Speakeasy Slang: The Hidden Language

I was standing in what used to be New York's most notorious speakeasy, now a trendy coffee shop. I imagined the colorful characters who once talked and drank behind these walls. The more I researched the secret language of the prohibition era, the more I was fascinated by how an entire underground culture developed its own vocabulary.

The birth of speakeasy slang wasn't just about being trendy or hip. It was about surviving prohibition and the 18th Amendment which banned alcohol in 1920. The saying, “with change comes opportunity” was real and Americans didn't stop drinking, they just got more creative. Participating in illegal activities without attention from law enforcement led to an explosion of speakeasy slang.

The first example is the word "speakeasy". This term originated from bartenders telling patrons to "speak easy" when entering and being in the bar. It meant to keep their voices down. This was just the beginning of my research on speakeasy slang.

Other words and saying I ran across painted a vivid picture of life during Prohibition. This was "The secret code of the streets." 

If you walked into a speakeasy in 1925, you might hear someone order "coffin varnish" which was a poor quality, homemade whiskey or order some "hooch" which was illegal alcohol. This is actually still a term we still use today. A "bone-crusher" wasn't a tough guy, it was just a doorman. And "greasers" were the corrupt cops who could be bribed to look the other way.

One of my favorite discoveries was learning that a "Cup of Joe" originated during this period. Though there are competing theories, many historians believe it became popular in speakeasies where patrons would add liquor to coffee to disguise their drinking. I read "Joe" might have referred to Joseph Daniels. He was Secretary of the Navy and banned alcohol on ships, leading sailors to drink more coffee. This was an interesting story, but I'm not sure I agree 100%.

Characters who populated these establishments had their own slang. A "big cheese" was the person in charge, while a "drugstore cowboy" was a well-dressed man who loitered around trying to pick up women. If someone was described as "ossified," they weren't turning to bone, they were just incredibly drunk. The lingo was catchy.

Some of my favorite expressions include:

- "Ankle" - means to walk like, "let's ankle to the joint"

- "Cat's pajamas" - something excellent or high quality

- "Beat one's gums" - idle chit-chat or chatter

- "Giggle water" - alcohol

- "Horn in" - to intrude, which still may be in use today

What strikes me most is how many of these terms have seamlessly integrated into our modern world. When we call someone a "wet blanket" or say something is "the bee's knees," we're using pure speakeasy slang. "Bank's closed", which means "no more kissing", might have fallen out of use, but "bail out" (to leave quickly) and "crash" (to fall asleep) are still popular.

The term "bootlegger" has evolved beyond its original meaning of hiding flasks in boot tops to become synonymous with any kind of smuggling. And when we talk about something being "ritzy" or "swanky," we're channeling the spirit of the hidden bar or clubs where such terms were born. I love the speakeasy slang! The speakeasy culture.

In researching speakeasy slang, I realized prohibition did more than create a network of illegal bars. It changed our language in ways that continue to live within us today. While the speakeasies of the prohibition era disappeared with the repeal of prohibition in 1933, their colorful vocabulary lives on. It reminds us of a time when simply ordering a drink required knowing a password and a secret door.

So, next time you hear a phrase like "what's eating you?" or hear someone called a "flat tire" (a boring person), remember, this lingo is a unique piece of American cultural history that was born in the shadows of hidden bars. A time when speakeasy slang started to catch on and yes, it still lives in us today.