This is a follow-up to my post about the book published in 1939: https://1939socal.wordpress.com/?s=Locust
Yours truly finally read the novel this week. It takes place in Hollywood and is about several people on the fringe of the movie industry. Below are some of the slang terms and interesting phrases that the author, Nathanael West wrote in it. I have added bracketed comments after some of them.
“A lollapalooza — all slut and a yard wide.” P. 11 [pejorative description of a woman]
“Would I give you a bum steer?” P. 14
“So you’re a wise guy, hah, a know-it-all.” P. 15
“…his life had consisted of a lightning series of ‘nip-ups,’ ‘high-gruesomes,’ ‘flying-W’s’ and ‘hundred-and-eights’ done to escape a barrage of ‘exploding stoves.’ An ‘exploding stove’ was any catastrophe, natural or human…” P. 37 [vaudeville and burlesque terms describing acrobatic moves]
“Just chinning,” he protested innocently. “Just chewing the fat.” P. 81
“Sure-fire.” P. 92
“Swell idea.” P. 93
“…a sign on the roof of a one-story building across the street that read: ‘Malted Milks Too Thick For A Straw.” P. 96
“Scram!” P. 147
“An’ keep her hot and bothered all the day.” P. 158 [from a 1932 song, “Mama Doan Wan’ No Peas”]
“…the word ‘homo’.” P. 169
“What a hick.” P. 169
“Homer has a t.l. for you.” P. 173 [not sure of the meaning; the context is that one person is telling another that Homer has a message for them]
[Homer’s last name is Simpson — apparently the namesake of the famous cartoon character]
“I was going to make book.” P. 178 [make lots of money]
“What a quiff!” P. 202 [vulgar term for a promiscuous woman but in this instance it refers to a man who could also be described as a doofus]
“Homunculus” P. 205 [Latin for a little man; in this context it is a pretentious synonym for a male dwarf]
1939 Southern California 