1920′s Joke of the Month:

Rose’s are red.
Pearl’s are white.
I seen ’em on the clothesline
Just the other night. (Author unknown, Feb. 1928)

In order to complete the jazz age atmosphere, you need to not only have the look but also talk like a 1920s guy or doll. To help you do this, I’ve copied some common words and phrases here and have listed some links for our most studious wedding guests. Some of them were fashioned by recently liberated women in the 1920s, who had just gotten  a bigger voice in society and coined new and sometimes quite dirty terms to show off their new-found freedom. Others were created by “fresh” college kids who were basking in the illegal pastimes and promiscuity that was so vogue at the time. Many of these terms are related to the American mafia scene, which as you know, was prevalent during this era. In general, common themes of naughtiness, frivolity and juvenility can be found among these expressions.

Some of these terms will even be incorporated into the reception- you’ll see what I mean. So don’t be a sap or a dumb Dora- feel free to throw these terms around on July 24^th. With a 1920s vocabulary to accompany your costume, you will look and sound like “the Real McCoy”.  Hopefully, you won’t be too splifficated to use these words…

Attaboy!: well done!; also, Attagirl!
bean shooter: gun
beat it: scram, get lost
beat one’s gums: idle chatter
bee’s knee’s: terrific; a fad expression.
bent: drunk
big cheese: important person
bimbo: a tough guy
blind:drunk
bluenose: prude
bootleg: illegal liquor
boozehound: drunkard
brown: whiskey
bug-eyed Betty (1927): an unattractive girl; student
bump off: to kill
Butt me.: I’ll take a cigarette
cat’s meow: great, also “cat’s pajamas”
Cash or check?: Do we kiss now or later?
Chicago typewriter: Thompson submachine gun
chopper: a Thompson Sub-Machine Gun
ciggy: cigarette
clam: a dollar
copacetic: excellent, all in order
daddy: a young woman’s boyfriend or lover, especially if he’s rich
dewdropper: a young man who sleeps all day and doesn’t have a job
dick: a private investigator
doll: an attractive woman
dolled up: dressed up
don’t take any wooden nickels: don’t do anything stupid
dope: drugs, esp. cocaine or opium.
dough:money
dropper: hired killer
ducky: very good
dumb Dora: an absolute idiot, a dumbbell
Elephant ears: police
floorflusher: an insatiable dancer
Get Hot! Get Hot!: encouragement for a hot dancer doing his or her thing
get a wiggle on: get a move on, get going
giggle water: booze
gold-digger: a woman who pursues men for their money
goofy:in love
gumshoe: detective
heat packer: guy carrying a gun
heebie-jeebies: nervous or unpleasant feeling
high hat: a snob
hoary-eyed: drunk
hooch: booze
hooey: bullshit, nonsense
Hot dog!: Great!; also: “Hot socks!
hotsy-totsy: pleasing
iron one’s shoelaces: to go to the restroom
“I have to go see a man about a dog.”: “I’ve got to leave now,” often meaning to go buy whiskey
jack: money
Jalopy: a dumpy old car
Jane: any female
jeepers creepers: “Holy crap!”
john: a toilet
juice joint: a speakeasy
killjoy: a solemn person
know one’s onions: to know one’s business or what one is talking about
lollygagger: (1) a young man who enjoys making out (2) an idle person
main squeeze: love interest
neck: to kiss passionately; what would today be called “French kissing
“Now you’re on the trolley!”: “Now you’ve got it!”
on the lam: running from the cops
pet: making out
phonus balonus: nonsense
pill: (1) a teacher (2) an unlikable person (3) cigarette
pinch: to arrest
pipe down: stop talking
punch the bag: small talk
rag-a-muffin: a dirty or disheveled individual
red-hot: criminal
Real McCoy: a genuine item
Rats!: “How disappointing!”
rotgut: bootleg liquor
sap: a fool, an idiot; very common term in the 20s
screwy: crazy; “You’re screwy!”
sheba: one’s girlfriend
sheik: one’s boyfriend
sitting pretty: in a prime position
skee: Scotch whiskey
skid rogue: a bum who can’t be trusted
skirt: an attractive female
Snooper: Detective
speakeasy: a bar selling illegal liquor
spill: to talk
splifficated: drunk
swell: (1) good (2) a high class person
take someone for a ride: to take someone to a deserted location and murder them
tasty: appealing
tea: marijuana
tell it to Sweeney: tell it to someone who’ll believe it
tomato: a “ripe” female
torpedo: a hired thug or hitman
“You slay me!”: “That’s funny!”
zozzled: drunk

Additional link: http://local.aaca.org/bntc/slang/slang.htm

1920s Joke of the Month:

A flapper walked into a music store and asked to see some ukuleles. The clerk [sales representative] showed her a  few and she couldn’t decide between a Martin and a Gibson. She seemed to favour the Gibson a trifle, the clerk thought, so thinking to help her he said: ‘Better take the Gibson, Miss, You can’t go wrong with a Gibson ukulele.’ Quick as a flash, the young lady replied: ‘Gimme the Martin, then.’

