
Talking Swing 101


A B C D
E F G H I
J K L M N
O P Q R S
T U V W
Y Z
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A
- A
hummer (n.) - exceptionally fine.
- Ain't
coming on that tab (v.) - won't accept the offer.
- Alligator
(n.) - jitterbug dance.
- Apple
(n.) - Harlem.
- Armstrongs
(n.) - high trumpet notes (ala Louis).
B
- Barbeque
(n.) - the girl friend.
- Barreihouse
(adj.) - free and easy.
- Battle
(n.) - a very plain looking girl.
- Beat
(adj.) - exhausted.
- Beat
it out (v.) - play it hot.
- Beat
up the chops (v.) - to talk.
- Beef
(v.) - to say, to state.
- Bible
(n.) - the gospel truth.
- Black
(n.) - night.
- Black
and tan (n.) - dark and light colored people.
- Blew
their wigs (adi.) - gone crazy.
- Blip
(n.) - something very good.
- Blow
the top (v.) - to be overcome with delight.
- Boogie-woogie
(n.) - accented bass line.
- Boot
(v.) - to give.
- Break
it up (v.) - to stop the show.
- Bree
(n.) - girl.
- Bright
(n.) - day.
- Brightnin'
(n.) - daybreak.
- Bring
down (n.) - something disheartening.
- Buddy
ghee (n.) - fellow.
- Bust
your conk (v.) - apply yourself diligently.
C
- Canary
(n) girl vocalist.
- Capped
(v) outdone.
- Cat
(n.) musician in swing band.
- Chick
(n.) girl.
- Chime
(n ) hour.
- Clambake
(n) - ad lib jam session.
- Chirp
(n) female singer.
- Cogs
(n.) sun glasses.
- Collar
(v.) - to obtain.
- Come
again (v.) - try it over, I don't understand you.
- Comes
on like gangbusters (v.) - sings, plays or dances in a sensational way.
- Cop
(v.) - to get, to obtain.
- Corny
(adj.) - old-fashioned..
- Creeps
out like the shadow (v.) - "comes on," but in sophisticated
manner.
- Crumb
crushers (n.) - teeth.
- Cubby
(n.) - room, apartment, home.
- Cups
(n.) - sleep.
- Cut
out (v.) - to leave the scene.
- Cut
rate (n.) - a cheap person.
D
- Dicty
(adj.) - high class.
- Dig
(v.) - to understand.
- Dim
(n.) - evening.
- Dime
note (n.) - ten-dollar bill.
- Doghouse
(n.) - bass fiddle.
- Domi
(n.) - ordinary flat to live in.
- Doss
(n.) - sleep.
- Down
with it (adj.) - through with it.
- Drape
(n.) - suit of clothes.
- Dreamers
(n.) - comforters, blankets
- Dry-goods
(n.) - same as drape.
- Duke
(n.) - hand.
- Dutchess
(n.) - girl.
E
- Early
black (n.) - evening.
- Early
bright (n.) - morning.
- Evil
(adj.) - in bad humor, in a nasty temper.
F
- Fall
out (v.) - to be overwhelmed with emotion.
- Fews
and two (n.) - money or cash in small amounts.
- Final
(v.) - to go home.
- Fine
dinner (n.) - a nice-looking girl.
- Focus
(v.) - to see.
- Foxy
(v) - shrewd.
- Frame
(n.) - the body.
- Fraughty
issue (n.) - a distressing state of affairs.
- Freeby
(freebie) (n.) - no charge, gratis.
- Frisking
the whiskers (v.) - what musicians do when they are warming up for a swing
session.
- Frolic
pad (n.) - place of entertainment.
- Front
(n.)- a suit of clothes.
- Fruiting
(v.) - fooling around for particular reason.
- Fry
(v. )-togo to get hair straightened.
G
- Gabriels(n.)-
trumpet players.
- Gammin'
(adj.) - flirtatious.
- Gasser
(n., Adj.) - sensational.
- Gate
(n.) - a male person.
- Get
in there (exclamation)-go to work, get busy.
- Gimmie
some skin (v.)-sha~e hands.
- Gums
(n.) - eyes.
- Got
your boots on - you are a hep cat.
- Got
your glasses on - you are ritzy, snooty.
- Gray
(n.) - profits.
- Grease
(v.) - to eat.
- Groovy
(adj.) - fine.
- Ground
grippers (n.) - new p air of shoes.
- Growl
(adj.) - vibrant notes frnm a horn.
- Gut-bucket
(adj.) - low-down music.
- Guzzlin'
foam - drinking beer.
H
- Hard
(adj.) - fine, good.
- Hard
spiel (n.) - interesting line of talk
- Have
a ball (v.) - to enjoy yourself.
- Hep
cat (n.) - a guy who understands jive.
- Hide-beater
(n.) - a drummer.
- Hincty
(adj.) - conceited.
- Hip
(adj.) - wise, worldly.
- Home-cooking
(n.) - a fine dinner.
- Hot
(adj.) - musically torrid.
- Hype
(n., v.) - wooing a girl, persuasive talk.
I
- Icky
(n.) - one who is not hip, a boring person.
- Igg
(v.) - to ignore someone.
- In
the groove (adj.) - perfect, no deviation.
