At Capone's Dinner & Show, our staff commonly uses slang terms from the prohibition era. We've included some of these terms and phrases here so that you could brush up on your 1920's slang prior to coming to our show. Get into the era..when you leave our show, you'll be walkin' the walk and talkin' the talk!
Craps Dictionary - Glossary of Terms, Jargon and Slang. If you have ever played craps, you may have heard many strange and odd terms used throughout the game. This page will serve as a dictionary of sorts with a glossary of terms listed in alphabetical order. Normally, craps terms describe a specific bet or a range of different bets.
Some of these terms have been used on products we offer in our Gift Shop. Be sure to check it out prior to the show, or after the evening is done!
A casino where you can play with or against other players Back to top ^ N. Natural When the come-out roll is 7 or 11 in Craps OR eight or nine with the two first Baccarat cards No-deposit bonus A bonus given by the casino without the player depositing any money. However, most times there are at least some strings attached. See Wagering Requirements. Casino Terms Lingo & Jargon: A-C Action: term for play on the casino floor including table games and slots. A full service casino will also offer. Aggregate Limit: refers to the casinos’ total payout liability for any casino game. Aggregate Winnings: terms for total winnings.
To hear the following 1920's slang used proficiently, come see the show. From the minute you arrive, you'll be interacting with our gang (in character all of the time). Can you keep up with them? Study up and make reservations to find out!
B Babe: Woman Baby: A person, can be said to either a man or a woman Bangtails: Racehorses Barber: Talk Be on the nut: To be broke Bean-shooter: Gun Beef: Problem Bee's Knees: An extraordinary person, thing or idea. Beezer: Nose Behind the eight ball: In a difficult position, in a tight spot Bent Cars: Stolen cars Big Cheese, Big Shot - The boss: Someone of importance and influence Big House: Jail Big One: Death Big Sleep: Death Bim: Woman Bindle: the bundle in which a hobo carries all his worldly possessions Bindle punk or bindle stiff: Chronic wanderers, migratory harvest workers, and lumber jacks Bing: Jailhouse talk for solitary confinement Bird: Man Bit: Prison sentence Blip off: To kill Blow: Leave Blow one down: Kill someone Blower: Telephone Bluenose: A prude. Bo: Pal, buster, fellow. Boiler: Car Boob: Dumb guy Boozehound: Drunkard Bop: To kill Box: A safe or a bar Box job: A safecracking Brace (somebody): Grab, shake up Bracelets: Handcuffs Break it up: Stop that, quit the nonsense Breeze: To leave, breeze off: get lost Broad: Woman Bruno: Tough guy, enforcer Bucket: Car Bulge, The: The advantage Bulls: Plainclothes railroad cops; uniformed police; prison guards Bum's rush, To get the: To be kicked out Bump: Kill Bump Gums: To talk about nothing worthwhile Bump off: Kill; also, bump-off: a killing Burn powder: Fire a gun Bus: Big car Butter and egg man: The money man, the man with the bankroll, a yokel who comes to town to blow a big wad in nightclubs Button: Face, nose, end of jaw Button man: Professional killer Buttons: Police Butts: Cigarettes Buzz: Looks person up, comes to persons door Buzzer: Policeman's badge
C C: $100, a pair of Cs = $200 Cabbage: Money Caboose: Jail Call copper: Inform the police Can: Jail, Car Can house: Bordello Can-opener: Safecracker who opens cheap safes Canary: Woman singer Carry a Torch: Suffering from an unrequited love. Case dough: Nest egg Cat: Man Cat's Meow: Something splendid or stylish Cat's Pajamas: term of endearment as in 'I think you are really really cool'. Century: $100 Cheaters: Sunglasses Cheese it: Put things away, hide Chew: Eat Chicago lightning: gunfire Chicago overcoat: Coffin Chick: Woman Chilled off: Killed Chin: Conversation; chinning: talking Chin music: Punch on the jaw Chinese squeeze: Grafting by skimming profits off the top Chippy: Woman of easy virtue Chisel: To