1930s Slang
September 1, 2025 - November 30, 2025
10/10
1. Bazillion
The largest number we have a name for is the googolplex, or 10 raised to the 10^100 power. In the 1930s, people had a less precise approach to unfathomable quantities—they used bazillion to exaggerate large and indefinite numbers of things.
🥶 Read a book where a character greatly exaggerates something OR a Series book between #10 and #100 (share series name) OR with a large page count - 400+ (share page count).
The largest number we have a name for is the googolplex, or 10 raised to the 10^100 power. In the 1930s, people had a less precise approach to unfathomable quantities—they used bazillion to exaggerate large and indefinite numbers of things.
🥶 Read a book where a character greatly exaggerates something OR a Series book between #10 and #100 (share series name) OR with a large page count - 400+ (share page count).
To Steal a Lyon's Heart - Dayna Quince (Dragonblade - July 2025) (#86 - Lyon's Den) - Sept 7
2. Blow One's Wig
A bazillion of something, whether dollars in your bank account or cars in a line of traffic, might make you blow your wig. In the former situation, the phrase would refer to feelings of happiness or excitement, but according to Cassell's Dictionary of Slang, blowing one's wig could also refer to someone feeling furious—which could definitely be the case in the latter situation.
🥶 Read a book where a character has feelings of happiness or excitement OR where one is feeling furious OR where a wig/hairpiece falls off.
A bazillion of something, whether dollars in your bank account or cars in a line of traffic, might make you blow your wig. In the former situation, the phrase would refer to feelings of happiness or excitement, but according to Cassell's Dictionary of Slang, blowing one's wig could also refer to someone feeling furious—which could definitely be the case in the latter situation.
🥶 Read a book where a character has feelings of happiness or excitement OR where one is feeling furious OR where a wig/hairpiece falls off.
Devil's Cub - Georgette Heyer (Sourcebooks Casablanca - Nov 2009) (furious) - Sept 9
3. Boondoggle
The next time you're tasked with tedious or impractical busywork, it may break a bit of tension to call it a "boondoggle." The term describes a frivolous waste of time, and it's certainly fun to say. According to Merriam-Webster, a possible origin for boondoggle stems from American scoutmaster Robert H. Link, who coined the term to describe the braided leather tassels worn by Boy Scouts. This meaning spread in the 1920s, and the word had come to its current meaning by the mid-1930s, per the OED.
🥶 Read a book where a word in the title has double consonants like OO or GG OR with a cover that has some type of tassel on it (share cover) OR where a character wastes time on something that does not matter or does busy work.
The next time you're tasked with tedious or impractical busywork, it may break a bit of tension to call it a "boondoggle." The term describes a frivolous waste of time, and it's certainly fun to say. According to Merriam-Webster, a possible origin for boondoggle stems from American scoutmaster Robert H. Link, who coined the term to describe the braided leather tassels worn by Boy Scouts. This meaning spread in the 1920s, and the word had come to its current meaning by the mid-1930s, per the OED.
🥶 Read a book where a word in the title has double consonants like OO or GG OR with a cover that has some type of tassel on it (share cover) OR where a character wastes time on something that does not matter or does busy work.
The Duke's Sharpshooter - C.H. Admirand (Dragonblade - Sept 2025) (OO) - Sept 12
4. Chicago Overcoat
Traveling in the Windy City may require an overcoat, but that's not what this term is referring to. Despite the major decline in Chicago homicide rates between 1930 and 1940 compared to previous decades, the city still had a murderous enough reputation to warrant this term for a coffin, which first popped up in the 1939 book The Big Sleep. Detective novelist Raymond Chandler—whose novel takes place in southern California, not Chicago—put his own spin on overcoat, which had been used to refer to coffins since the late 19th century.
🥶 Read a book where a coffin is used OR a character is murdered OR set in Chicago.
Traveling in the Windy City may require an overcoat, but that's not what this term is referring to. Despite the major decline in Chicago homicide rates between 1930 and 1940 compared to previous decades, the city still had a murderous enough reputation to warrant this term for a coffin, which first popped up in the 1939 book The Big Sleep. Detective novelist Raymond Chandler—whose novel takes place in southern California, not Chicago—put his own spin on overcoat, which had been used to refer to coffins since the late 19th century.
🥶 Read a book where a coffin is used OR a character is murdered OR set in Chicago.
Duty Devoted - Dominic Pierce (Calamitte Jane Pub - July 2025) (murdered) - Oct 30
5. Cockamamie
According to the OED, when cockamamie was first coined in 1931, it was a children's slang term that referred to decal applied to skin, like a temporary tattoo. By 1936, it had come to be used as an adjective to describe "a ridiculous, crazy, or wildly eccentric person."
🥶 Read a book where someone gets a fake tattoo OR where a character acts in a ridiculous, crazy, or wild way OR with a 10-letter title (in any configuration).
According to the OED, when cockamamie was first coined in 1931, it was a children's slang term that referred to decal applied to skin, like a temporary tattoo. By 1936, it had come to be used as an adjective to describe "a ridiculous, crazy, or wildly eccentric person."
