American Language Supplement 2

by H. L. Mencken

  Mama Lucia. A fat contralto.

  Mike hog. A performer who tries to monopolize the microphone.

  Monkey. A band leader.

  Nemo, or remote pickup. A broadcast picked up from outside the studio.

  Off the arm. Extemporaneous.

  One-lunger, or coffee-pot. A 100-watt station.2

  On the nose. Running on time.

  Out in the alley. Out of range of the microphone.

  Pipe, v. To send a programme from one place to another by telephone.

  Plops. Over-accentuated pronunciations, especially of the letters b and p.

  Plug-ugly. An advertisement interjected into a news announcement or entertainment programme.3

  Quonking. Side-line chatter which disturbs a performance.

  Rover boy. A minor executive of an advertising agency.

  Scooper. A singer with slurry enunciation.

  Scoutmaster. An advertising agency executive.

  Segue. A transition from one musical theme to another.4

  Sexton. A bass singer.

  Signature. The music or other effect which identifies a serial programme.

  Sneak in. Music played softly, as a background to dialogue.

  Town crier. A singer who sings too loud.

  Walla walla. Words uttered by performers in mob scenes.

  Weaver. A performer who moves nervously before the microphone.

  White meat. An actress.

  Woodshed. A hard rehearsal.

  Yuck. A soap-opera addict.

  Zampa. A florid musical passage.

  Zilch. Anyone whose name is not known.5

  The meaning of many radio terms is now familiar to every American, e.g., web, sponsor, sustaining programme, soap-opera,1 to dial, plug, platter, on the air, commercial, network, canned music and static. Television, usually called video, is introducing its own, e.g., blizzard-head, a blonde; flag or gobo, a screen to shade the camera; ghost, an unwanted secondary image; gismo or gizmo, any contrivance which yet lacks a name; hot light, a concentrated light; inky, an incandescent light; gilding, performers’ make-up;2 womp, a sudden flare-up of light on the receiving screen;3 noise, spots or a pattern on the picture; model, to move gracefully before the camera, as in a fashion-show; roll it, the cue to start work, and stretch, to stall for time.4

  Every other trade, profession, sport and hobby has its argot, and it would be impossible to give specimens of all of them. Even such strange folk as aquarium attendants, apple-pickers, dog-breeders, philatelists and social workers talk among themselves in terms unintelligible to the outsider. The best I can do here is to sample those of some scattered groups, taking them in alphabetical order:

  Advertising Agents

  Art. Anything in the nature of a picture.

  Blind ad. An unsigned newspaper or magazine advertisement, usually including a direction to send inquiries in care of the publisher.

  Blurb. An encomium of a book on a slipcover, usually signed by someone pretending to literary judgment; now extended to any florid testimonial.5

  Bookvertising. Advertising by means of books and other printed matter in which the advertiser’s product is mentioned only incidentally.1

  Copy-writer. One who writes the text of an advertisement.

  Display-ad. One set wholly or chiefly in large type.

  Double-truck. An advertisement covering two facing newspaper pages.

  Layout-man. One which lays out an advertisement, indicating the places and themes of the art.

  Puller. An advertisement that brings in sales.

  Reader, or reading-notice. A blurb printed as reading-matter. It is usually thrown in by the publisher in return for a paid advertisement. If it is paid for separately the Postal Act requires that it be marked Advertisement.

  Space buyer. A functionary who chooses the media in which a given advertisement or series is to be published.

  Transitad. An advertisement in a street-car, bus or other public vehicle.2

  Want-ad. A small advertisement, usually printed under a rubric, e.g., Help Wanted, Lost and Found.3

  Aquarists

  Boarder. A fish on exhibition.

  Chef. The attendant who cuts up food for the fish.

  Goofy. Said of a fish off its feed.

  Hybreeding. Hybridizing.

  Sleeper. A visitor who comes in, not to see the fish, but to rest.4

  Apple-pickers5

  Apple-knocker. A club used to loosen fruit from the boughs; also, a fast apple-picker.

  Dope. Any, spray used in an orchard.

  Drops, or ground stuff. Fallen apples.

  Facers. The apples packed at the top of the box.

  Goose walk. An over-abundance of packers applying for work.

