Catcher in the rye 7-12

snotty

Rude or acting superior

crumby room

Dirty or unpleasant room

bellboy

Hotel worker who carries luggage

silk stockings

Women’s thin, silky socks covering legs

brassiere

Bra; women’s undergarment

corsets

Tight undergarments to shape the body

burlesque stripper

stripper who removes clothes in a playful, theatrical show

suave

Smooth, charming, polite (sometimes fake)

putrid

Rotten, disgusting

brassy

Loud, bold, without shame

dopey

Silly, not very smart; sleepy

swell song

Great, wonderful song

jitterbugging

Energetic swing dancing (popular in the 1940s)

immaterial

Not important, doesn’t matter

twitched

Moved quickly or jerked suddenly

licorice

Sweet, chewy candy (often black or red)

witty

Clever and funny in speech

conversed

Talked, had a conversation

immensely

Very much, extremely

muckle-mouthed

Talking unclearly, hard to understand

snubbing someone

Ignoring someone on purpose

booze hound

Person who drinks a lot of alcohol

icicle

Hanging stick of ice

newsreel

Short film of news, shown before movies in theaters (old-fashioned)

hoodlumy

Acting like a criminal or troublemaker

ripples

Small waves on water

flitty

Slang for gay (offensive in the book’s time)