1920s Jazz Age Slang

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Instructions: Step into the Roaring Twenties with the colorful slang of the Jazz Age

1.
In 1920s slang, what did it mean to call someone 'the bee's knees'?
A
They were a beekeeper
B
They were an outstanding or excellent person
C
They were clumsy
D
They were very thin
2.
What was a 'flapper' in the 1920s?
A
A broken shoe
B
A newspaper reporter
C
A type of pancake
D
A young fashionable woman who defied conventions
3.
In Jazz Age slang, what did 'the cat's meow' mean?
A
A quiet sound
B
Something excellent or wonderful
C
A type of dance
D
A jazz singing technique
4.
What did 'speakeasy' refer to in the 1920s?
A
A whispering game
B
A quiet neighborhood
C
An illegal bar during Prohibition
D
A speech therapist
5.
In 1920s slang, what was a 'bearcat'?
A
A type of automobile
B
A mixed breed animal
C
A hot-blooded or fiery person
D
A circus performer
6.
What did it mean to 'get a wiggle on' in the 1920s?
A
To hurry up
B
To get dressed up
C
To dance the Charleston
D
To start laughing
7.
In Jazz Age parlance, what was a 'flat tire'?
A
A type of shoe
B
A dull or disappointing person
C
A car problem
D
A failed business
8.
What did 'jake' mean in 1920s slang?
A
A type of whiskey
B
A man's name only
C
Fine, okay, or satisfactory
D
A joke or prank
9.
In the 1920s, what was a 'bluenose'?
A
Someone with a cold
B
A prudish or puritanical person
C
A type of cocktail
D
A sailor
10.
What did 'ossified' mean in 1920s slang?
A
Fossilized
B
Turned to bone
C
Terrified
D
Extremely drunk
11.
In Jazz Age slang, what was a 'dewdropper'?
A
An early riser
B
A gardener
C
A type of cocktail
D
A young man who slept all day and went out at night
12.
What did 'hotsy-totsy' mean in the 1920s?
A
An angry person
B
Too warm
C
A hot drink
D
Pleasing or perfect
13.
In 1920s slang, what did 'on the level' mean?
A
Standing on flat ground
B
Perfectly balanced
C
Honest and legitimate
D
At the same social class
14.
What was a 'sheik' in 1920s slang?
A
A wealthy businessman
B
A handsome, romantic young man
C
A Middle Eastern ruler
D
A type of hairstyle
15.
In the Jazz Age, what did 'hooch' refer to?
A
A type of dance
B
Illegal or inferior liquor
C
A type of tent
D
A dog breed

Answer Key

Question 1

B. They were an outstanding or excellent person

Question 2

D. A young fashionable woman who defied conventions

Question 3

B. Something excellent or wonderful

Question 4

C. An illegal bar during Prohibition

Question 5

C. A hot-blooded or fiery person

Question 6

A. To hurry up

Question 7

B. A dull or disappointing person

Question 8

C. Fine, okay, or satisfactory

Question 9

B. A prudish or puritanical person

Question 10

D. Extremely drunk

Question 11

D. A young man who slept all day and went out at night

Question 12

D. Pleasing or perfect

Question 13

C. Honest and legitimate

Question 14

B. A handsome, romantic young man

Question 15

B. Illegal or inferior liquor

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