I just discovered a copy of something my dad once told me about.

When I was a kid, he’d tell me about my great uncle. Stan was always pretty vague on the subject. Also, the guy had died five years before I was even born. But I still remember bits and pieces of what he used to tell me.

Bill (Senior) was his dad’s brother. And that makes him my grandfather’s brother. This familial relationship is also known as a great uncle. And one thing I remember him telling me about his uncle, and who he was, and that he’d become famous for publishing a little lexicon called “Hotel Slang.”

I guess it was more like a glossary. But it really codified a lot of the street talk you’d hear in a detective story from the film noir genre. Vintage 1930s stuff.

I smiled more than once at the terms as I read down the list. I’d heard my dad mention “Hotel Slang” on more than one occasion. But I was always too young to care about it.

Today I discovered a copy of it in the New York Times archives from 1939.

I read it and was so moved that I had to put it here.

Here is the link to view the original.

In his honor, I’m going to republish, in whole, below.

American Speech: Hotel Slang (1939)

 OCTOBER 19, 2010 10:00 AMOctober 19, 2010 10:00 am

by William Stewart Cornyn

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This is the first in a series of extracts from the archive
of American Speech – “a quarterly of linguistic usage”
published on behalf of the American Dialect Society.

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The following list of expressions has been compiled from the slang current in the hotels of Los Angeles. Many of these terms may be found in other collections, for it is in the nature of the hotel business that its slang should come from many and various sources.

An attempt has been made, however, to exclude expressions which are common in vulgar speech. An exception has been made to this rule wherever an unusual application of a term has been found or where the term should be listed for the sake of completeness.

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ADMIRAL | Maid. “In charge of the vessels.”
BATHROOM CHARLIE | Guest who ducks into the bathroom to avoid tipping the bell-boy.
BEAT | Guest who leaves without paying his bill; guest who fails to tip.
TO BEAT | To bilk; to neglect to tip.
BEEF | Bill for the guest’s account; complaint.
BELL | Errand for the bell-boy.
TO BLOW THE JOINT | To leave; to leave without paying.
TO BOUNCE | To pay a bill; to ask for payment.
BOY | Bell-boy; male homosexual.
BROAD | Prostitute; girl.
BROOM, BROOM-PUSH | Lobby porter.
CAVE | Guest room.
TO CLIMB THE CLEATS | To use the stairs.
COMP | Non-paying guest.
CRACK | Prostitute.
CROCK | Bottle; drunken person.
TO CUFF | To borrow; to extend credit.
DEAD HEAD | Non-paying guest.
DEAD ONE | Non-tipping guest.
DEAD WORK | Bell-boy’s work yielding no tips.
DEEMER | One who tips a dime; a dime tip.
TO DIVE | To indulge in unnatural intercourse.
DONNICKER | Public lavatory.
TO DROP THE BOOM | To refuse further credit.
DRUM | Hotel; saloon; cabaret.
FINK | Unpleasant guest.
FISH | Prostitute.
FISH BUSINESS | Pandering.
FLATHEAD | Non-tipping guest.
FRONT | Errand for the bell-boy.
FRONT-BOY | Bell-boy next on call.
FRUIT | Male homosexual.
GASH | Prostitute.
GIRL | Prostitute.
TO GANDER | To examine.
TO GIVE A FAST FRISK | To examine a guest’s room in his absence.
GONNOF | Unpleasant guest.
JOE GOSS | Politician.
GRIFTER | Small time crook.
GUN | Elevator.
UP AGAINST THE GUN | In difficulties.
GUNCEL | Male homosexual.
HEAD END | Same as front-boy.
HOOKER | Prostitute.
HUSTLER | Prostitute.
TO HUSTLE | To make a living at prostitution.
IN | Advantage.
INDOOR AVIATOR | Elevator operator.
JAKE | Drunken person.
JOCKEY | Elevator operator; pimp.
KENNEL | Room.
KEY JAMMER | Key clerk.
TO KITE PAPER | To pass bad checks.
TO LAM | To leave without paying.
LAST BOY | Bell-boy not on call.
LOBBY-LICE | Loafers.
LOBBY LIZARDS | Loafers.
LUG | Same as cuff.
TO MAKE THE JOINT | To defraud a hotel; to go to jail.
McGEE, JOE McGEE | Non-tipping guest.
TO GIVE S.O. THE OFFICE | To apprise S.O. of something.
OLD MAN | The owner.
ON THE BACK | Working as a prostitute.
PAPER-HANGER | Passer of worthless checks.
PLUG | Specialized key used to lock a door in such a way that the regular key will not serve; advertisement.
TO PLUG | To refuse entry to a room, especially for delinquent rent; to advertise.
PLUG-PUSHER | Telephone switchboard operator.
TO TAKE A POWDER | To leave without paying.
QUEER | Homosexual; worthless money.
QUETOR | Twenty-five cent tip; one who tips a quarter.
RAG | Dollar tip; one who tips a dollar.
TO RIDE | To operate a switchboard or elevator; to fornicate.
RUM-DUMB | Person habitually stupid or vague from drink.
SAN QUENTIN QUAIL | Girl below the age of consent.
SCREW | Room-key.
SCUTTLE OF CLINKERS | Pitcher of ice.
SHAMUS | Policeman; house detective.
SHOW | Prospective guest.
SIDE-DOUGH | Bell-boy’s earnings above his salary.
SKIP | Guest who leaves without paying his bill.
SLEEPER | Account carried as active beyond the departure date of the guest.
SLEEP-OUT | Room paid for but not used.
STAIR-CLERK | Bell-boy.
SKY HIGHBALL | Pitcher of ice-water.
STALL | Guest room.
STICK | Same as front-boy.
STIFF | Non-tipping guest.
STUFF | Drugs; liquor.
TO TICKLE THE CLEATS | To climb the stairs.
TOP-SCREW | Pass-key.
TOUCH | An easy job.
TO CUT UP TOUCHES | To exchange reminiscences.
TRAPEZE ARTIST | One who indulges in unnatural intercourse.
TRAY | Cafe order.
TRICK | Prostitute’s job; bell-boy’s watch.
TRUNK-TUMBLER | Baggage porter.
WINO | Drunken person, often rumdumb.
TO WORK THE JOINT | To try to make a pick-up (said of a prostitute).
WRONG | Not worthy of trust.
TO YENTZ | To cheat; to fornicate.
TO YODEL | To indulge in unnatural intercourse.

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American Speech, Vol. 14, No. 3 (Oct., 1939), pp. 239-240
© The American Dialect Society
www.dukeupress.edu/americanspeech
Reproduced with permission.