swindle or cheat Chiv: Knife, 'a stabbing or cutting weapon' Chopper squad: Men with machine guns Chump: person marked for a con or a gullible person. Clammed: Close-mouthed (clammed up) Clean sneak: An escape with no clues left behind Clip joint: In some cases, a nightclub where the prices are high and the patrons are fleeced Clipped: Shot Close your head: Shut up Clout: Shoplifter Clubhouse: Police station Con: Confidence game, swindle Conk: Head Cool: To knock out Cooler: Jail Cop: Detective, even a private one Copped, to be: Grabbed by the cops Copper: Policeman Corn: Bourbon ('corn liquor') Crab: Figure out Crate: Car Croak: To kill Croaker: Doctor Crush: An infatuation. Crushed out: Escaped (from jail) Cut down: Killed
D Daisy: None too masculine Dame: Woman Dance: To be hanged Dangle: Leave, get lost Daylight, as in 'fill him with daylight': Put a hole in, by shooting or stabbing Deck, as in 'deck of Luckies': Pack of cigarettes Derrick: Shoplifter Dib: Share (of the proceeds) Dick: Detective (usually qualified with 'private' if not a policeman) Dingus: Thing Dip: Pickpocket Dip the bill: Have a drink Dish: Pretty woman Dive: A low-down, cheap sort of place Dizzy with a dame, To be: To be deeply in love with a woman Do the dance: To be hanged Dogs: Feet Dope fiend: Drug addict Dope peddler: Drug dealer Dough: Money Drift: Go, leave Drill: Shoot Drop a dime: Make a phone call, sometimes meaning to the police to inform on someone Droppers: Hired killers Drum: Speakeasy Dry-gulch: Knock out, hit on head after ambushing Duck soup: Easy, a piece of cake Dummerer: Someone who pretends to be deaf and/or dumb to appear a more deserving beggar Dump: Roadhouse, club; or, more generally, any place Dust out: Leave, depart
E Egg: Man Electric cure: Electrocution Elephant ears: Police
F Fade: Go away, get lost Fakeloo artist: Con man Fella: a man Fin: $5 bill Finder: Finger man Finger, Put the finger on: Identify Flaming Youth: Male counterpart to a flapper. Flapper: A stylish, brash young woman with short skirts and shorter hair. Flat Tire: A dull-witted or disappointing date. Flattie: Flatfoot, cop Flimflam: Swindle Flippers: Hands Flivver: A Ford automobile Flogger: Overcoat Flop: Go to bed or fallen through, not worked out Flophouse: A cheap transient hotel where a lot of men sleep in large rooms Fog: To shoot Frail: Woman Frau: Wife Fry: To be electrocuted Fuzz: police
G Gal: Woman Gams: A Woman's Legs Gasper: Cigarette Gat: Gun Get Sore: Get mad Getaway sticks: Legs Giggle juice: Liquor Giggle Water: Liquor Gin mill: Bar Glad rags: Fancy clothes Glaum: Steal Goofy: Crazy Goog: Black eye Goon: Thug Gooseberry lay: Stealing clothes from a clothesline Gowed-up: On dope, high Grab (a little) air: Put your hands up Graft: Con jobs or cut of the take Grand: $1000 Grift: Confidence game, swindle Grifter: Con man Grilled: Questioned Gumshoe: Detective Gumshoeing: Detective work Gun for: Look for, be after Guns: Pickpockets, Hoodlums Guy: a man
H Hack: Taxi Half, a: 50 cents Hard: Tough Harlem Sunset: Some sort fatal injury caused by knife Hash House: A cheap restaurant Hatchet men: Killers, gunmen Have the Bees: To be rich Head doctors: Psychiatrists Heap: Car Heat: Police Heater: gun Heebie-Jeebies: The jitters. Heeled: Carrying a gun High-Hat: To snub. High Pillow: Person at the top, in charge Highbinders: Corrupt politician or functionary Hinky: Suspicious Hitting the pipe: Smoking opium Hitting on all eight: In good shape, going well Hock shop: Pawnshop Hogs: Engines Hombre: Man, fellow Hooch: Liquor Hood: Criminal Hoofer: Dancer. Hoosegow: Jail Horn: Telephone Hot: Stolen Hotsy-Totsy: Pleasing. House dick: House/hotel detective House peeper: House/hotel detective Hype: Shortchange artist
I Ice : Diamonds Ing-bing, as in to throw an: A fit Iron: A car
To hear 1920's slang used proficiently, come see the show. From the minute you arrive, you'll interacting with our gang who is in character at all times. Can you keep up with them? Study up and make reservations to find out!