  Marbles. Extremely small apples.

  Skyscraper. A tree which requires an extra long ladder.

  Sting. An apple with wormholes.

  Push. The boss.

  Worm-chaser. An inspector.1

  Architects2

  Bird seed. Dotting or hatching on plans.

  Calque, v. To make a tracing.3

  Cheater. A reducing glass.

  Garbage. Ornamentation.

  Nigger, v. To fill in details of a design.

  Pencil-pusher. A draftsman.

  Pig. A brush used to sweep off drawings.

  Sky-hooks. Plans showing insufficient structural support.

  Slip-sticks. A slide rule.

  Bakers4

  Bottomer. One who places the hulls of pies in plates before baking.

  Cracker-breaker. One who knocks off individual crackers from the long strips in which they are baked.

  Dumper, shaker, or hot-stuff man. One who removes pies, etc., from pans.

  Pan-catcher. One who stacks empty pie pans.

  Pie-washer. One who paints pies with a fluid designed to give them a golden-brown color when baked.

  Pinner, or sticker. One who impales cookies on the pins of a wire rack preparatory to dipping them in icing.

  Pretzel-twister. One who fashions thin strips of dough into the form of pretzels.

  Sandwich girl. A girl who spreads filling between the two halves of double-deck crackers or cookies.

  Barbers

  Acre-and-a-half. A fat-faced man.

  Barbed-wire, or squirrel. A tough beard.

  Bath. A shampoo.

  Box. An angular, craggy-faced man.

  Dragger. A non-tipping customer.

  Gopher. A man who has not had a haircut in a long time.

  Hob, or hook. A razor.

  Jista. A customer who asks for a shave only.1

  Mop. A lather brush; also, a heavy head of hair.

  Panther-water, or squaw-water. Hair tonic.

  Scratcher. An electric head-rubbing apparatus.

  Steamer. A hot towel.

  Tear, v. To cut or nick.

  Workhouse. A barber-shop.2

  Bartenders

  Barman. A euphemistic term for bartender.3

  Cage. A service bar.

  Comb. The scraper used to remove suds from a freshly-drawn glass of beer.

  Cop’s bottle. A bottle of the cheapest whiskey.

  Fast house. A bar where most of the trade is in mixed drinks.

  Flat. A very small beer.

  Fruit salad. An old-fashioned cocktail.

  Gas-drinker. A drinker of ginger-ale.

  Germ-killer. Benedictine and brandy.

  Headache, or auctioneer. A garrulous customer.

  Landlord. A steady customer.

  Light. An honest glass without a false bottom.

  Mickey Finn. A drink containing a quick purgative, given to a drunk to get rid of him.4

  Pop-skull. An empty whiskey glass.

  Sham. A glass with a false bottom.

  Shell. A small beer-glass.

  Squirt-gun. A seltzer siphon.

  Stick. The handle of a beer spigot.5

  Trance. A customer far gone in liquor.6

  Baseball-players7

&
nbsp; Apple, cantaloupe, onion, potato, or tomato. The ball.

  Aspirin, or pea. A ball pitched so fast that the batter can barely see it.

  Banana stalk. A bat of inferior wood.

  Barker, or yodeler. A coacher.

  Bean ball, duster, or Gillette. A ball thrown at a player’s head.1

  Biff, v. To bat a ball hard.2

  Bleachers. The uncovered seats at a ball park.3

  Blind Tom, guesser, Jesse James, robber, empire, or His Honor. An umpire.

  Blue darter, or clothesliner. A low, hard liner.4

  Bunt. A hit made with an almost motionless bat, causing the ball to fall between home-plate and pitcher’s box.5

  Can o’corn. A fly that is easy to catch.

  Charley horse. Muscular soreness in a player’s leg.6

  Chucker, fogger, fooler, or tosser. A pitcher.

  Cigar-box, or flea-box. A very small ball-park.

  Clinker, boat, or kick. An error.

  Collar, or horse-collar. A time at bat without a hit.

  County fair, Fancy Dan, or show-boat. A show-off.

  Cup of coffee. A brief try-out in the big leagues.

  Cushion, hassock, or pillow. A base.

  Deer. A fast runner.

