The Roaring ’20s in America were marked by jazz clubs, the rise of Hollywood, the Harlem Renaissance, and Prohibition. From getting “sozzled” at a speakeasy to run-ins with the “booboisie,” the English language wasn’t big enough to describe the atmosphere of the 1920s, and these words had to be made up to do it. We’d like to see these words make a resurgence 100 years later.
Beezer
Ever been hit right in the “beezer”? This word is 1920s slang for “nose.” It might have originated in the early 1900s as a combination of “beak” and “sneezer.” Its definition broadened after the 1920s to mean the mouth, the face, or the head in general, depending on the context.
Booboisie
You’ve probably heard of the bourgeoisie, but what about the “booboisie”? This portmanteau of “boob” (a “doofus”) and “bourgeoisie” refers to a group of the general public thought to be nitwits or ding-dongs, said in jest. Journalist H. L. Mencken is credited with the word, first using it in 1922 to describe the portion of the public that cared too much about “things” and not enough about ideas or art.
Donkeywork
Do you ever think that your work day is monotonous or mundane? You might be doing “donkeywork.” This word is synonymous with drudgery or uninspiring labor — much to the dismay of donkeys everywhere.
Mazuma
This slang comes from the Yiddish word for “money” (mezumen). It was first recorded in the 1890s, and by 1924, it was published in an American dictionary for slang. The quirky word came from an alteration of the Hebrew mĕzūmān, meaning “fixed” or “appointed.” The term has been spelled as “mazooboes,” “mazooma,” “mazume,” or “mazums,” but the dictionary entry is “mazuma.”
Nerts
When something is nonsense or absurd today, we might call it “nuts,” but in the 1920s, it sounded like “nerts.” Often used as an interjection, the word is an alteration of “nuts” and can also describe something that is amazing or unexpected, as in, “That concert was nerts!”
Palooka
“Palooka” was first recorded in 1920, used as a synonym for an “oaf” or a “lout.” It became widely used as sports jargon during the ’20s and ’30s to describe a second-rate boxer (not a champion). However, it was further popularized by the comic strip “Joe Palooka” about a heavyweight boxing champion, although he seemed to be the opposite of clumsy or oafish. Eventually, “palooka” became synonymous with the word “rookie” and was also used to describe non-winning racehorses.
Sozzle
“Sozzle” is a verb that means to drink until getting drunk or intoxicated, as in, “He sat at the pub and got sozzled after the football match.” The word first appeared as a slang term to mean “heavily drinking” around 1908 in New Zealand, but it was picked up by American journalist Arthur "Bugs" Baer in 1920, when he wrote, “The moderate drinker [...] was a man who never sozzled more than he could carry in two trips.” The word caught on quickly in the U.S., even nabbing a dictionary entry, but today, it’s been mostly forgotten.
Yenta
We all know a “yenta” — it’s a gossiper, especially one who meddles. The word came from the Yiddish word yente, which was also a popular Yiddish female name. Its first known use was in 1923, but it was popularized later in the 1920s and ’30s by the comic strip “Yente Telebende” (about a meddling busybody) by Jacob Adler.
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