“Bonnie and Clyde were pretty lookin’ people

But I can tell you people they were the devil’s children,”

Now Bonnie and Clyde fall a bit out of our scope, but I think they’re worth writing about since they were one of the main inspirations for our wedding caper. Now many people have heard of Bonnie and Clyde because of the many songs that were written about the two [the excerpt from the song above comes from the song by Georgie Fame] or from the 1967 movie starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway. These adaptations often skew the facts for dramatic purposes; the lyrics above is the perfect example because all accounts and photographs show that Clyde was an average lookin’ gent and the real Bonnie was no Faye Dunaway.

So they may not have had the looks, but what they did have was an electric charisma that drew them to each other and that captivated the minds of the American people. They met in the winter of 1930. Bonnie Parker was only nineteen, but she had already developed a taste for men that walked on the wrong side of the law. Her husband, Ray Thornton, was serving a sentence for murder. Clyde Champion Barrow was twenty-one and didn’t have a care in the world. There is little information about their first meeting, but it must have been a real doozy because when Clyde was jailed just a few weeks later, Bonnie risked her own freedom to smuggle him a gun which he used to escape. The celebration was fleeting, however, as he was quickly recaptured. Clearly, he had not yet refined the evasion techniques that would serve him later.

Clyde was paroled in February 1932 and the first thing he did was to rejoin his soon-to-be partner in crime. It was then that the real fun began. To quote the FBI file on the dangerous duo:

“At the time they were killed in 1934, they were believed to have committed 13 murders and several robberies and burglaries. Barrow, for example, was suspected of murdering two police officers at Joplin, Missouri, and kidnaping a man and a woman in rural Louisiana. He released them near Waldo, Texas. Numerous sightings followed, linking this pair with bank robberies and automobile thefts. Clyde allegedly murdered a man at Hillsboro, Texas; committed robberies at Lufkin and Dallas, Texas; murdered one sheriff and wounded another at Stringtown, Oklahoma; kidnaped a deputy at Carlsbad, New Mexico; stole an automobile at Victoria, Texas; attempted to murder a deputy at Wharton, Texas; committed murder and robbery at Abilene and Sherman, Texas; committed murder at Dallas, Texas; abducted a sheriff and the chief of police at Wellington, Texas; and committed murder at Joplin and Columbia, Missouri.”

During their escapades they were joined by a few other people, including Clyde’s brother Buck Barrow and his wife Blanche. Buck was killed in a shootout with the police after a furious chase in 1933. Blanche was taken into custody. Police also caught other members of their gang, including William Daniel Jones, but they always failed to capture Bonnie and Clyde, who seemed to disappear effortlessly at every turn.

Authorities set up multiple traps to catch Bonnie and Clyde, but all of them failed. In a stupendous show of bravery and confidence, Clyde and Bonnie liberated five criminals from Eastham State Penitentiary, including the notorious Raymond Hamilton who was serving sentences that totaled over 200 years. The police were humiliated and the jail break made national news.

On April 13, 1934, an FBI Agent, through investigation in the vicinity of Ruston, Louisiana, obtained information which definitely placed Bonnie and Clyde in a remote section southwest of that community. Authorities learned that Bonnie and Clyde had staged a party in Black Lake, Louisiana and that they were planning on returning in two days. The FBI flew into action and rounded up a posse of lawmen and citizens seeking fame and traveled to the secluded country road where the criminal couple was expected to appear.

In the early dawn of May 23, 1934, federal agents hid in the bushes as Bonnie and Clyde, unaware of the danger, drove straight into their trap. As soon as the two were identified, the posse opened fire and ended the sordid tale of Bonnie and Clyde.

Rachel and I are hoping for a happier ending.