  Dick Smith, or loner. An unsociable player.1

  Dipsy-doo. A slow tantalizing curve.2

  Fan. An enthusiast.3

  Fireplug. A short, stocky player.4

  Fireworks. A batting rally.

  Fungo. A ball batted in practise; also, the bat used in batting such balls.5

  Glass arm. A sore throwing or pitching arm.6

  Grazer, gardener, or pasture-man. An outfielder.

  Gun, wing, or soup-bone. A pitcher’s arm.

  High pockets. A very tall player.

  Hind snatcher, or backstop. A catcher.

  Hot corner. Third base.

  Jockey. A player who bedevils (rides) an opposing player (usually a pitcher) or team.

  Jug, jug-handle, hook, mackerel, fish, number two, or snake. A curve.

  Lamb, or cousin. A pitcher easy to hit.

  Leather player. A good fielder who can’t hit.

  Lumber, bludgeon, shillelah, or willow. A bat.7

  Maggot. A club owner.8

  Manicurist. A ground-keeper.

  Muff. To fumble a ball and so miss a play.9

  Papier mache, or pretty. A player who is easily hurt.

  Pay-station. The home plate.

  Peg. A throw.1

  Pool-table. A smooth infield.

  Rhubarb. An altercation on the field.2

  Rooter. An enthusiastic supporter of a team.3

  Rubber, or platter. The home plate.

  Seventh-inning stretch. The interval after the first half of the seventh inning.4

  Shotgun, or slingshot. A strong throwing arm.5

  Shut-out. A game in which one side fails to score.6

  Southpaw, side-wheeler, cockeye, corkscrew-arm, or twirly-thumb. A left-handed pitcher.7

  Strawberry. An abrasion caused by sliding for a base.

  Teacher, or skipper. A manager.

  Texas Leaguer, nubber, blooper, sinker, banjo, bleeder, stinker, pooper, punker, plunker, drooper, humpie, humpback, or squib. A pop fly which nevertheless takes the batter to first base.

  Walk. A base on balls.8

  Wolves. Hostile spectators.

  Wood player. A good hitter who can’t field.9

  Beauticians

  Bag, or bitch. An elderly fat woman.

  Blizzard. A customer who is always in a hurry.

  Clinic. A beauty-parlor.1

  Cocktail. A light facial which freshens the customer for the evening.

  Coffee. A mud-pack.

  Cosmetology. The care of the skin.2

  Crepy. Wrinkled.

  Daisy. A freckle.

  Decision. A woman who has her hair dyed.

  Dowager’s hump. A deposit of fat at the back of the neck.3

  Fire-drill. A henna rinse.

  Hair-do. A style of dressing the hair.4

  Hamburger. A “food” cream.

  Hand-out. A shampoo.

  Harvest. A plucking of the eyebrows.

  Hitch-hike. A finger wave.

  Joe. A customer who does not tip.

  Kitty. Tips.

  Meat-grinder. A constant talker.

  Pan-handler. A beauty-shop girl.5

  Perm. A permanent wave.

  Pickle. A customer with a forbidding face.

  Queen Elizabeth. A haughty customer.

  Rainbow. An eye-shadow of a color to harmonize with the complexion.

  Retouch, v. To dye or bleach hair.

  Santa Claus. A customer who appears only at long intervals.

  Scratch. An appointment-book.

  Screech. A complaining customer.

  Skunk bob. Dyed gray hair.6

  Smear. A bleaching lotion.

  Spaniel. A woman who wears her hair in a long bob, suggesting a spaniel’s ears.

  Sponge. A customer willing to try all the treatments and lotions suggested.

  Springtime. An old woman who yearns to be young again, and beautiful.

  Tint, v. To dye.

  Whiskers. Artificial eyelashes.

  White henna. A bleach.1

  Booksellers2

  Guck. The gilt stamping on a book.

  Interior decorator. A dealer who specializes in sets.

  Kangaroo. A shoplifter with capacious pockets.

  Looker, or reader. One who haunts bookshops, but never buys.

  Plug. A good book that no one wants.

  Point. A feature which distinguishes the first issue from other issues of a book.

  Brewery Workers3

  Ausbrenner. A device for burning old pitch off the inner surface of kegs before applying a new coat.4

  Beer-schiessen. Beer-time for the workers.5

  Beer-shooter. The man or boy who dispenses beer to the workers at set times.

