definitions
Much of the language in Guys and Dolls is truly a pidgin: Modern-day English, 1920s slang, and words simply made up by Damon Runyon.
Below are definitions for a few of the terms that aren't often heard today.
Bank Roll: Literally, a roll of bills. The money one has. Usually used to refer to a large amount.
Barbasol: a brand of shaving cream and aftershave
Bookie: a person who makes a business of accepting the bets of others on the outcome of sports contests, especially of horse races. In this setting, often a shady character.
Bromo Fizz: Bromo Fizz (Or Bromo-Seltzer) was a mixture of sodium bicarbonate (antacid) and acetaminophen (Tylenol) that came in tablet form - one would drop it into a glass of water, and the tablet would fizz (think alka-seltzer). A Bromo Fizz was a popular cold and hangover remedy in the 1920s-50s.
Brooks Brothers: The oldest men's clothing outfitters in the U.S. - known in the Guys & Dolls era as the place where "Rockefellers" and other wealthy folks buy their suits.
Bundle: One’s wallet, or the amount of money one has.
Canasta: a card game, using two decks, that resembles gin rummy. In this time period, it was a game played mostly by older women.
Clocking: Keeping track of something.
Doll: A woman
Dulce De Leche: A drink, popular in the 1920s, consisting of Chocolate liqueur, rum, and condensed milk
Emily Post: Emily Post was an author in the 1920s - she wrote mainly on the rules of etiquette, and published several books on the subject.
Fade: To "fade" someone is to cover their bet.
Floating: Something without a permanent location
Fly-By-Night: Something that will not last - " a fly-by-night" Broadway romance"
Galahad: Refers to a legendary knight of King Arthur's Round Table, and the knight to finally find the Holy Grail. In slang, a smooth, chivalrous man.
Grifter: A Swindler or Con-Man
The Heat: The police. If the police were your tail, you might say, “The heat is on,” or, “It’s too hot.”
Hollanderize: A cleaning process for fur garments
Hoyle: Edmund Hoyle was an 18th century writer and card games expert - his expertise and writings on card games form the basis of rules for many popular card games today. "According to Hoyle" is going by the accepted rules - particularly in gambling. "It checks out, according to Hoyle."
La Grippe: Another term for Influenza - from the French word for "to grip," or, "to seize"
Laying an Egg: to fail at something
Lettuce: Early 20th century slang for money
Lickerish Tooth: A longing, or desire. Possibly from an old English spelling of "lecherous."
Marker: A slip of paper that functioned much like an I.O.U. However, the marker held much more integrity - it was a person's word and honor on the line. If someone were to "welch" on their marker, their reputation would be ruined.
Mesentheorum: Not an actual word - When Harry the Horse uses the word, he is referring to a flower. This is probably his butchering of the word "chrysanthemum."
Nu: Yiddish Slang. A general response word - can be used for "Well?" "So?" "What's Up? or even a questioning "Hello?"
So, "What's nu?" could be taken to mean, 'So? What of it?"
Pimlico: A horse-racing track in Baltimore. Pimlico houses The Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the Triple Crown races (after the Kentucky Derby, and before the Belmont Stakes).
Potatoes: Early 20th century slang for money
Roseland: In the 1920s-50s, Roseland Ballroom in Manhattan was known as a rollicking jazz club. Marathon dancing, sneezing contests, and prizefighting (for men and women) were all common sights here. Roseland had a reputation for being a wild, crazy time.
The Roxy: A movie theatre that lived on 50th street in Manhattan.
Rye: A type of whiskey, distilled from at least 51% rye. Other types of whiskey can be distilled from barley, corn, or wheat.
Saratoga: A city in upstate New York that houses the famous Saratoga Springs horse racing track.
Scarsdale: A city in upstate New York that has been historically very wealthy. In this time period, perhaps the most wealthy suburb in the country.
Scratch Sheets: A reference to the horse racing stats sheets. Also referred to as "the dailies" or "the reports."
Sheep's Eye: A "shy longing" or "amorous glance." Looking at someone with love.
Studebaker: An automobile manufacturing family. This term was used to describe someone who was needlessly fancy, or "put on airs."
Sucker Bet: A bet in which any possible return is less than the original wager. A rip-off. Anyone who takes such a foolish bet is -quite obviously - a giant sucker.
Tomato: Early 20th century slang for an attractive woman
Triple Crown: A three-part horse race. The Triple Crown consists of three races: The Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes. A horse must win all three of these races to win the Triple Crown. This is the most prestigious and sought-after (and betted-on) trophy in American horse racing.
Two Pair-a-Pants: Finer men's clothiers (such as Brooks Brothers) would offer specials where suits jackets came with two pairs of pants - extending the lifetime of one's fancy suit. This is used in Guys & Dolls as a derogatory term for someone who "comes from money."
Vitalis: A brand of men's hair cream, noted for making the hair shiny and keeping it in place- a precursor to today's hair gels and serums.