J Jack: Money Jalopy: An old car. Jam: Trouble, a tight spot Jane: A woman Java: Coffee Jaw: Talk Jerking a nod: Nodding Jingle-brained: Addled Jobbie: Man Joe: Coffee, as in 'a cup of joe' Johns: Police Johnson brother: Criminal Joint: Place, as in 'my joint' Juice: Interest on a loanshark's loan Jug: Jail Jump, The: A hanging
Casino Terms And Definitions
K Kale: Money Keen: Attractive or appealing. Kick off: Die Kiss: To punch Kisser: Mouth Kitten: Woman Knock off: Kill
L Lammed off: Ran away, escaped Large: $1,000; twenty large would be $20,000 Law, the: The police Lead: 'fill ya full of lead': the term used for bullets Lead poisoning: To be shot Lettuce: Folding money Lid: Hat Line: Insincere flattery Lip: (Criminal) lawyer Looker: Pretty woman Look-out: Outside man Lousy with: To have lots of
M Mac: a man Made: Recognized Map: Face Marbles: Pearls Mark: Sucker, victim of swindle or fixed game Maroon: person marked for a con or a gullible person. Meat wagon: Ambulance Mickey Finn: A drink drugged with knock-out drops Mill: Typewriter Mitt: Hand Mob: Gang (not necessarily Mafia) Mohaska: Gun Moll: Girlfriend Monicker: Name Mouthpiece: Lawyer Mugs: Men (especially refers to dumb ones)
N Nailed: Caught by the police Nevada gas: Cyanide Newshawk: Reporter Newsie: Newspaper vendor Nibble one: To have a drink Nicked: Stole Nippers: Handcuffs Noodle: Head Number: A person
O Off the track, said about a person who becomes insanely violent Op: Detective Orphan paper: Bad checks Out on the roof: To drink a lot, to be drunk Oyster fruit: Pearls
P Packing Heat: carrying a gun Pal: a man Palooka: Man, probably not very smart Pan: Face Paste: Punch Patsy: Person who is set up; fool, chump Paw: Hand Peaching: Informing Peeper: Detective Peepers: Eyes Pen: Penitentiary, jail Peterman: Safecracker who uses nitroglycerin Piece: Gun Pigeon: Stool-pigeon Pinch: An arrest, capture Pins: Legs Pipe: See or notice Pipes: Throat Plant: Someone on the scene but in hiding, Bury Plug: Shoot Plugs: People Poke: Bankroll, stake Pooped: Killed Pop: Kill Pro skirt: Prostitute Puffing: Mugging Pug: Pugilist, boxer Pump: Heart Pump metal: Shoot bullets Punk: Hood, thug Pushover: A person easily convinced of something. Puss: Face Put down: Drink Put the screws on: Question, get tough with
R Rags: Clothes Ranked: Observed, watched, given the once-over Rap: Criminal charge Rappers: Fakes, set-ups Rat: Inform Rate: To be good, to count for something Rats and mice: Dice, i.e. craps Rattler: Train Red-light: To eject from a car or train Redhot: Some sort of criminal Reefers: Marijuana cigarettes Rhino: Money Right: Adjective indicating quality Ringers: Fakes Ritzy: Elegant. Rod: Gun Roscoe: Gun Rub-out: A killing Rube: Bumpkin, easy mark Rumble, the: The news
S Sap: A dumb guy Sap poison: Getting hit with a sap Savvy: Get me? Understand? Sawbuck: $10 bill (a double sawbuck is a $20 bill) Schnozzle: Nose Scram out: Leave Scratch: Money Scratcher: Forger Send over: Send to jail Shamus: (Private) detective Sharper: A swindler or sneaky person Sheba: A woman with sex appeal Sheik: A man with sex appeal Shells: Bullets Shiv: Knife Shylock: Loanshark Shyster: Lawyer Sing: Make a confession Sister: Woman Skate around: To be of easy virtue Skid rogue: A bum who can't be trusted Skirt: Woman Slant, Get a: Take a look Sleuth: Detective Slug: a bullet or to knock unconscious Smoked: Drunk Snap a cap: Shout Snatch: Kidnap Sneeze: Take Snitch: An informer, or to inform Snooper: Detective Speakeasy: An illicit bar selling bootleg liquor Spiffy: Looking elegant Soak: To pawn Sock: Punch Soup: Nitroglycerine Soup job: To crack a safe using nitroglycerine Spill: Talk, inform Spinach: Money Spitting: Talking Square: Honest Squeeze: a female companion or girlfriend. Squirt metal: Shoot bullets Step off: To be hanged Stiff: A corpse Sting: Culmination of a con game Stool-pigeon: Informer Stoolie: Stool-pigeon Stuck On: Having a crush on Sucker: Someone ripe for a grifter's scam Sugar: Money Swanky: Ritzy Swell: Wonderful
T Tail: Shadow or follow Take a powder: Leave Take on: Eat Take for a Ride: Drive off with someone in order to bump them off Take the air: Leave Take the bounce: To get kicked out Take the fall for: Accept punishment for That's the crop: That's all of it Three-spot: Three-year jail term Throw lead: Shoot bullets Ticket: P.I. license Tiger milk: Some sort of liquor Tighten the screws: Put pressure on somebody Tin: Badge Tip a few: To have a few drinks Tomato: Pretty woman Tooting the wrong ringer: Asking the wrong person Torpedoes: Gunmen Trap: Mouth Trigger man: Man whose job is to use a gun Trouble boys: Gangsters Twist: Woman Two bits: $25, or 25 cents
U Under glass: In jail
W Weak sister: A push-over Wear iron: Carry a gun Wise head: A smart person Wooden kimono: A coffin Wop: derogatory term for an Italian Worker, as in 'She sizes up as a worker': A woman who takes a guy for his money Wrong gee: Not a good fellow Wrong number: Not a good fellow
Y Ya Follow: do you understand? Yap: Mouth Yard: $100 Yegg: Safecracker who can only open cheap and easy safes
Z Zotzed: Killed
So you think you have this 1920's slang down? Find out by attending our show. It's a blast from the past that all ages enjoy!
