Flouncy Flappers

Table of Contents

1. Why Were They Called Flappers?
2. Flapper Slang
3. Life Magazine on "The Flapper" 

F. Scott Fitzgerald drew them wearing unbuckled galoshes that made a “flapping” noise when they walked, so they were called 'flappers'.

Flapper Slang:

• Airedale = Homely man

• Alarm clock = A chaperone

• An alibi = A box of flowers

• Anchor = Bank roll

• Appleknocker = A hick

• Applesauce = Flattery or bunk

• Barney = A scanal walker

• Barney-muggin = Love-making

• Bean-picker = One who tries to patch up trouble

• Biscuit = A pettable flapper

• Boob-tickler = Girl who has to entertain her father's customers from out of town

• Brush-ape = Anyone from the sticks - a hayshaker

• Butt me = Give me a cigarette

• Cake basket = A limousine

• Cake-Eater = A wearer of tight clothes, belted coat with spearlike lapels and one button, sausage trousers, low quick fitting collar, greenish pink shirt; and one of those jazzbo ties that gives you the giggles.

• Cake-eater = Harmless lounge lizard

• Cat's Pajamas = Anything that's good

• Clothesline = One who tells neighborhood stories

• Corn-shredder = Young man who dances on lady's feet

• Crabhanger = Reformer

• Cuddle-cootie = Young man who takes a girl for a ride on a bus

• Cutting yourself a piece of cake = Making yourself wait patiently

• Dapper = A flapper's father

• Darb = Gink with a roll of coin

• Dimbox = A taxicab

• Dincher = A half smoked cigarette

• Dingledangler = One who persists in telephoning

• Dive-ducat = Subway ticket

• Dog Kennels = Pair of shoes

• Dogs = Feet

• Dropping the pilot = Getting a divorce

• Dud = A wall flower

• Ear muffs = Radio receivers

• Egg harbor = A fall dance

• Father time = Any man over 30 yrs

• Feathers = Small talk

• Fig leaf = One piece bathing suit

• Finale hopper = Always ready to promise the last wrestle and never there when it comes around; The spendthrift who arrives after the ticket-takers have departed

• Finale hopper = Young man who arrives after all bills are paid

• Fire alarm = A divorced woman

• Flatwheeler = A young man who takes a young lady to an egg harbor

• Fluky = Funny, odd, different

• Forty-niner = Man who is prospecting for a rich wife

• Frog's eyebrows = Nice, fine

• Goof = Flapper's sweetheart

• Grubstake = Invitation to dinner

• Half cut = Happily intoxicated

• Handcuff = Engagement ring

• Hikers = Knickerbockers

• Hiphound = One who drinks hootch

• His blue serge = His girl

• Hush money = Allowance from father

• John D. = An oily person

• Kippy = Neat or nice

• Let's blouse = Let's go

• Mad money = Carfare home if she has a fight with her escort

• Monogolist = Young man who hates himself

• Mouthpiece = Lawyer

• Neckers = Those who park while dancing

• Noodle-juice = Tea

• Oilcan = An imposter

• Petting party = Social event devoted to hugging

• Pillowcase = Young man who is full of feathers

• Plastered = A synonym for pie-eyed; oiled; intoxicated

• Police-dog = Young woman's fiance

• Ritz = Stuck up

• Sap = A finale hopper

• Sharpshooter = A good dancer [who spends his money freely]

• Shifter = A grafter

• Slat = Young man

• Smoke-eater = A girl cigarette user

• Snake-charmer = A female bootlegger

• Snugglepup = Young man who frequents petting parties

• Sodbuster = An undertaker

• Statts = Conversation that means nothing

• Stilts = Legs

• Strangler = What a spendthrift isn't

• Strike breaker = Young woman who goes with her friend's "steady" while there is a coolness

• Stutter-tub = Motor boat

• Sugar = Money

• Sweetie = Anybody she hates

• They = Refers to objecting parents

• Toddler = A finale hopper's faster sister

• Tomato = Good looking girl with no brains

• Urban set = A new gown

• Weeping willow = Same as crepehanger

• Whangdoodle = Jazz band

• Whiskbroom = A man who cultivates whiskers

Life Magazine, which focused on humor and cartoons, once published flapper sayings and had the above image as its cover.