Jive Talk
The fast, coded language of jazz musicians and Harlem hipsters — the granddaddy of American slang. If a word feels timeless and cool, odds are the jive cats said it first.
18 words
Lend me your ears, that is, listen up and pay attention.
Playing or performing perfectly, locked into the rhythm and feeling it just right.
A swell person or a tune that 'sends' you, thrilling you to your core.
Jive-era slang for the telephone, named after the actor who played the man who invented it on screen.
Just right, smooth and satisfying, everything as it ought to be.
Genuinely fine, excellent, the real thing, beyond reproach.
A playful jive way to say 'give me a kiss.'
An energetic swing dancer, or the wild, acrobatic dance they did to hot jazz.
To tap-dance, to lay down some hot footwork on the floor.
To talk a lot, to run your mouth or chatter away.
Something so good it knocks you out, the absolute height of excellence.
Something or someone tremendously good, the most, an absolute riot.
A key to the door, in the playful coded style of pure Harlem jive.
A swing-music fan or hep jitterbug, often a white enthusiast soaking up Harlem jazz.
A friendly term of address for a fellow hipster or musician, like 'pal' with jive flavor.
To beg off, make excuses, or back down and apologize.
A sharp, in-the-know person who's wise to jazz, style, and the latest jive.
To understand, appreciate, or pay close attention to something.