runyon

 runyonslang - a tot en met g

Slang is Amerikaans bargoens, oftewel taal van de straat of uit de onderwereld. De Amerikaanse schrijver Damoon Runyon doorspekte zijn verhalen met dit soort uitdrukkingen en de Europese uitgeverij Albatross vond het dan ook nodig om voor de Europese lezers een verklarende woordenlijst op te nemen in bovenstaand boek. Voor de Runyon-fan die nu verlekkerd naar de voor hem onbekende titel zit te kijken: het is gewoon Runyon a la carte, met een nieuwe titel...
We hebben uit die verklarende woordenlijst wat opmerkelijke woorden voor je geplukt. Wat onder meer opvalt is dat een aantal van die woorden nu gewoon taalgebruik zijn geworden, en dus eigenlijk helemaal geen ondertiteling meer nodig hebben.
Het boekje is overigens uit 1947.

h tot en met m

n tot en met z
b a
all in one piece still alive
apple baseball
artichoke purse; pocketbook
as ever steps in shoe leather without equal
b b
ball dollar
winds up back of the fifteen ball works again foor fifteen dollars a week
bang event
to battle to frequent
bay-hay-bee baby
bean human head
to bean to hurt
bear fight fight at close quarters
beat district
on the beat on duty
to beat the chair to prevent an electrocution at Sing Sing
to beef to complain
beezer nose
to belt to hit
to bend in an ear to listen
Betsy revolver
black ink good money
bladder newspaper
blast complaint
to blow one's bet to lose the game as the result of a mistake
to blow one's topper to lose one's head, to go insane
blow-out celebration, party
to blow out to leave
boat race automobile race
to boff to beat; hit
to boost to praise
booster confederate, supporter
booting kicking
to bootleg to sell illegally
bowl arena
to bowl someone over to knock someone down
broad light woman
buck dollar
bum steer information that proves erroneous
burg village, town, city
to bust to strike with the fist
busted up raided
button the point of the jar
c c
by the carat at a high price
to carry the torch to keep on singing
castor-oil smile cheerful nod
catcher's mitt heavily padded glove
cheaters eyeglasses
to chew the fat to make conversation
to chew the rag to talk
to chip in to contribute; to collect
to chuck to throw
to chuck quite a swell to act high and mighty
chump simpleton
chump enough stupid enough
cinch certain outcome, easy task
to clip to shoot and kill
close guy miser, stingy fellow
cock-eyed unconscious; crazy
codger peculiar person
collared arrested
to come up for air to take a short rest
to con to lure
convincer revolver
to cool off to kill
coon's age long time
to cop to steal
copper policeman
corned intoxicated
crack shot
crap-shooter dice-player
to croak to die
croaker doctor (generally prison doctor)
to cuss a blue streak to swear like a trooper
to jabber a blue streak to talk volubly
to cut in to include
to cut up didoes to act in a disorderly manner
to cut up some to make nonsense of something
b d
daffy crazy, mad
to dast to dare
deadfall disreputable wine and beer den
to deal off the arm to serve
dicker dispute
to dicker to bargain, to haggle
dirty noses race-horses that lose
dizzy crazy
to do somebody a very signal service to give somebody satisfaction
dodge business
doll college slang for girl
to dope to tip the winner
do-re-mi money
double saw a twenty dollar note
dough money
drag street
dram drink
to drill to shoot
drum low resort
ducket ticket
duck soup sensation
duke hand
dump low resort, gathering-place for criminals
dynamiter at heart person with radical ideas
b f
fadeaway force
faded around the edges worn-out beauty
to fan to search
fast man with a dollar spendthrift
fast stick-up job crime which depends for its success on taking the victim by surprise
to figure to be ahead; to be the favourite in a race
to find the plant to plan a crime; to discover a "job"
finger guy spy, informer
finnif five dollar note
flabbergasted overwhelmed
to flag to stop
to flatten to knock out
flea-bag cheap hotel
flivver automobile
knee-high to a flivver very small, insignificant
flogger fur coats
florodora revival burlesque show
floor show where girls do acrobatic dances
fussy ill-natured
b g
gab conversation
gabble empty talk
gadget term used for any appliance, contrivance or device
gander look
gas station public house
gas intoxicating liquor
gassed intoxicated
gee fellow
getaway flight
to get first search at one to rob one
gills mouth
ginger extract liquor, especially whisky
git-em-up guys highwaymen
to give the leather to kick with the feet
to give plenty of wind to dismiss
to give someone a tumble to let someone go
to give the wind to break off relations
to go ker-bap to strike violently
to go right off one's kazip to lose one's selfcontrol
going-over beating
golden wedding whiskey
gone gosling lost little boy
good old difference battle-axe, blassknuckle, or similar weapons
gorill hold-up man; gangster
guff misleading talk; insincere speach
guineas italians
to gum up to make a mess
gunner bankholder
guy fellow; man
to guzzle to surprise; to kill
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