By Arika Okrent
These amazing examples of flapper slang are fairly terrific .
Slang historians agree that , bulge in the other 1920s , a craze for delineate something great with an formulation in the form of “ the creature ’s SOMETHING ” loose a deluge of originative dialect . While we still occasionally call up the African tea ’s pajamas or the bee ’s stifle when we want to utter appreciation , there is a long - dormant supplying of delightful alternatives we could and should be bringing back . Here are 15 that never should have gone out of panache .
1. The Kitten’s Vest
What ’s greater than a cat in pj’s ? A kitten in a vest !
2. The Caterpillar’s Kimono
Playing off the unlikely nightwear theme , a caterpillar in a kimono !
3. The Ant’s Pants
How about improbable clothing of any kind ? Even well if it rhyme .
4. The Gnu’s Shoes
Better yet if it rhymes with gnu .
5. The Kipper’s Knickers
Even more sport if you say it “ kuh - nickers . ”
6. The Fly’s Thighs
improbable body parts was another pop root word .
7. The Sardine’s Whiskers
Is n’t this one just the sardine ’s whiskers ?
8. The Snake’s Hips
It gets that squirm from somewhere .
9. The Elephant’s Instep
An offshoot of the improbable body part theme was comically terrestrial unlikely organic structure parts .
10. The Gnat’s Elbows
Good previous mundane elbow joint .
11. The Clam’s Cuticle
Points for alliteration .
12. The Flea’s Eyebrows
Ca n’t you see him wiggle them ?
13. The Alligator’s Adenoids
The adenoid is a tonsil in the back of the throat , and in the twenties get it withdraw was the thing to do . These days we keep them more and talk about them less .
14. The Turtle’s Neck
canny combine of the body part and clothing musical theme .
15. Snugglepup’s Bow-wow
Every CT has a meow , and every snugglepup a bow - wow .