  Bull-work. Heavy labor.

  Cooperage. Draft beer containers, whether of wood or metal.

  High-kraeusen. A heavy formation of foam on the fermenting beer.6

  Kaiser’s geburtstag, or saltag. Pay day.7

  Kuehlschift. A cooling tank.8

  Lauter-tub. A clarifying vat.9

  Ruh-cellar. A cellar where maturing beer is stored.10

  Schlaucher. A workman who rinses empty vats with a hose.11

  Totsäfer. A customer’s man.12

  Bricklayers13

  Barber, boot, or cobbler.14 A poor bricklayer.

  Belly-whacker. One who lays bricks out of plumb.

  Blade. A trowel.

  Bull-header. A brick laid on edge.

  Fly-blow. One who goes from job to job, borrowing money.

  Hog. A difference in the number of courses of bricks in opposite corners to a given height.

  Hopping-board. A scaffold.

  Monkey. A hod; also, a hodcarrier.

  Monkeyshines. Fancy brick work.

  Mud. A call for mortar or cement; also, mortar that is too thick.

  Slime, or soup. Inferior mortar.

  Soldier. Brick laid on its head, as over a window.

  Toother. A brick which projects from the end of a wall against which another will be built.

  Cannery Workers1

  Ball-rubber. A worker who seeks to ingratiate himself with the foreman.

  Barn-paint. Catsup.

  Chef. The man who runs the cooker.

  Corn-snitcher. One who cuts bad places out of the ears before they are washed.

  Eagle. The owner of a factory.

  Eagle Eye. A Federal Pure Food inspector.

  Grease-gun. One who oils the machinery.

  Gummer. A label machine operator.

  Kidney cleaner. Asparagus.

  Peeler. One who shucks corn.

  Pop-valve. An excitable foreman.

  Puffer. A swelled can.

  Sewer-trout. Pink salmon.

  Snoop. A timekeeper.


  Stuffer. A canning-machine operator.

  Tail lights. Stuffed olives.

  Carpenters2

  Bone. Hard wood.

  Bread and butter. A kit of tools.

  Bullstaller. A poor carpenter.

  Cellar. A small contractor’s shop.

  Cheese. Soft wood.

  Coffee-grinder. A breast drill.

  Floor-logger. A floor-layer.

  Freeze, v. To glue two pieces of wood together.

  George Washington. A hatchet.

  Ice cream, or scap. Overtime.

  King’s eye. A level.

  Knocker, or knocking iron. A hammer or hand ax.

  Mutt. A water-carrier.

  Nail-eater. A lather.

  Peg. A nail.

  Riding the air. Working high up.

  Scuffing. Rough planing.

  Slicer. A rip saw.

  Sword. A saw.1

  Toothpick. A 12 × 12 inch beam.

  Cattlemen2

  Animal. A bull.3

  Bite the dust, v. To be thrown from a horse; to die.4

  Bronco, or bronc. An unbroken or half-broken horse.5

  Bronc-peeler, or buster. A horse-breaker.

  Buckaroo, cowhand, cowpoke, puncher, screw, rawhide, or waddie. A cowboy.6

  Bull-dogger. One who leaps on, wrestles with and throws young steers.

  Button. An apprentice cowboy.

  Chaps. Leather leggins, hip high.7

  Chili, or yellow-belly. A Mexican.

  Chouse, v. To drive cattle roughly.8

  Coil, string, flingline, whaleline, twine, or gutline. A lasso, or lariat.9

  Corral. A pen for animals.10

  Deacon. A young calf.

  Dogie. A scrubby calf or other animal.11

  Dude, or tenderfoot. A newcomer unaccustomed to ranch and range life.1

  Fork, v. To straddle a horse.

  Goosehair. A pillow.

  Guteater, or bow-and-arrow. An Indian.

  Hackamore. A halter made of rope or rawhide.

  Hot roll. A cowboy’s bedding and other belongings.

  Justins. Boots.2

  Kack. A saddle.

  Lamb licker, mutton puncher, or sheep-puncher. A sheepherder.

  Leppy. A motherless calf.

  Levis. Overalls.3