Want to dress the part?
Check out our prohibition era costume accessories in our online gift shop!
As a casino fan even if you know the odds of each game, it is imperative to know the common jargons and terminology that are used in casino games and at online casinos. This is your casino dictionary. These terms are part and parcel of each game and whether it is blackjack, roulette, craps, poker or video poker, or even slots, you must be familiar with the lingo. We will provide you with a ready reminder that you can use as a casino dictionary and perhaps have it displayed close enough to your monitor so that you can refer to it when you have any doubts. This list is not exhaustive but it does cover most of the commonly used terms, which you would usually hear at the casino. We are giving you the A-Z of the most commonly used casino terminology.
A: Action – the amount of money betted and when referring to a game of poker it is the money placed in the pot. Ante – is used in a game of poker referring to a small portion of the minimum wager that each player is required to put into the pot prior to starting a new hand.
B: Bankroll – a player’s total amount of money set aside for gambling. Bust – is to exceed the magical number of 21 in a game of blackjack, resulting in a losing hand. Bingo – is a popular casino game played at many online bingo sites. To play the game you have to buy a bingo ticket and compare the numbers on it with numbers that are randomly called out by the casino. Online bingo is played for great prices at many bingo sites on the internet. To win at bingo, make sure you have a top bingo strategy that will make your time playing bingo online very enjoyable indeed.
C: Card counting – a strategy used in blackjack to lower the house edge by keeping track of the percentage of high to low cards from the last time the pack was shuffled.
Chips – they are round tokens that are used in casino gambling instead of cash.
D: Dealer – a casino employee who deals at various games and plays on behalf of the casino. Deck – is another word for a pack of cards.
E: Even bet – a wager that pays you back and equal amount you wagered, in addition to your original bet
F: Face cards – the picture cards like king, queen jack in a pack of cards
Flush – is a term used in poker and is a hand comprising of five cards of a single suit.
G: Gross earnings – total payout in addition to your original stake.
H: Hand – refers to the cards that you have in your hand or everything that occurs in a card between shuffles of the pack.
House advantage – is the casino’s edge over the player in any casino game.
I: Inside bet – a wager in roulette on a single number inclusive of 0 or 00, or a combination of numbers Inside straight – is another type of bet in a game of roulette
J: Jackpot – an enormous win on a slot machine.
Joker – is the 53rd card in pack, which is at times used as a wild card.
K: Keno board – a large electronic board that presents the winning keno numbers
L: Limit – the maximum amount a player may bet on at a specific event
M: Monkey – an idiomatic expression for a card having the face value of ten
N: Nut – the overheads for running a casino
Medical Term Dictionary
O: Odds – the ratio of possibilities or the amount a wager pays
P: Payline – the line on a slot machine window where the symbols from each reel line up.
Pass line bet – is the most important of all bets in a game of craps, which is made before the come out roll.
Q: Qualifier – a certain criteria which has to be met to qualify for the jackpot in slots, or in a game of poker the minimum standard hand you require to qualify for part of the pot
R: RNG – the random number generator that denotes a computer chip inside a slot machine generating thousands of numbers every moment.
Rake – is the money that a casino normally charges for each hand of poker, and is normally a percentage or a flat amount that is taken from the pot after each round of wagering.
S: Stake – the amount of money a player is prepared to play within a single sitting.
Shuffle – is an action done by the dealer prior to each hand wherein he merges the order of the cards
T: Three of a kind – term used in a game of poker to say three cards having the same value
U: Up card – the dealer’s uncovered card that is face up for all players to see before they begin to play their hands in a game of blackjack
V: VIP – a person who bets large amounts and is worthy of red carpet treatment
W: Wild card – a joker or other card that can be substituted to finish a hand.
Casino Terms Dictionary
Whale – is a nick name for a high roller
Gambling Terms Dictionary
Z: Zombie – a gambler who does not exhibit any emotion regardless of whatever the outcome may be.
After having read these common terms used in various games at a casino, I am sure you are pretty conversant with casino game terminology. The next time you are at a casino and mingle with the professional and the beginner, you will be more than comfortable when such words and phrases are used while you play your favorite game. Do remember that such slang add to the fun and excitement of the game, without which these games may not be so appealing and attractive.