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| A-1 The best, top of the heap "That's my baby,' I said. 'We'll have our good times. Just you and me and thirty grand; maybe five or ten more if it's an A-1 job." From the novel Savage Night , Jim Thompson, 1953 | |
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| A-Bomb juice Moonshine liquor | |
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| A-OK Fine, all in order, just right | |
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| A double this time, waiter. Your singles keep leaking The correct way to order drinks From Ocean's Eleven , the novel of the film screenplay, George Clayton Johnson and Golden Russell, 1960 | |
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| A Shape in a drape Someone who looks good in clothes, is sharply dressed | |
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| Abyssinia See you later (I'll be seein' ya.) | |
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| Ace 1. Something superlative, the top | |
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| One dollar | |
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| A marijuana cigarette | |
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| A policeman | |
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| "'Who's chasin' you, Frankie?" The aces. They're goin' to pin the sluggin' on me.' " From the novel The Man with the Golden Arm , Nelson Algren, 1949 | |
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| "An outstanding, regular fellow." From the booklet The Jives of Doctor Hepcat , Lavada Durst, 1953 | |
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| Ace in the hole Something in reserve, an advantage, secret weapon, deriving from cardplayers having an ace up their sleeve See the jazz recording Ace in the Hole , The Black Diamond Seranaders, 1926. | |
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| Ace out Cheat, defraud | |
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| Aces up Something mighty fine, excellent | |
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| Action What's happening, e.g., "Where's the action, pops?" | |
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| Adobe dolla r Mexican peso | |
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| Age of pain Prohibition, the time of the 18th Amendment, which lasted from January 1920 until December 1933 | |
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| Agitate the gravel Leave, depart, vamoose | |
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| Ain't no sin to take off your skin, and dance around in your bones Enjoy yourself, get with it, relax. | |
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| Ain't nothin' you can tell me I don't already know I'm right, you're wrong, shut up. | |
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| Alabama lie detector Police baton | |
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| All broke out with the blues Depressed, low-down | |
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| All creeped up Scared, apprehensive, frightened | |
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| All-electric Far better looking than the average "Ordinarily, too, I am not a guy who goes ga-ga on lamping a babe, even though, like this one, she makes it appear that other gals run on gas and she's an all-electric." From the novel Slab Happy , Richard S. Prather, 1958 | |
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| All gone Drunk, intoxicated | |
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| All over them like a cheap dog suit Sticking really close to someone, e.g., "That guy at the dance was all over my sister like a cheap suit." | |
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| All sharped up Well dressed, suavely turned out | |
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| All shook up Disturbed, hopped up, excited, real gone "Cool down Eve, you look all shook up." From the novel Scandal High , Herbert O. Pruett, 1960 | |
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| All steamed up like a pants presse r Sexually excited | |
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| All wet Disappointing, worthless | |
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| Alligator 1. Down Beat's Yearbook of Swing , 1939, lists this as "a swing fan who plays no instrument, or musician who frequents places where orchestras are playing." | |
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| Hipster term of address, often shortened to "gator." Similar in meaning to "cat" or "hepcat" | |
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| Already slated for crashville Out of control e.g., "We could see that the car was already slated for crashville." | |
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| Alreet In order, fine, very good | |
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| Alroot See "alreet." | |
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| Alvin A rube, a sucker, an easy mark | |
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| Amscray Run away, leave (pig latin for "scram") | |
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| Ankle To walk | |
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| Ants in my pants Sexually excited "I'm gonna hug you baby good and tight, now love me baby like you done last night, cause I got ants in my pants, baby for you..." From the blues recording Ants in My Pants , Bo Carter, 1931 | |
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| Anywhere Possessing drugs, e.g., "Is you anywhere?" (Do you have any?) From the autobiography Really the Blues, Mezz Mezzrow and Bernard Wolfe, 1946 | |
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| Applesauce Flattery, insincere praise, a load of old flannel; e.g., "Don't hand me that applesauce, Pops." | |
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| Ark "Dance hall, coliseum, any building for dances, meetings, etc." From the booklet The Jives of Doctor Hepcat , Lavada Durst, 1953 | |
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| Artillery Guns | |
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| As bare as hell's backyard Completely empty | |
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| As busy as a one-legged tapdancer Extremely busy | |
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| As dead as five-cent beer Dead and buried | |
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| As drunk as two sailors Soused, plastered, three sheets to the wind | |
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| As full as a pair of goats Totally drunk "Before long we were as full as a pair of goats." From the short story The Golden Horseshoe , Dashiell Hammett, 1920s Ashes Having sex e.g., "Getting your ashes hauled." "She said I could haul her ashes better than any other man, she said I could sow my seed anytime in her ash can."From Ash Can Blues , Bob Clifford, c. 1930 | |
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| "I worked all winter and I worked all fall, I've gotta wait until spring to get my ashes hauled." From the blues recording Tired As I Can Be , Bessie Jackson (Lucille Bogan), 1934 | |
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| See also Alleyman ( Haul My Ashes) , Sadie Green, 1926 and Looking for My Ash Hauler , Washboard Sam, 1937. | |
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| Awash Drunk | |
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| Axe Musical instrument | |