Notes

A
Applesauce: Nonsense
B
Baby: A person, can be said to either a man or a woman
Beef: Problem
Bee's Knees: An extraordinary/awesome person, thing or idea
Bent Cars: Stolen cars
Big Cheese, Big Shot - The boss: Someone of importance and influence
Big House: Jail
Big Sleep: Death
Bindle: the bundle in which a hobo carries all his worldly possessions
Bindle punk: Chronic wanderers/hobos who rode the rails Bird: Man
Blip off: To kill
Blower: Telephone
Boiler: Car
Booze: Alcohol
Boozehound: Drunkard
Bop: To kill
Bracelets: Handcuffs
Bread line: Charity you would line up outside for free food
Break it up: Stop that, quit the nonsense
Breezer: A convertible car
Bruno: Tough guy, enforcer
Bulls: Plainclothes railroad cops who arrest hobos; uniformed police; prison guards
Bump off: to kill somone

C
C-Note: $100, a pair of Cs = $200
Clams: money
Cabbage: Money
Call a copper: Inform the police
Can: Jail, Car
Cat: Man
Cat's Meow: Something splendid or stylish
Cat's Pyjamas: term of endearment as in "I think you are really really cool"
Charleston: Latest dance craze
Cheaters: Sunglasses or Eyeglasses
Cheese it: Put things away, hide
Chew: Eat
Copper: Policeman
D
Dame: Woman
Dip: Pickpocket
Dip the bill: Have a drink
Dish: Pretty woman
Dogs: Feet
Dough: Money
Drift: Go, leave
Drill: Shoot
Drop a dime: Make a phone call, sometimes meaning to the police to inform on someone
Drum: Speakeasy

E
Egg: Man

F
Fade: Go away, get lost
Fakeloo artist: Con man
Fella: a man
Fin or a Five Spot: $5 bill
Flapper: A stylish, brash young woman with short skirts and shorter hair
Flat Tire: A dull-witted or disappointing date
Flivver: A Ford automobile
Flophouse: A cheap transient hotel where a lot of men sleep in large rooms
Fuzz: police
G
Gal: Woman
Gams: A Woman's Legs
Gasper: Cigarette
Gat: Gun
Get Sore: Get mad
Getaway sticks: Legs
Giggle Water: Alchohol/Liquor
Gin mill: Bar
Goofy: Crazy
Goon: Thug
Grand: $1000
Grifter: Con man
Grilled: Questioned
Gumshoe: Detective

H

Hack: Taxi
Hard: Tough
Heebie-Jeebies: The jitters/something that makes you scared
Hooch: Alcohol/Liquor
Hood: Criminal
Hoofer: Dancer
Hoosegow: Jail
Horn: Telephone
Hot: Stolen
Hotsy-Totsy: Pleasing
I
Ice: Diamonds

J
Jalopy: An old car
Jam: In trouble/ in a tight spot
Jane: A woman
Java: Coffee
Jaw: Talk
Joe: Coffee, as in "a cup of joe"
Joint: Place like a club, bar (speakeasy)
K
Keen: Attractive or appealing
Kisser: Mouth
Knock off: Kill

L
Lammed off/ On the Lam: Ran away, escaped
Lid: Hat

M
Mac: A man
Moll: Gangster’s girlfriend
Mugs: Men (especially refers to dumb ones)

N
Nailed: Caught by the police
Nicked: Stole

O
Out on the roof: To drink a lot, to be drunk
Oyster fruit: Pearls
P
Packing Heat: carrying a weapon
Pal: A man
Palooka: Man, probably not very smart
Patsy: Person who is set up; fool, chump
Peepers: Eyes
Pinch: An arrest, capture by the police
Pogey: Government relief payments during the Great Depression (like welfare)
R
Rags: Clothes
Rap Sheet: Criminal charge
Rat: Inform
Ritzy: Elegant and expensive looking

S

Sap: A dumb guy
Scram: Leave/Get out of here!
Scratch: Money
Sheik: A good looking man
Skirt: A Woman
Speakeasy: An illegal bar selling bootleg liquor
Spiffy: Looking elegant
Splifficated: drunk
Sock: Punch
Soup Kitchen: Charity that provided meals for out of work families/people
Stiff: A corpse/dead body
Swanky: Elegant/fancy
Swell: Wonderful

T
Take the bounce: To get kicked out
Take the fall for: Accept punishment for
Three-spot: Three-year jail term
Tighten the screws: Put pressure on somebody
Tomato: Pretty woman
U
Under glass: In jail

W
Weak sister: A push-over
Wise head: A smart person

Y
Ya Follow: do you understand?
Yap: Mouth