When the Shit Hits the Fan: A Guide to Depression Era Lingo
Friday, July 11, 2008
Slang, both profane and endearing, is a staple of life– a survival tactic. Every generation has their gems. James Hilton’s Lost Horizon developed the concept of “shangri-la”, earthly paradise, while Robert Heinlein coined the term “grok” in Stranger in a Strange Land. The Simpsons got “d’oh!” in the dictionary, and thanks to Friends, everyone knows what it means when a person finds their “lobster”, since lobsters mate for life. The ever-growing collection of urban words and phrases gives people around the world a girth of descriptors– from “cool” to “sick”, we have hundreds of options when it comes to expressing enthusiasm, whether they originate from literature, euphemisms, abbreviations, real people, or humorous anecdotes (see “when the shit hits the fan”).
As is to be expected, slang often reflects the “mood” of a certain time. In 1929, the United States entered a severe economic downturn known as the Great Depression. Characterized by a number of catastrophic occurrences– deflation, natural disasters, rampant poverty and unemployment– the Great Depression was thought by some to be the end of the world. In spite of the personal tragedy many people experienced during this decade of bad luck, citizens remained “tough as wang leather”, conserving food, energy, and money. Their resilience carried over to the spoken word. And in case you wonder what they meant, we’ve translated.
ace in the hole– A disguised advantage. In reference to a game of poker, in which a player saves the ace until the end in order to win.
Henry’s not doing so well right now, but he’s got an ace in the hole.
ain’t hay– Describes a sizable amount of money. Hay is slang for money.
He offered to start you out at twenty dollars an hour? Man, that ain’t hay.
Aloha shirt– Hawaiian shirts popularized during the 1920’s. They “sold for 95 cents apiece” during the Depression.
big as Guffy– Altered form of “big as old Cuffey”, referring to great size. Cpt. Paul Cuffey was a black ship captain in the late 1700’s who recruited free African Americans to Sierra Leone.
How could you miss it? It’s big as Guffy!
baloney– Information that us deceitful or ridiculous. Popularized by Al Smith, governor of New York in 1928, who said “No matter how you slice it, it’s still baloney.” The phrase is unrelated to the bologna sausage, which is pronounced the same way.
That’s a load of baloney!
blimey– British interjection, like “my gosh”. Comes from “cor blimey”, a shortened version of “God blind me”, or “may God blind me if it isn’t so”.
“Blimey, those carrots are the size of trucks.”
busier than a one-armed paper hanger– Very busy. A “paper hanger” refers to a person who hangs wallpaper for a living. May have originated with O. Henry’s 1908 story, which used the phrase “busy as a one-armed man with a nettle rash pasting on wall-paper”.
Don’t call Liz now. She’s finishing those two reports, has to study for finals, and is bababysitting for the Watsons tomorrow. She’s busier than a one-armed paper hanger.
come Hell or high water– A term thought to have originated from cattle ranching. Refers to making cattle forge “high waters” and “go through hell” to move to a different ranch. Denotes an unswerving objective; “no matter what”.
We’re getting out of here, come hell or high water!
damn fool– n. Describes a person who does something inexcusably impulsive or stupid. Often denotes naivete. Although the phrase originated much earlier, it was often used during the Depression to criticize people’s decisions.
If you think that your purse is still going to be there when you get back, you’re a damn fool.
dirt poor– Describes extreme poverty. Thought to refer to the dirt floors of the poor houses at the time.
Tom doesn’t have enough money for that car– he’s dirt poor.
dumb as an ox– Used to describe someone who acts illogically or foolishly on a regular basis, not because of naivete, but because of an inability to learn from past experiences. Originally used to describe St. Thomas Aquinas, probably because the members of his order didn’t understand him. Later developed into “Lummox”, an American word from “Dumb Ox”.
This is the fifth time you’ve set the microwave on fire by trying to heat up a can of soup. You’re dumb as an ox.
fat as a pig– Used to describe someone who is fat; accompanied by puffing of cheeks and showing girth with arms.
fiddle-dee-dee!– Dismissive exclamation indicating nonsense. It was popularized Margaret Mitchell’s 1936 Gone With the Wind, in which the heroine, Scarlett O’Hara often exclaims it when she doesn’t want to believe what people are telling her.
filthy rich– Describes extreme wealth.
That family is filthy rich.
full of fire– An ambitious person.
Fred started his own business a year ago and now, he’s franchised it. He’s full of fire.
gay day– n. Used to describe a day that is happy and/or productive.
“Have a gay day!”
goddammit to Hell or goddammittohell!– Highly offensive explanation, that, unlike its counterparts, is hardly an abbreviation or euphemism. The over-the-top expletive used during the Depression showed an apathetic attitude towards the Protestants and Catholics of the time who were careful to not take the Lord’s name in vain or swear at all.
“Goddammit to Hell, I forgot to return the library books!”
henry– Term of endearment for a boy, denoting brilliance and originality. Named for scientist Joseph Henry, who died in 1876. Among his many accomplishments, Joseph Henry was known as the first weathermen due to his meteorological work.
What’s new, Henry?
hooligans– Derogatory word for boistrous or destructive individuals. May have come from the Irish word “Hooley”, which means “wild, spirited party”.