J
- Jam
(n.) - improvised swing music.
- Jeff
(n.) - a pest, a bore.
- Jitterbug
(n.) - a swing fan.
- Jive
(n.) - Harlemese speech.
- Joint
is jumping - the place is lively.
- Jumped
in port (v.) - arrived in town.
K
- Kick
(n.) - a pocket.
- Kill
me (v.) - show me a good time.
- Killer-diller
(n.) - a great thrill.
- Knock
(v.) - give.
- Kopasetic
(adj.) - absolutely the tops.
L
- Lamp
(v.) - to look at.
- Land
o'darkness (n.) - Harlem.
- Lane
(n.) - a male, nonprofessional.
- Latch
on (v.) - take hold, get wise to.
- Lay
some iron (v.) - to tap dance.
- Lay
your racket (v.) - to sell an idea, to promote a proposition
- Lead
sheet (n.) - a overcoat.
- Left
raise (n.) - left side.
- Licking
the chops (v.) - see frisking the whiskers.
- Licks
(n.) - hot musical phrases.
- Lily
whites (n.) - bed linen.
- Line
(n.) - cost, price.
- Lock
up - to acquire something.
M
- Main
kick (n.) - the stage.
- Main
on the hitch (n.) - husband.
- Main
queen (n.) - favorite girl friend.
- Man
in gray (n.) - the mailman.
- Mash
me a fin (command) - give me $5.
- Mellow
(adj.) - all right, fine.
- Melted
out (adj.) - broke.
- Mess
(n.) - something good.
- Meter
(n.) - twenty-five cents.
- Mezz
(n.) - anything supreme.
- Mitt
pounding (n.) - applause.
- Moo
juice (n.) - milk.
- Mouse
(n.) - pocket.
- Muggin'
(v.) - putting on the jive.
- Murder
(n.) - something terrific.
N
- Neigho,
pops - Nothing doing, pal.
- Nicklette
(n.) - automatic phonograph, juke box.
- Nickel
note (n.) - five-dollar bill.
- Nix
out (v.) - to get rid of.
- Nod
(n.) - sleep.
O
- Ofay
(n.) - white person.
- Off
the cob (adj.) - out of date.
- Off-time
jive (n.) - a sorry excuse.
- Orchestration
(n.) - an topcoat.
- Out
of the world (adj.) - perfect rendition.
P
- Pad
(n.) - bed.
- Peola
(n.) - a light person, almost white.
- Pigeon
(n.) - a young girl.
- Pops
(n.) - greeting for all males.
- Pounders
(n.) - cops.
Q
- Queen
(n.) - a beautiful girl.
R
- Rank
(v.) - to lower.
- Ready
(Adj.) - 100 per cent in every way
- Ride
(v.) - to keep perfect tempo in playing or singing.
- Riff
(n.) - hot lick, a musical phrase.
- Righteous
(adj.) - splendid, fine.
- Rock
me (adj.) - send me, move me with rhythm.
- Ruff
(n.) - quarter.
- Rug
cutter (n.) - a very good dancer.
S
- Sad
(adj.) - very bad.
- Sadder
than a map (adj.) - terrible.
- Salty
(adj.) - angry, bad-tempered.
- Sam
got you - you've been drafted into the army.
- Send
(v.) - to arouse the emotions.
- Set
of seven brights (n.) - one week.
- Sharp
(adj.) - neat, smart.
- Signify
(v.) - to brag, to boast.
- Skins
(n.) - drums.
- Skin-beater
(n.) - drummer man.
- Sky
piece (n.) - hat.
- Slave
(v.) - to work, whether laborious or not.
- Slide
your jib (v.) - to talk freely.
- Snatcher
(n.) - private eye.
- So
help me - it's the truth.
- Solid
(adj.) - great, swell.
- Sounded
off (v.) - began a conversation.
- Spoutin'
(v.) - talking too much.
- Square
(n.) - an unhep person.
- Stash
(v.) - to hide away, to file.
- Stand
one up (v.) - to assume one is cut-rate.
T
- To
be stashed (v.) - to stand or remain.
- Take
it slow (v.) - be careful.
- Take
off (v.) - play a solo.
- The
man (n.) - the law.
- Threads
(n.) - suitor dress.
- Tick
(n.) - minute.
- Timber
(n.) - toothpick.
- To
dribble (v.) - to stutter.
- Togged
to the bricks - dressed to kill, from top to bottom.
- Too
much (adj.) - term of highest praise.
- Trickeration
(n.) - struttin' your stuff.
- Trilly
(v.) - to leave.
- Truck
(v.) - to go somewhere.
- Twister
to the slammer (n.) - keys to the door.
- Two
cents (n.) - two dollars.
U
- Unhep
(adj.) - not wise to the jive, a square.
V
- Vine
(n.) - a suit of clothes.
- V-8
(n.) - a chick who spurns company, is independent.
W
- What's
your story? - What do you have to say for yourself.
- Whipped
up (adj.) - worn out, exhausted.
- Wren
(n.) - a chick, a queen.
- Wrong
riff - the wrong thing said or done.
Y
- Yarddog
(n.) - uncouth, badly attired.
- Yeah,
man - an exclamation of ageement.
Z
- Zoot suit (n.) - overexaggerated clothes.
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