adjective General Slang

Hotsy-Totsy

/ˌhɒt.si ˈtɒt.si/ · adjective · slang

Jazz Age for just right, pleasing, or pleasingly attractive, everything's swell.

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Definitions

1

Just fine; satisfactory; all in good order.

“Don't worry, everything's hotsy-totsy back at the office.”
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2

Pleasant, comfortable, or cosy.

“They set up a hotsy-totsy little apartment uptown.”
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3

Attractive or appealing, said of a person, often a pretty young woman.

“She was a hotsy-totsy little number in a beaded dress.”
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Hotsy-Totsy In A Sentence

Things were hotsy-totsy until the cops showed up.
He thought himself pretty hotsy-totsy in that new suit.
The band sounded absolutely hotsy-totsy.

Origin & Usage

1920s American slang, often credited to cartoonist Billie DeBeck, who is associated with popularizing the rhyming term; it built on the older 'hot' for excellent. The DeBeck attribution is commonly cited but should be treated cautiously, as several rhyming '-otsy' coinages circulated in the era.

Variants hotsie-totsie
Tags #1920s#flapper#jazz-age#vintage#approval

People Also Ask

What does hotsy-totsy mean?

It means just right, fine, or pleasingly attractive, depending on context.

Who coined hotsy-totsy?

It is often credited to cartoonist Billie DeBeck, but that attribution is shaky since similar rhyming slang was floating around the 1920s.

Can hotsy-totsy describe a person?

Yes, it could mean someone, often a woman, was good-looking or appealing.

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