🥶 Read a book where someone gets a fake tattoo OR where a character acts in a ridiculous, crazy, or wild way OR with a 10-letter title (in any configuration).
The Lyon's Dilemma - Jude Knight (Dragonblade - July 2025) (crazy) - Oct 9
6. Eighty-six
If you've worked in the food service industry or been to an American diner, you've likely used the phrase eighty-six in reference to something left off a menu. In the '30s, eighty-six referred to a sold-out food item at a restaurant. Over time, the phrase became more frequently used as a verb meaning "to refuse service" or "to throw out."
🥶 Read a book with an 8 or 6 in the page count (share count) OR where a person is asked to leave OR where an item is sold out already.
If you've worked in the food service industry or been to an American diner, you've likely used the phrase eighty-six in reference to something left off a menu. In the '30s, eighty-six referred to a sold-out food item at a restaurant. Over time, the phrase became more frequently used as a verb meaning "to refuse service" or "to throw out."
🥶 Read a book with an 8 or 6 in the page count (share count) OR where a person is asked to leave OR where an item is sold out already.
Full Speed Ahead - Merline Lovelace (Merline Lovelace - Sept 2025) (88 pgs) - Sept 13
7. Gobsmacked
Someone's impressive, unexpected floss could leave you gobsmacked, British slang for "flabbergasted, astounded; speechless or incoherent with amazement," per the OED. Coined in 1935 as the compound of gob ("mouth") and smack (in this context meaning either "to slap" or "to make a noise when separating your lips"), gobsmacked combines the two meanings to evoke imagery of slapping one's hand over their mouth in shock, or dropping one's jaw in surprise.
🥶 Read a book with the word GOBSMACKED in the text (share page/loc#) OR with a gobsmacked person in the story OR with the author's initials found in GOBSMACKED.
Someone's impressive, unexpected floss could leave you gobsmacked, British slang for "flabbergasted, astounded; speechless or incoherent with amazement," per the OED. Coined in 1935 as the compound of gob ("mouth") and smack (in this context meaning either "to slap" or "to make a noise when separating your lips"), gobsmacked combines the two meanings to evoke imagery of slapping one's hand over their mouth in shock, or dropping one's jaw in surprise.
🥶 Read a book with the word GOBSMACKED in the text (share page/loc#) OR with a gobsmacked person in the story OR with the author's initials found in GOBSMACKED.
The Paradise Petition - Carolyn Brown (Montlake - July 2025) (author) - Sept 3
8. Meat Wagon
Naturally, people living in the Depression era would use some morbid slang. Meat wagon is a prime example. While the term was first used in 1925 as a synonym for an ambulance, its meaning evolved around a decade later, becoming a grisly synonym for a hearse in 1934.
🥶 Read a book where an ambulance is called OR where a hearse is used OR where meat is transported (your interpretation).
Naturally, people living in the Depression era would use some morbid slang. Meat wagon is a prime example. While the term was first used in 1925 as a synonym for an ambulance, its meaning evolved around a decade later, becoming a grisly synonym for a hearse in 1934.
🥶 Read a book where an ambulance is called OR where a hearse is used OR where meat is transported (your interpretation).
Wyoming Bodyguard - Danielle M. Haas (HI #2338 - Aug 2025) (ambulance) - Sept 9
9. Nogoodnik
Given that the suffix -nik denotes a person associated with something, nogoodnik is, expectedly, a word for someone who's nothing but trouble.
🥶 Read a book where Yiddish is spoken OR where a character is nothing but trouble OR something bad happens.
Given that the suffix -nik denotes a person associated with something, nogoodnik is, expectedly, a word for someone who's nothing but trouble.
🥶 Read a book where Yiddish is spoken OR where a character is nothing but trouble OR something bad happens.
Beckett - Josie Jade (Calamitte Jane Pub - Sept 2025) (something bad) - Oct 2
10. On Sus
Another slang term 1930s people have in common with Gen-Z, sus, is an abbreviation of suspicion or suspect, and indicates a feeling that questionable activities are happening. While today's youth tend to use the word as an adjective ("you’ve been acting pretty sus”), sus was used as a noun in the ’30s and often preceded by on. If one was on sus, they were suspected of committing a crime or some other nefarious act.
🥶 Read a book with an untrustworthy person OR where a crime is committed OR where someone is acting suspicious.
Another slang term 1930s people have in common with Gen-Z, sus, is an abbreviation of suspicion or suspect, and indicates a feeling that questionable activities are happening. While today's youth tend to use the word as an adjective ("you’ve been acting pretty sus”), sus was used as a noun in the ’30s and often preceded by on. If one was on sus, they were suspected of committing a crime or some other nefarious act.
🥶 Read a book with an untrustworthy person OR where a crime is committed OR where someone is acting suspicious.
A Lyon's Promise - C.H. Admirand (Dragonblade - Sept 2025) (crime/suspicious) - Sept 28
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