For this blog, I wanted to discuss the origin of “the flapper” girl. Sorry fellas, but one the most notable anomalies of the 1920s was the daring, crazy ladies it produced. So, here is a little history lesson for you!

The 1920s brought women much more power than they had ever experienced before. First, they were granted more rights, such as suffrage in 1920 and equal legal rights in 1923. Women also began to take on roles they hadn’t previously, as the first woman governor was elected in 1925 and the first Olympic athlete competed in 1928. The number of women receiving college degrees had also increased to 39% (of all college degrees given) by 1928 compared to 19% in the early 1900s. With this newfound power and entitlement that had once only belonged to men, women began to break out of traditional feminine dress and behavior, as well.

Women traded their long flowing locks for bobs, threw away their restricting undergarments for skimpier ones, and began to show off their legs for the first time (and I mean more than just their ankles- they began to wear dresses right below the knee! Scandalous!).  Perhaps due to the fact they were now taking on roles that were previously synonymous with manly, the masculine look was favored for women. This was defined by Coco Chanel as “La Garçonne”, which means little boy, and this style was extremely fashionable. Dresses were generally looser and low-waisted, not showing off a womanly figure. They would also at times wrap up their chests to create a more “flat” look. Their dressing style, however, was countered by wearing heavy make-up, which had only been worn previously by hookers.

Women also took on behaviors that were more traditionally male. They drank alcohol illegally, smoked cigars and cigarettes, swore like sailors and acted more promiscuously. Women were more daring, taking risks and not really caring about the consequences. Between their fresh liberties, the end of WWI and wealth being more prevalent, these ladies were living a life of “frivolity, abundance and happy-go-luckiness”.

Overall, these women who were beneficiaries of a new and exciting world of more opportunities showed off their new identities by taking on these fashions and behaviors that we categorize today as “flapper”-like.

-Oh, and if you’re wondering where the term “flapper” came from, it’s from the flapping noise created by the galoshes or boots these women would often wear- another “manly” attribute.

1920s Joke of the Month:

What is the penalty for bigamy?

Two mothers-in-law.

These gentleman can show you exactly what this dance looks like.

The Charleston became a national dance craze. Special competitions were held and kings and queens of the Charleston were crowned. The dance was especially popular in speakeasies because, at the time (believe it or not) the Charleston was considered immoral and racy. The young men and women dancing the Charleston in speakeasies got an extra thrill because they knew that their behavior would be offensive to the so-called “drys.”

The musicians who played music for these dance halls had to quickly add the popular Charleston songs to their repertoire. “You go in and the manager asks if you can play Johnson’s tune, Johnson’s tune, and Johnson’s tune,” said Morris Whesler, a trumpet player,  “The kids don’t want to hear nothing else.” The “Johnson Tune” was an actual song called The Charleston that was written for a Broadway show called Runnin’ Wild by James P. Johnson. This is the song playing in the video linked above.

So when picking out an outfit for our outlaw reception, make sure it’s something you can Charleston in! We’ll be having our own competition and Rachel and I will crown the King and the Queen of the Charleston. So get practicing, unless you’re too much of a dry!

His suspicions were justified, as never before or since has a law been so flagrantly and repeatedly violated. Not only did Americans turn to brewing their own alcohol, national levels of drinking actually increased from previous years. It seems that we Americans don’t like to be told what to do—and so we rebelled against a government-turned-nanny. Smuggling and moonshining became large, organized business and women, who had seldom entered the taverns before, started coming to the speak-easies in droves.

The speak-easy was the underground answer to the Prohibition. Converted from old bars or other businesses, speak-easies were the places where people could gather together in numbers to drink. Often, patrons needed a password to be allowed admittance, and these passwords would change on a weekly or even a daily basis. Not all speak-easies were used every night either, in order to hide their locations from police officers or informants. Often, these underground bars would have a front—like a pet or a hardware store—in order to ease suspicions. Patrons would enter and then casually stroll into hidden back rooms or into cellars, while a clerk stood at the counter of the seemingly legitimate business. In some areas of the country, most notably New York City, speak-easies were barely hidden at all. Many owners had policemen on the payroll who would look the other way when a shipment came in. Some officers and other officials even helped smuggle the alcohol themselves, getting a healthy cut of the money.

