Harlem Jive Slang: The Ultimate Guide

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What Is Jive Slang?

The ‘30s and ‘40s in the United States were a defining time: post-Great Depression and WWII. In the midst of the ever-changing climate, a secret language emerged from the jazz world: Jive. Jive slang developed in Harlem and became more widely popular throughout the United States through to the 1940s. Jive was a twist on the word jazz and was also known as Harlem jive, jazz jargon, and the parlance of hip.

What we know about Jive, we know primarily because of Cab Calloway. The first one to record and explain jive was legendary jazz artist Cab Calloway. A bombastic stage presence until his dying day, Calloway was a huge jazz figure in Harlem, most notable for his premier nightclub, The Cotton Club. It was the place to be to see Calloway and his orchestra perform live. In 1939, Calloway wrote the “Hepster’s Dictionary: Language of Jive.” A Harlem legend and resident poet, Langston Hughes, encouraged Dan Burley to write the “Original Handbook of Harlem Jive” in 1944, and it is these two sources we have to thank for much of our knowledge of Jive today.

The Basics of Jive Language

Jive wasn’t just a language for describing jazz music and the jazz scene; it also acted as a secret language for drug use and perhaps some more ‘unsavory’ practices. That asoide, when wasn’t there a time when slang served to talk about things that folks would rather keep between each other? Jive had that element to it as well, with terms like ‘reefer’ and ‘pot’ serving as euphemisms for marijuana.

Now, let’s start with some Jive instruments, only fitting since the language revolves around the jazz culture.

Jive Slang Musical Language

Instrument	Jive Slang Term
Guitar	Git Box or Belly-Fiddle
Bass	Doghouse
Drums	Suitcase, Hides, or Skins
Piano	Storehouse or Ivories
Saxophone	Plumbing or Reeds
Trombone	Tram or Slush-Pump
Clarinet	Licorice Stick or Gob Stick
Violin	Squeak-Box
Accordion	Squeeze-Box
Tuba	Foghorn

Do some of these sound familiar to you? The word “skins” used for drums probably sounds familiar, and you may have heard your grandparents talk about a squeeze box as an accordion. The rest may seem a little strange or unfamiliar.

Jive Language Terms for People

Jive Slang Term	Meaning
Alligator	A devotee of jazz or swing music. Perhaps alludes to sharp-dressing with alligator leather.
G-man	Government man, especially one who arrests or harasses peaceful citizens.
Gate	Any man, usually used as a greeting. “Yo’ gate, what’s the word from the herd?”
Frail	Diminutive of “frail sister”. Also used as a noun for any hepster woman (a woman who enjoys jazz)
Hep cat	Knowledgeable person. Later, hipster.
Hoochie Coocher	Hot babe who dances laying down.
Mop	Noun for woman. Often a reference to another hepster’s girlfriend.
Vipers	Refers to hep cats from the 1930s who inhaled. They frequented tea pads and smoked jive. The term vipers arose from the sssssst sound made by an inhaling pot-smoker or a snake.

Fun Jive Slang Phrases

Phrase	Meaning
A hummer	Exceptionally good. “Man, that boy is a hummer.”
Ain’t coming on that tab	Won’t accept the proposition. Usually shortened to “I ain’t coming.”
Apron	The bartender.
Barkers	A pair of shoes.
Beat	Tired, exhausted. “You look beat” or “I feel beat.”
Blow the top	To be overcome with emotion
Bucket from Nantucket	An individual who is a heavy drinker.
Butter	Insincerity; B.S.
Canary	A female vocalist.
Cop	To get, to obtain
Corny	Old-fashioned, stale.
Creeps out like the shadow	“Comes on,” but in smooth, suave, sophisticated manner.
Crumb crushers	Teeth.
Cubby	Room, flat, home.
Cups	Sleep. “I gotta catch some cups.”
Drape	A suit.
Drip	An undesirable person.
Freeby	Something free, for no charge.
Frisking the whiskers	What the cats do when they are warming up for a swing session.
Flip the grip	To shake hands.
Fried	Surpassingly drunk.
Got your boots on	Hep to the jive.
Line	Cost, price, money.
Lock up	To acquire something exclusively
Lothario from Ontario	A fast worker or charmer.
Salty	Angry, ill-tempered.
Sam got you	You’ve been drafted into the army.
Scratch	Folding or paper money.
Storked	Expecting a “blessed event”; pregnant.

Learn English Now

Harlem jive is more than just a relic of the past; it’s a vibrant part of linguistic history that gives us a glimpse into the rich cultural tapestry of the 1930s and 40s jazz scene. By understanding jive slang, we can appreciate the creativity and dynamism of the language used by jazz musicians and their fans. Whether you’re fascinated by the musical instruments, the colorful characters, or the playful phrases, jive offers a unique way to connect with a pivotal era in American culture.

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