After a long night in Atlantic City performing “research” for Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City, a group of Audible staffers slunk out of a casino thinking they were completely busted. That’s when they hit the jackpot – behind a dusty, old, cobweb-covered moonshine barrel, they discovered a few pages of genuine Prohibition-Era slang, a true relic of one of history’s most storied periods. They turned to Kevin C. Fitzpatrick, President of the Dorothy Parker Society, to authenticate and restore the find. Now, we present to you a treasure trove of flapper secrets, including the origins of words and phrases still used today, if not fondly remembered, like cat’s pajamas, lollygagger, blind date, home wrecker, gadget, and behind the eight ball.

Oliver Wyman reads The Speakeasy Guide and captures the rich atmosphere and enduring cultural influence of the roaring ‘20s. While the anecdote about Audible staffers stumbling out of an anonymous casino might be in doubt, one thing’s for sure – this fun listen is the bee’s knees.

If you watched the video version of this guide on our homepage, note that this is the extended version, with approximately 10 additional minutes of words and phrases to enjoy.