Despite the best efforts of speak-easy owners and patrons, honest policemen often discovered and then raided them, arresting anyone they found. So because they weren’t permanent fixtures, speak-easies often had a ramshackle look. The crates and barrels used to transport the alcohol could be seen laying around the edges of the space, and the walls were usually unadorned. The instruments of the room’s regular purpose were also around—boxes of merchandise, tools, and other storage containers. There was a secretive and transient charm about them—more authentic than the fancy restaurants and dining halls popular at the time.

It is this feel that Rachel and I will be trying to recreate at our reception at the Elk’s Lodge. The room itself is perfect for the scene, with low hanging lights and a relaxed feel. We’ve acquired the necessary crates, barrels, and even an old cast iron tub that’ll be filled with ice and stocked with booze of all kinds. We can only hope that the coppers don’t storm in in the middle of our celebration…

Below is a code of conduct for our little speak-easy:

Do not get friendly with the waiter. His name is neither Charlie nor George. Remember the old adage about familiarity breeding contempt.

Do not ask to play the drums. The drums heads are not as tough as yours.

Make no requests to the band leader for songs written before 1890. Crooning “Sweet Adeline” was all right for your granddad but times, alas, have changed.

Pinching the cigarette girl’s cheek or asking her to dance with you is decidedly out of order.

Please do not offer to escort the cloakroom girl home. Her husband, an ex-prize fighter, is there for that purpose.

I hope everyone is enjoying and not stressing too much about the upcoming holidays. Not much going on as far as wedding planning at this point in time.  I have been busy finishing up my internship at an outpatient clinic and performing in a Shakespeare show at my school. With some coaxing from faculty at ESU, Alex has decided to go to grad school in the fall to pursue his doctorate in information science. He took his GRE without any preparation, did exceptionally well and has been applying to different grad schools. In addition, Alex and I have some strange opportunities coming up. Alex has been asked to sing back up for Johnny Cash’s brother, Tommy Cash, for 4 shows of his tour and on December 4^th, I will be playing finger cymbals during a concert of Elisabeth von Trapp, granddaughter of Maria von Trapp of which the story of the Sound of Music is based. So as you can see, we have had a few things on our mind besides the big day.

One thing we were able to do was pick a caterer and arrange what we will be eating that evening. When discussing what kind of food we wanted to have, Alex and I thought about what we enjoyed when we went to weddings. What we came up with was appetizers- lots and lots of appetizers, different kinds from stuffed mushrooms to buffalo wings to sushi. So, we decided instead of having a traditional sit down dinner with a carving station or chicken cordon bleu you may or may not like, we will have a true cocktail buffet with lots of different appetizers. We will also have a pasta station that would certainly please the mafiosos that may make an appearance at our reception…

Well, that’s pretty much it for this month! Please stay tuned for more interesting (I promise!) blog posts. If any of you were able to find your costume for the wedding and you want to share about it, please leave a comment or suggestion for everybody.

P.S. We just added the site for our JCPenney registry to the information section on the side, if you are interested. We are slowly adding items but we are having some difficulty figuring out exactly what we need, so please bear with us.

1920s Joke of the Month:

EGGS

The farmer decided to give special attention to the development of his poultry yard, and he undertook the work carefully and systematically. His hired man, who had been with him for a number of years, was instructed, among other things, to write on each egg the date laid and the breed of hen. After a month, the hired man resigned.

“I can’t understand,” the farmer declared, surprised and pained, “why you should want to leave.”

“I’m through,” the hired man asserted. “I’ve done the nastiest jobs, an’ never kicked. But I draw the line on bein’ secretary to a bunch o’ hens.”

And speaking of dressing up, (how’s that for a segue?) let’s talk about flapper and gangster costumes. As you may have gathered, we’re trying very hard to set an authentic scene for our reception and so we strongly encourage all of our guests to dress accordingly. Now, we won’t turn you away from the door without proper attire, but dressing up can be fun and it will add greatly to the atmosphere.

The question, then, is where should you start looking for costume ideas? Well–here‘s as good a place as any: good ole’ wikipedia to the rescue. This should give you a general idea of what you’re looking for, but feel to elaborate and accessorize! Did I really just type that?

GENERAL GUIDELINES:

Shebas: Feathers, pearls, drop-waist dresses, fringe dresses, sequins, elaborate headbands, cloche hats, etc.

Sheiks: Pin stripes, zoot suits, fedoras, spats, watch chains, etc.

Since it’s that time of year, lots of Halloween stores have gangster and flapper costumes in all colors and varieties. The Salvation Army and other thrift stores are also great places to look. The mother of the groom found a fabulous sequined dress for less than $10 in a local thrift shop.

