Words/Terms You've Learned From OLDER Movies

I've read and heard it before on albums and books from over 50 years ago, and then when I was waking up, I remembered a scene from The Godfather: Part II…. Fredo's wife is dancing all over the floor drunk, and he threatens "to belt her".. I thought it literally meant = take off hiis belt, and whack her. But it means basically "to punch"

It does . To "lamp" or "clobber" someone are two more British ones, and "clobber" can also mean clothing.

One that came to my mind is a "twister", meaning a dishonest, unscrupulous person in British slang. My grandad used the term but I also remember the actor Philip Madoc applying it to his character in Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.

Getting tight means getting drunk in 30s-50s movies. I hear that all the time in old movies.

Right.. And then from the 60s, it was the opposite, the term "loose".. Then again, it happened when I was growing up. Good used to mean good. Then when someone said, "That's bad" - that meant good. Then "sick" meant good, but I only use this in relation to influenza.

You're stoned was also said as meaning you're drunk back in the 40s.

Apart from stuff like 'dame' or moll, the only thing I can think of straight away is Spiv, which was a blackmarketeer or petty criminal. For me most famously depicted in the St. Trinians movies by the late great George Cole as Flash Harry.



You can tell someone to belt up, too. Which is to shut up. However, if you're in a vehicle and someones asks you to belt up, they're asking to you put your seatbelt on.

You can also describe something as belting along, meaning to go very fast.

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Belting also means really good – I say it sometimes.

gay=happy go lucky in old films, and making love=flirting with someone.

That's true. To have a belting good time.

Didn’t the UK use this as a clever pun at one time telling people to belt up, but meaning fasten your seatbelts?

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Yes I think so. A recent one I like is CoppaFeel!, the breast cancer awareness charity .

Yeah, you've really got to recalibrate your brain for that period .

OMG, would never be allowed in America. Too funny.

I suppose not. Shame isn't it ?

There's a scene in "Uptown Saturday Night" (1974) when Silky Slim blows up Geechie Dan's car and yells:

"Okay Geechie! That was your 'short'..."

I'm guessing he was referring to his car...?

Nice username. Stander was badaass.

"phillie" = pretty younger woman


In the 50s contemporary movies, I notice the word "in" being used to mean "cool" or "hip". I even once heard it being attributed to a group of girls, "They are really the in"

I could be wrong, but I think it's filly. Like a young female horse. Quite commonly portrayed by someone like Leslie Phillips.

No, you are probably right. I just had a feeling it wasn't spelled "Philly"

From the French: fille = daughter.