'Arm Candy' for 1920s

Trophy wife?

Welcome, julief. Why not use a metaphor? Call her a bauble, or a glass bead, or a songbird. Something people will recognize as shiny and useless.

HN

Hi Julie - I've never heard of arm candy before (eye candy, yes). But, I'll throw some ideas out for you to consider - bon-bon, cream puff, sugar doodle, cat's meow, girl next door. From your description of what you want, I think cat's meow may fit best. Puma

How about Dumb Dora?

heheehe:
So there was this blonde who just got sick and tired of hearing dumb blonde jokes. So one evening she went home and memorized all the state capitals.

Back in the office the next day, some guy starts telling a dumb blonde joke. She interrupts: "I've had it up to HERE with these dumb blonde jokes. I want you to know that THIS blonde went home last night and did something probably none of you could do: I memorized all the state capitals!"

So one of the guys says, "Oh yeah? What's the capital of Wyoming?"

"W," she answers.

Bad dum dum.

Lexicon of 20s slang: http://local.aaca.org/bntc/slang/slang.htm

baby vamp? LOVE it!

Just finished a novel set in the 20s and 30s. Arm candy then would maybe be doll, which was big, or flapper, which was popular in cities like New York and Chicago. Google 20s slang and you'll lots of choices.

Finally, something I actually know about. I do a lot of research into 20th century pop culture and society.

Mark McCutcheon has some pretty well researched and accessible books about slang and everyday life, including one set from Prohibition to WWII.

I lost my 'quick reply' but here's my take.

A guy would call a woman a "dame", a "doll" or a "tomato". Probably only a guy would call a girl a "baby vamp". That was the term used a lot in the magazine "College Humor" and by Fitzgerald and his ilk. It really refers to a flapper, implying a girl who's flirtatious without really being BAD. Kind of like "hotty" today.

One woman would probably not call another a doll, a dame, tomato, etc. unless she was working class.

Flappers popularized "dumbdora" and "dumbbell". Also the term "baby" or "babe" were commonly used by both genders, such as Louise Brooks (looking back in her old age) saying that "Clara Bow was the real jazz baby!" But again, if you called someone a "baby" or said they had "it", you were complimenting them, not insulting them.

If you're going for connotations of being "loose", then you might want to use "charity girl", "victory" or "V girl", "hussy", "playgirl".

"Bottle blonde" is also not very nice.

If she's a deb, she might just be called that, or a "junior miss". Depending on your MC's view of her, she might think of her as a "gilded lily", "princess", or a "cream puff".

If she's dumb, she might be compared to "Irma," like the dumb blonde on the radio program and movie (or to Jane Ace or Gracie Allen).

If you watch "The Women," (1939) it'll give you plenty of ideas as to how women of that period viewed their "rivals", including "debs".

"The Women" is one of my daughter's favorite movies. Definitely worth watching. Puma

You are most welcome! It sounds like a great story!

Some of the slang I picked up from watching old movies: Doll, Looker, An "It" girl, Dame, Tomato.

wyntermoon said:

Lexicon of 20s slang: http://local.aaca.org/bntc/slang/slang.htm

Click to expand...

I know this thread ran last year, but I'm glad I found it! 1920's jargon is exactly what I need for my WIP.