Get off our lawn, hooligans!
jeepers! or jeepers creepers!– Both from the 1920’s and 30’s, used as euphemistic exclamations instead of “Jesus!” so as to avoid taking the Lord’s name in vain.
Jeepers! Did you see the look on his face?
Joe– Accompanied by various surnames, “Joe” was used as a name on legal papers that demonstrated where a person should fill out their own name. It came to stand for the common American man; during the Depression, variations such as “Joe Doakes”, “Joe Citizen”, and “Joe Average” were developed.
Will’s just your Average Joe.
Lace Curtain Irish– Describes wealthy Irish immigrants. Often used critically.
Eliza doesn’t know anything about hard times. She’s Lace Curtain Irish.
Land O’ Goshen– Exclamation denoting surprise. Biblical reference to Land of Goshen, in Egypt, in which Joseph was laid to rest, later called Ramses. The Israelites who had lived there for 400 years were turned in slaves by the pharaoh. During the Depression, other euphemistic expressions, such as “My Land!”, “Land sakes!”, and “Good Land!” were also in usage.
“Land o’ Goshen, I haven’t seen you in five years! How are the kids?”
leaner– n. A needy individual; a moocher. Used in the Depression as a derogatory term that described people who depended on others for survival while everyone else was struggling to make ends meet.
Charlie’s a leaner. He hasn’t worked a day in his life, and he’s still borrowing money from his parents, even though he’s forty.
Naked as a Jaybird– Nude.
Just a second– I’ve got to get dressed. I’m naked as a jaybird.
Muzak– Trademarked in the 1930’s as a mixture of “music” and the popular “Kodak” brand, this term, often used disparagingly, refers to “elevator music”, characterized by being overly “light and serene”.
I don’t like his work– it sounds like Muzak.
Repulsive teenagers– A derogatory epithet referring to individuals 13-19. Often used jocularly.
Kids are cute, but I don’t much like those repulsive teenagers.
Shangri-la– An earthly paradise. Coined by James Hilton’s Lost Horizon in 1933, it was later used in WWII to describe a secret base from which planes were deployed to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Sloppy Annie– A girl who has a reputation for not cleaning things up; messy. Originally a “slop” was a late 19th century term for an over-sized sweater worn by a female; it has come to symbolize unkemptness.
She’s one Sloppy Annie, but as long as she can find everything, I guess it’s alright.
Sly as a fox– Used to describe someone who is clever and cunning.
That salesman is sly as a fox. After he was finished with his spiel, I couldn’t turn him down!
Skunk– A rascal. Etymology is Algonquin; it means bad-smelling and repulsive. Chicago, in fact, was named given the Algonquin name that means “at the skunk place” or the “place of bad smells”.
William’s such a skunk. He borrowed my book, lent it to his friend, and now his friend’s lost it.
Shanty Irish– Describes poor Irish immigrants, first coined in 1925. A shanty was a fragile cabin; shantytown were groups of shacks that were built around railroad stations in the mid 1800’s.
I’m Shanty Irish; I grew up in a single-roomed house eating nothing but potatoes.
tilly– Endearing term, often for a girl. Originally “dilly”, which came from “darling”. First coined in the 1930’s.
“Will you get a glass of water for me, tilly?”
tough as wang leather– Describes resilience. Used as early as the turn of the century. What exactly “wang leather” is remains a mystery.
This old suit is still in good shape after 80 years; it’s tough as wang leather.
trouble pushing themselves away from the table– Derogatory criticism of someone with a weakness for overeating. In the Depression, the phrase was especially disparaging, because of the lack of food. Overindulgence was often condemned and seen as a character flaw.
Susan has trouble pushing herself away from the table.
what the Sam Hill– A euphemism for “What the Hell”. Originated as early as 1839 by Puritans. “Sam” was added to the phrase so that it bore less resemblance to the original exclamation. However, the phrase was also thought to refer to a Col. Samuel Hill or Connecticut, whose several runs for office remains the only evidence of his existence.
“What the Sam Hill are you doing?”
weasel– v. To obtain something through dishonest means; deceptive avoidance or manipulation. Weasels were known to suck the inside of an egg out while keeping the shell intact.
“He weaseled his way out of work.”
when the shit hits the fans– Meaning “when everything goes wrong” or “when trouble breaks out”. An old story from the 1930’s tells of a man who went upstairs in a bar to use the bathroom and found no toilet. He used a hole in the floor, and went back downstairs, finding the bar, which was previously crowded, empty. He asked, “Why isn’t anybody here?” The bartender replied, “Where were you when the shit hit the fan?” Often used jocularly.
June’s when the shit hits the fan. I’ve got prom, graduation, and a trip to Europe– I don’t know how I’m going to survive it.
works like a nailer– Someone who does honest, hard physical labor. May be borrowed from the British term “work like a navvy” which refers to men who built navigation canals in England. Nailers were construction workers named for nailing things together.
Robert wakes up at five every morning, goes to work, and comes back at nine at night. He works like a nailer.
Sources
QPB Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins, 2nd Edition, by Robert Henrickson.
Words by Camille Edwards, Photo by David McKinley.
