‘How come?’
Also, dropped jaws, others
Don Kingery
Old-fashioned conversation was filled with “expressions” that you seldom hear today, except from a few old people. They were heard from the early 1900s through the 1950s, especially in small towns where expressions passed from one generation to the next.
These expressions — there is no other name that fits them — aren’t usually found in standard dictionaries.
Most often used
Here are some of the most-used expressions:
l “It beats me ...” — This was followed by whatever it was that astounded the speaker, like, “It beats me why he don’t fix that broken door,” or, “It beats me why she puts up with him.”
l “It’s beyond me ...” — This opening was followed by whatever puzzled the speaker, like, “It’s beyond me why he quit that job,” or, “It’s beyond me how he can live without working.”
l “Dropped jaw” — “I just dropped my jaw when he said that.”
l “How come” — This was another favorite. It was usually used in a question, like, “How come you’re late?” or “How come you left early?” or “How come you’re not wearing your hat?”
l “Bolt from the blue.” — This was used to describe unexpected good news, like, “My husband said it came like a bolt out of the blue when he got promoted.”
l “I jumped right out of my skin.” — This popular expression described a total, unexpected surprise, usually a scary one, like, “I jumped out of my skin when I looked out the window and saw a little bear in my yard,” or, “ When our old garage fell down right near the house, the noise made me jump right out of my skin.”
l “Knocked me over with a feather.” — This expression came very close to “jumping out of your skin” as a mostused expression. It went, “You could have knocked me over with a feather when they gave me first place for my cake.” A second option: “You could have knocked me down with a feather when ... .”
l “Knocked my socks off.” — This was a male expression that replaced “knock me over with a feather” used by women. Men would say, “It knocked my socks off when I won that target-shooting contest.”
l “Could of.” — Many people often used “could of ” in place of “could have” in sentences. Instead of saying, “He would have been rich if he hadn’t been wasteful,” they said, “He could of been rich if he ... .”
Another expression in that era still in use today is “A likely story.” — This is still a polite way of telling someone the story he had just repeated was false.
There are two kinds of American slang. One is used and understood by the general public. The other is used by people in trades or professions who use “in-house” slang to describe what they do.
Here are words and phrases, and their meanings, that cover a period of about 400 years of American history, the early 1600s to the early 2000s.
This list of slang words and phrases is chosen for familiarity to readers. The total will be higher tomorrow because the number of slang words and phrases increases constantly.
Above board — In open sight, without tricks. “I trust him. He’s above board.” All-ÿred — Maximum. “If he’s so all-ÿred determined to go to town, let him go to town.” Apple-pie order — In excellent order. “Those papers are in apple-pie order.” Ary — Either. “Ary one you choose is okay by me.” Bad egg — “He’s a bad person.” Good egg — “He’s a good person.” Bellyache — To complain. “Oh, stop your belly-aching.” Balmy — Weak-minded. “He’s balmy, that’s what he is.” Been through the mill — Seen di•cult times. “He’s really been through the mill.” Best bib and tucker — Finest clothes. Blather — Tiresome talk. “I’m tired of hearing you blather.” Born days — Lifetime until the present. “In all my born days, I never saw such a thing.” Lawzy me — Surprise. “Lawzy me, look what he brought me.” Bouncing — Large, heavy. “She gave birth to a bouncing baby boy.” Cahoots — Partnership. “Those two are in cahoots.” Buck up — Look at the bright side. “Come on, buck up. “Keep your chin up.” Blowout — Can mean two things — a party, or a •at tire. Bunko artist — A cheater. By hook or crook — Any way possible. “I’ll get it by hook or crook.” By the bye — By the way. “By the bye, I sold that calf.” By gum! — Determined. “By gum, I’ll do it!” By the skin of your teeth — Narrow escape, usually from a dilemma. Kit and caboodle. — All of something. “I’ll take the whole kit and kaboodle.” Jail — Also prison. hoosegow, pokey, lockup, clink, jailhouse, pen, calaboose, can, joint, big house, slammer. Cashed In — Died. Also, bit the dust, bought the farm, cashed in his chips or kicked the bucket. Catty-cornered — Diagonally across. “The courthouse is catty-cornered from the drugstore.” Catty wampus — Crooked. “That whole building is catty-wampus.” Chaw — Chew.Chow — Food. Chow down — Eat. Chiseler — A cheater. Chock-full — Entirely full. Clean his plow, or get your plow cleaned — To give, or get, a whipping. Close-ÿsted — Stingy. Cool your heels — Stay. Coon’s age — Very long time.Cracked — Crazy.Critter — Creature.Dander — Anger. ”He got his dander up.” Dicker — Barter, trade. Dilly-dally — Delay. Also means to shillyshally. Fair shake — Fair trade. Get a wiggle on — Hurry. Goslin’ — Young goose. Gone goslin’ — Done for. “He’s a gone goslin.” Go whole hog — Maximum e•ort. Grass widow — Divorced, and poor, woman. Gully washer — Hard rain. Hammer and tongs — Noisy, furious. “They went at it hammer and tongs.” Hand and glove — Closely united. “They’re in this thing hand and glove.” Hard row to hoe — Di•cult job, like hoeing heavily-weeded cotton. Hear tell — Agree with what has been said. “Well, hear tell.” Her’n — Hers. “That’s her’n.” Hiss’s — His. “That’s his’n.” Higgledy-piggledy — Confusion.“Everything’s higgley-piggledy around here.” High-falutin’ — Acting self-important. Pompous. High tail — Usually followed by “it.”“Let’s high-tail it out of here.” Some animals, like deer, lift their tails when they run. Hill of beans — Not worth much. “He ain’t worth a hill of beans.” Hoity-toity — Arrogant. “Here comes Mister hoity-toity.” Hold your horses — Calm down. “Hold your horses, we’re almost there.” Hornswoggle — Cheat. “He hornswoggled me.” Jawing — Talking. Kick — Protest. Knock — Insult somebody. Land’s sakes! — Nicer than saying, “For God’s sake!” Let her rip — Let it go or turn it loose. Let her eat — Start the machine. Let on — Mention. “Don’t let on that you know me.” Let up — Ease up. “Come on, now, let up.” Lickety split — Full speed. Licking — A beating. “I gave him a licking.” Lily-livered — Cowardly. Look-see — Investigate. “I’ll take a look-see.” Make hay while the sun shines — Make the most of an opportunity. Make tracks — Leave. “Let’s make tracks.” Nambypamby — Weak. Nigh — Nearly. “It’s nigh time to go.” No-how — Not. “It won’t help him no-how.” Know-how — Skill. O• one’s feed — No appetite. Out of sorts — Grouchy or cranky. Lay low — Hiding. Per-snickity — Being too full of himself. Pining — Longing. “He’s pining for home.” Poppy-cock — Idle talk.Nonsense. Do tell — Praise for telling it like it is. Pray tell — Tell it like it is. Queer ÿsh — Person who acts odd. Down In the mouth — Gloomy, dejected, as shown by corners of the mouth turning down instead of up, as in a smile. Fair to middlin’ — A cotton-grading term that means fairly good. “How do you feel?” “Oh, fair-to-middlin’.”
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American slang dates back to at least the 1600s with slang words that came over with the first colonists. Slang is long-lasting. It was the 1800s before the slang brought by the first colonists disappeared.
New slang words show no sign of slowing down. Each year, thousands of new slang words and phrases appear, replacing slang words and phrases whose only sins were they began to sound a little old-fashioned.
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Write Don Kingery, c/o American Press, Box 2893, Lake Charles, LA 70602, or email . Timeline VI is available at .