Welch/Welsh: To go back on one’s word, or to break a promise.
Below are definitions for a few of the terms that aren't often heard today.
Bank Roll: Literally, a roll of bills. The money one has. Usually used to refer to a large amount.
Barbasol: a brand of shaving cream and aftershave
Bookie: a person who makes a business of accepting the bets of others on the outcome of sports contests, especially of horse races. In this setting, often a shady character.
Bromo Fizz: Bromo Fizz (Or Bromo-Seltzer) was a mixture of sodium bicarbonate (antacid) and acetaminophen (Tylenol) that came in tablet form - one would drop it into a glass of water, and the tablet would fizz (think alka-seltzer). A Bromo Fizz was a popular cold and hangover remedy in the 1920s-50s.
Brooks Brothers: The oldest men's clothing outfitters in the U.S. - known in the Guys & Dolls era as the place where "Rockefellers" and other wealthy folks buy their suits.
Bundle: One’s wallet, or the amount of money one has.
Canasta: a card game, using two decks, that resembles gin rummy. In this time period, it was a game played mostly by older women.
Clocking: Keeping track of something.
Doll: A woman
Dulce De Leche: A drink, popular in the 1920s, consisting of Chocolate liqueur, rum, and condensed milk
Emily Post: Emily Post was an author in the 1920s - she wrote mainly on the rules of etiquette, and published several books on the subject.
Fade: To "fade" someone is to cover their bet.
Floating: Something without a permanent location
Fly-By-Night: Something that will not last - " a fly-by-night" Broadway romance"
Galahad: Refers to a legendary knight of King Arthur's Round Table, and the knight to finally find the Holy Grail. In slang, a smooth, chivalrous man.
Grifter: A Swindler or Con-Man
The Heat: The police. If the police were your tail, you might say, “The heat is on,” or, “It’s too hot.”
Hollanderize: A cleaning process for fur garments
Hoyle: Edmund Hoyle was an 18th century writer and card games expert - his expertise and writings on card games form the basis of rules for many popular card games today. "According to Hoyle" is going by the accepted rules - particularly in gambling. "It checks out, according to Hoyle."
La Grippe: Another term for Influenza - from the French word for "to grip," or, "to seize"
Laying an Egg: to fail at something
Lettuce: Early 20th century slang for money
Lickerish Tooth: A longing, or desire. Possibly from an old English spelling of "lecherous."
Marker: A slip of paper that functioned much like an I.O.U. However, the marker held much more integrity - it was a person's word and honor on the line. If someone were to "welch" on their marker, their reputation would be ruined.
Mesentheorum: Not an actual word - When Harry the Horse uses the word, he is referring to a flower. This is probably his butchering of the word "chrysanthemum."
Nu: Yiddish Slang. A general response word - can be used for "Well?" "So?" "What's Up? or even a questioning "Hello?"
So, "What's nu?" could be taken to mean, 'So? What of it?"
Pimlico: A horse-racing track in Baltimore. Pimlico houses The Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the Triple Crown races (after the Kentucky Derby, and before the Belmont Stakes).
Potatoes: Early 20th century slang for money
Roseland: In the 1920s-50s, Roseland Ballroom in Manhattan was known as a rollicking jazz club. Marathon dancing, sneezing contests, and prizefighting (for men and women) were all common sights here. Roseland had a reputation for being a wild, crazy time.
The Roxy: A movie theatre that lived on 50th street in Manhattan.
Rye: A type of whiskey, distilled from at least 51% rye. Other types of whiskey can be distilled from barley, corn, or wheat.
Saratoga: A city in upstate New York that houses the famous Saratoga Springs horse racing track.
Scarsdale: A city in upstate New York that has been historically very wealthy. In this time period, perhaps the most wealthy suburb in the country.
Scratch Sheets: A reference to the horse racing stats sheets. Also referred to as "the dailies" or "the reports."
Sheep's Eye: A "shy longing" or "amorous glance." Looking at someone with love.
Studebaker: An automobile manufacturing family. This term was used to describe someone who was needlessly fancy, or "put on airs."
Sucker Bet: A bet in which any possible return is less than the original wager. A rip-off. Anyone who takes such a foolish bet is -quite obviously - a giant sucker.
Tomato: Early 20th century slang for an attractive woman
Triple Crown: A three-part horse race. The Triple Crown consists of three races: The Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes. A horse must win all three of these races to win the Triple Crown. This is the most prestigious and sought-after (and betted-on) trophy in American horse racing.
Two Pair-a-Pants: Finer men's clothiers (such as Brooks Brothers) would offer specials where suits jackets came with two pairs of pants - extending the lifetime of one's fancy suit. This is used in Guys & Dolls as a derogatory term for someone who "comes from money."
Vitalis: A brand of men's hair cream, noted for making the hair shiny and keeping it in place- a precursor to today's hair gels and serums.
Welch/Welsh: To go back on one’s word, or to break a promise.