By Lili Steffen
The Roaring Twenties is best known for its bustling nightlife scene and significant contributions to music, literature, art and fashion. It was a post-war period of dazzling decadence that all came crashing down with the Great Depression.
Since then, the 1920s had a premature renaissance during the mid-2010s, back when Great Gatsby-themed parties were all the rage. But now that it’s been a full century, we thought we’d have a grand old time revisiting some 1920s slang. Many words quickly come and go out of fashion, but like the iconic bob cut, do some of them deserve a comeback? Join us on our trip back in time to revive some Golden Age slang.
1. The Cat’s Pajamas
Meaning: The most excellent; cool
You might’ve already heard this expression, which refers to someone who is really cool and/or good at what they do (in mid-2010s slang, “baller” would suffice). Other kooky versions of this phrase include combinations like “the eel’s ankle” or “the monkey’s eyebrows,” neither of which caught on. Perhaps there’s something inherently impressive (read: cute) about a cat in pajamas, but how exactly did this odd complement come to be?
As a figure of speech, it actually made a lot of sense during its time. “Cat” was used to describe the coolest of the cool (a.k.a. flapper dancers or jazz musicians). “Pajamas” (or pyjamas, if you’re not from the US) comes from the Hindustani pāy-jāma or Persian pāy-jāmeh and refers to the comfy, loose-fitting clothes you wear when you don’t want to leave the house. Back then, they were an up-and-coming fashion trend.
--more at babbel.com
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