug: To dance.

Dolly: Cute girl.

D.D.T. (Drop Dead Twice): Response, "What, and look like you?"

Deuce: A 1932 Ford (hot-rodders).
Dibs: A claim.

Don't have a cow/Don't flip your wig: Don't get so excited.

Dough: Money.

Drag: (Hot-rodders) A short car race; (Beats or Beatniks) A bore.