Vamps, Villains and Vaudeville
Page 21
Milquetoast (1924): A very timid person; a hen-pecked male
(from the comic book character Casper Milquetoast)
Mrs. Grundy - A prude or killjoy; a prim, prissy (older) woman
Moll - (Gun Moll) A gangster’s girlfriend
Neck - Make-out, kiss with passion
“Oh yeah?” - Expression of doubt (“Is that so?”)
On a toot – On a drinking binge, Bar-hopping
On the lam - Fleeing from police
On the level - Legitimate, Honest
On the trolley – In the know, Savvy (“You’re on the trolley!”)
On the up and up - Trustworthy, Honest
Ossified – Drunk, Plastered
Palooka - A derogatory term for a low-class or dumb person
(Re: Comic strip character Joe Palooka, a poor immigrant)
Piker - (a) Cheapskate (b) Coward
Pitch a little woo - To flirt, try to charm and attract the opposite sex
Rag-a-muffin - An unkempt, dirty and disheveled person/child
Razz - To tease, to insult or make fun of
Rhatz! - “Too bad!” or “Darn it!”
Ritzy - Elegant, High-class, “Putting on the Ritz” (Re: Ritz Hotel)
Rotgut - Cheap hooch, inferior alcohol, poisonous bootleg liquor
Rummy - A drunken bum, an intoxicated man, a wino
Sap - A fool, an idiot; very common term in the 1920s
“Says you!” - A reaction of disbelief or doubt (also “Hogwash!”)
Screaming meemies - The shakes, the jitters, to be afraid
Screwy - Crazy, Nuts (“You’re screwy!”)
Sheba - An attractive and sexy woman; girlfriend
(popularized by the film “Queen of Sheba”)
Sheik - A handsome man with sex appeal
(from Rudolph Valentino’s film “The Sheik”)
Scram – “Get out,” “Beat it,” to leave immediately
Speakeasy - An illicit bar selling bootleg liquor
Spiffy - An elegant appearance, well-dressed, fine
Stuck On - Having a crush on, attracted to
Sugar Daddy - A rich, older gentleman (usually married)
Swanky - Elegant, Ritzy
Swell - Wonderful, Great, Fine, A-OK
Take for a Ride -To try to kill someone (bump them off)
Torpedo - A hired gun, a hit man
Umbrella - Young man any girl can borrow for the evening
Upchuck - To vomit, especially after drinking too much
Wet Blanket - A dud, a dull date or person, a party pooper
Whoopee - (Make whoopee) To have fun/a good time, to party
“You don’t say!” – i.e. “Is that so?” “Oh, really? I didn’t know”
“You slay me!” -”You’re hilarious!” or “That’s funny!”
Zozzled - Drunk, intoxicated. Also: Plastered, Smashed
BIOGRAPHY
Ellen Mansoor Collier is a Houston-based freelance writer whose articles and essays have been published in several national magazines, including: FAMILY CIRCLE, MODERN BRIDE, FIRST, GLAMOUR, BIOGRAPHY, COSMOPOLITAN, COUNTRY ACCENTS, PLAYGIRL, etc. Several of her short stories have appeared in WOMAN'S WORLD. A flapper at heart, she’s the owner of MODERNEMILLIE on etsy, specializing in Deco to retro items.
Formerly she's worked as a magazine editor, and in advertising/marketing and public relations. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Magazine Journalism, and served on Utmost, the college magazine, and as President of Women in Communications (W.I.C.I.) her senior year.
During college, she once worked as a cocktail waitress, a short-lived experience, and as a reporter for a community newspaper, providing the background for her Jazz Age mysteries. FLAPPERS, FLASKS AND FOUL PLAY was her first novel, published in 2012. BATHING BEAUTIES, BOOZE AND BULLETS, was released in May, 2013, and GOLD DIGGERS, GAMBLERS AND GUNS came out in 2014.
"When you grow up in Houston, Galveston becomes like a second home. I had no idea this sleepy beach town had such a wild and colorful past until we visited a former speakeasy-turned-restaurant and heard the exciting tales of Galveston’s gangsters. Curious, I began doing research, and became fascinated by the local legends and wild stories of the 1920s. Finally I had to start writing, trying to imagine what an ambitious, adventurous flapper's life was like in Galveston during Prohibition."
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DEDICATION
Thanks to Gary, my supportive husband, who has been there since day one and read virtually every draft of this novel. Who knew a chemical engineer could be such a great editor?
To my mother, May Mansoor Munn, who inspired me to write at a young age, and to my late father, Isa Mansoor, who always encouraged me to do my best.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Many thanks to my wonderful beta readers and editors, especially Amy Metz, who was there from page one, and Rana Copeland, Gary E. Collier and Karen Muller, whose suggestions and feedback helped shape the story. A special thank you to Dr. Dick Elam, whose meticulous editing sharpened the manuscript. I greatly appreciate your enthusiasm and encouragement!
I owe a debt of gratitude to Texas Monthly contributor Gary Cartwright, author of Galveston: A History of the Island, whose painstaking research made Galveston’s past come alive.
For my cover art, I'm delighted to credit George Barbier, the fabulous French Deco artist (1882-1932) of Pantomime Stage (c. 1924). Steve Catizone put together the graphics and my talented husband, Gary, designed and formatted the interior.
I'm grateful to the friends who offered support and words of wisdom, especially Summer Lane and Noreen Marcus, and of course my family, Mom, Albert, my brother Jeff and my late dad, Isa Mansoor.