If you need more ideas, Rachel was kind enough to put together a list of youtube videos chock full of inspiration.

Fashion of the 1920s

More Fashion, Plus Hairstyles!

Men’s 1920s Fashion (Some kids school project, worth a look)

More Men’s Fashion (With Fatimah Thompson!(no relation))

1920s Joke of the Month!

Little Mary, who had fallen ill, begged for a kitten. It was found that an operation was necessary for the child’s cure, and that she must go to the hospital. The mother promised that if she would be brave during this time of trial, she should have the very finest kitten to be found.

As Mary was coming out from the influence of the anesthetic, the nurse heard her muttering, and leaning down close, heard these words:

“A bum way to get a cat.”

I think we’ve come a long way with wedding planning and are quite on track. We’ve booked the places we need to book, chosen a photographer, purchased bridesmaid dresses, and much more. Everything seems to be really falling in place.For example, we’ve found and chosen the perfect spot for our reception: Elks Lodge in Port Jervis, NY. If you’ve ever been there before, you may think of it as far from ideal, with the big elk’s head inside and outdated curtains. However,  since we are recreating a speakeasy for our reception, it’s great. My mom was at a confirmation party at the end of spring, called me and said, “You have to see this place! It’s perfect!”. And it was. It’s really going to help create the speakeasy atmosphere. It’s dimly lit, has great antique-looking chandeliers and mirrors, has a terrific entrance as you have to walk down into the room, as if it’s a secret joint, and other features that make it just perfect (not to mention the price was great).

Our table centerpieces were another great find. We decided on using large martini glasses with pearls & floating candles. In our search, we tried Craiglist, and don’t you know it, there was a lady trying to get rid of 20 glasses for $5.00 each she had from a bar mitzvah. Now, it’s difficult to get these glasses for under $20 much less $10, so this was really a great deal! The lady lived in Long Island, just minutes away from Alex’s grandpa, so he was able to pick them up for us and Alex’s family brought them home after a trip to Jones Beach.

I could just go on and on the luck/divine help we’ve had, such as finding a wedding dress for $99, having friends/family that provide services at a discount price or are helping us make things we need, etc., but I don’t want to bore you or ruin any of the surprises… just know that if things work out the way we are planning, this wedding is going to be one heck of a time.

We’ve decided to try and update this blog on or around the 24^thof each month, so try and check back around then if you can. Besides general updates on planning, upcoming “topics” include where to find 1920s costumes (which we greatly encourage), how to talk like a 1920s flapper/gangster, Charleston lessons and much more. Stay tuned!

1920s Joke of the Month:

HONEYMOON

The newly married pair were stopping in a hotel.  The bride left the groom in their room while she went out on a brief shopping expedition.  She returned in due time, and passed along the hotel corridor to the door, on which she tapped daintily.

“I’m back, honey — let me in,” she murmured with wishful tenderness.  But there was no answer vouchsafed to her plea.  She knocked a little more firmly, and raised her voice somewhat to call again: “Honey, honey — it’s Susie!  Let me in!”

Thereupon a very cold masculine voice sounded through the door:

“Madam, this is not a beehive; it’s a bathroom!”

The purpose of this blog is to keep a running commentary on how the wedding is being planned and also to provide information to anyone who has question about just what we’re doing with the wedding and why.

So, the first question we’ll tackle is why we’re doing a themed wedding. The theme, of course, is FLAPPERS AND GANGSTERS!

The inspiration for this idea came from when Rachel and I first started dating. In high school, we had the leading roles in a musical called Sugar, which itself was based on the 1959 movie Some Like it Hot starring Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, and the one and only Marilyn Monroe. The movie takes place in the 1930′s, but we’ve decided to include the 20s as well for thematic purposes. If you haven’t seen the movie, I’d recommend checking it out. Honestly, it’s one of the funniest movies ever made.

So when it came time to plan the wedding, we both didn’t want the typical wedding. What was more important to us was that everyone involved had a good time. We’ve got a lot of fun stuff planned, but we don’t want to give everything away all at once. We’re hoping to make the wedding a truly fun and memorable event and we want to keep everyone informed of the process, so check back regularly to see what we’re up to!

1920s “Joke of the Month”:

Speaker 1: In the theatrical profession, it doesn’t matter how often lovers quarrel.

Speaker 2: Why so?

Speaker 1: Because they make up once a night and twice on matinee days!

Huggable Kissable You!