Old-Time Expressions

About Old-Time Expressions

Give your memory a workout with Old-Time Expressions: 15 multiple-choice questions with a mix of 5 easy, 5 medium, 5 hard questions, free to play right in your browser. Do you remember what these vintage expressions mean? Test your knowledge of old-fashioned slang, idioms, and phrases that were once part of everyday speech! Expect to spend about 7 minutes; every question comes with an explanation, so you learn something even when you miss.

A few sample questions

1. 1. What does the old expression "the bee's knees" mean?

   Answer: An outstanding or excellent person or thing

   "The bee's knees" became popular in the 1920s flapper era and means something or someone outstanding or excellent. It was part of a trend of nonsense phrases like "the cat's pajamas" and "the cat's meow" that all meant the same thing — the height of excellence.

2. 2. If someone told you "don't take any wooden nickels," what were they saying?

   Answer: Don't be foolish or get cheated

   "Don't take any wooden nickels" dates back to the early 1900s and was a lighthearted way of saying "be careful" or "don't let anyone swindle you." It was commonly used as a parting phrase, similar to "take care of yourself."

3. 3. What did it mean to call someone a "wet blanket"?

   Answer: A person who dampens others' enthusiasm or fun

   A "wet blanket" is a person who spoils other people's fun or enthusiasm. The expression dates to the early 1800s and comes from the practice of using a wet blanket to smother a fire — just as the person smothers the enjoyment of others.

4. 4. What does "23 skidoo" mean?

   Answer: To leave quickly or get out

   "23 skidoo" was one of the first widespread slang expressions in America, popular from around 1906. It means to leave quickly, scram, or get going. Its exact origin is debated, but it was so popular that it became a catchphrase of the early 20th century.

5. 5. If something was described as "the cat's pajamas," what did that mean?

   Answer: It was wonderful or first-rate

   "The cat's pajamas" originated in the 1920s and means something excellent or superlative. Coined during the Jazz Age, it was part of a fad of combining animal names with human clothing or body parts to describe something outstanding, alongside "the bee's knees" and "the cat's meow."

Things you'll learn along the way

• ✓"Knows his onions" was 1920s slang meaning someone is very knowledgeable or well-informed about a particular subject. Some etymologists believe it may reference S.G. Onions, a British lexicographer, though this is debated. Similar expressions included "knows his stuff" and "knows his beans."
• ✓"Burning the midnight oil" means staying up late to work or study. The expression dates back to the 1600s, when people literally burned oil in lamps to see after dark. It was widely used through the 20th century and remains in use today.
• ✓A "drugstore cowboy" was 1920s–1930s slang for a man who hung around drugstores, street corners, or other public places trying to pick up women, rather than doing honest work. The term implied someone who dressed sharply but was all style and no substance.