1930s – The Great Depression
The 1930s were a time of resilience and creativity. The Great Depression shaped daily life, but people found escape through movies, radio shows, and swing music. Classic films like The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind made their mark, while superheroes like Superman debuted in comic books. President Franklin D. Roosevelt launched the New Deal, bringing hope to many. Despite tough times, fashion remained elegant, and jazz clubs were still buzzing.
Fun Fact: The game Monopoly was first sold in 1935.
1930s Slang
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abyssinia - quick way of saying "I'll be seeing you."
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aces - excellent
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apple - a large city
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bash - an attempt
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blow your wig - get excited
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boondoggle - an extravagant and useless project
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bread - money
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bumping gums - making conversation, but of no substance
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cheaters - glasses or sunglasses
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city juice - a glass of water; used to refer to city water
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copacetic - performing well
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dime a dozen - anything very common, not valuable
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dough - money
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five spot - five dollars
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gobsmacked - flabbergasted; surprised
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honey cooler - a kiss
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horn - telephone
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iron - a car or motorcycle
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kibosh - put a stop to something
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low down - all the information
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nitiwttery - stupidity
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off the cob - corny
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shake a leg - hurry up
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slip me five - "shake my hand"
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squat - zero, nothing
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whacky - crazy
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you and me both - a way of vocalizing agreement