Name: ___________________________
Livin’ in the 1920’s
Directions: Using context clues, determine the meaning of each of the 32 underlined slang
words and then rewrite the 1920’s “slang” passage below.
Tonight, I am going to the talkie with my sheik! He’s the
bee’s knees! Many of his friends act raspberries all the time
but not my hotsie-totsie. He may not be wild, but he is also no
lug! He is not a fat cat. He has to work hard for the things he
owns. He is very proud of the tin lizzie he just bought and let
me tell you, it is not a lousy struggle buggy! It’s the newest
model, too! He likes to ride around in only the most ritzy cars,
an old jalopy just won’t do. Even so, he would never high hat
someone who had less than he had. He doesn’t think he is
better than anyone else.
He likes to take me down to the main drag before the
flick starts. We always stop at the drive-in and ask the carhop
to get us two white cows while we join our friends for a divine
bull session. If they start digging dirt or making up a bunch of
marlarkey about anyone, even the sad sacks and the Jane’s, he
puts an end to it lickety split! He says we all need to wise up
and treat everyone like they are a big cheese. Treating people
like they are a pip-squeak is horse feathers and that people
who do that are all wet! Not everyone agrees with him, though.
Tonight, some bullies decided to breeze in to the drive-in and
actually knocked his cheaters off of his face and hit him right
in the kisser! Wow! They acted like such nitwits!
Rewrite the passage with your own words substituted for the underlined words below. Be sure to
underline your new words as you write. Use the back if more space is needed.
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Slang Word
sheik
bee’s knees
raspberries
hotsie-totsie
lug
fat cat
tin lizzie
lousy
struggle buggy
ritzy
jalopy
high hat
main drag
flick
car hop
white cows
divine
bull session
digging dirt
marlarkey
sad sacks
Jane’s
lickety split
wise up
big cheese
Guessed Meaning
Slang Word
pip-squeak
horse feathers
all wet
breeze in
cheaters
kisser
nitwits
Guessed Meaning