If you’re looking to make some cabbage and a rate Jazz Dinner that will make broads and sheiks race to their buckets to attend, then this is the blog for you. And, if that first line was complete applesauce to you, then you really need this blog.
One of the fundamentals of a Jazz Dinner is mastering 1920s slang. There will be no LOLing or FTWs during the evening, IMHO. Transport your guests with real mobster lingo and incorporate them into a night of Roarin’ 20’s entertainment.
Where to Find Mobster Slang for Your Jazz Dinner
First, check out these websites that have an impressive list of all the 1920s slang you could ever need:
The Capone’s Dinner and Show has an impressive A-Z list of mobster slang.
Thought Catalog offers a list of 1920s phrases that they are trying to bring back!
And if you’d really like to go down the rabbit hole, the National Crime Syndicate website has not only an article on mobster sayings but also articles, interviews, and headlines on all things mobster history.
How to Incorporate Slang into Your Jazz Dinner
Unless you have a time machine, your audience won’t know the first thing about 1920s slang. There are a few easy ways to teach them and incorporate them into the 1920s role-playing for the night:
Ham-and-Egger to Mobster Dictionary
If you want to help the common layperson speak the language of the evening, a mobster dictionary is a fantastic idea. On a program of four pages, you can easily print off the most common 1920s terms your audience can use. Have a few dictionaries on each table so that your patrons can accurately converse with their friends and compliment the band on their authentic 1920s tunes.
Mobster Grandstanding Competition
You can have a mobster slang competition during one of the dinner courses. Any audience members who sign up to compete must accurately define mobster slang from the program. If guessed incorrectly, that person must take their seat in Spelling Bee style. The winner of the competition wins a fedora or bubblegum cigar.
Pass 1920s Notes
Let patrons have the option of sending notes to other tables. For a small fee, like $1, they can have their note hand-delivered by a cast member to a friend or family member in the audience. However, in 1920s slang, they must ask politely before the cast member will deliver it.
There are many fun ways of bringing your audience into the mobster slang for your Jazz Dinner. This kind of role-playing makes your audience feel a part of the show, and let’s face it, the Roarin’ 20’s slang is the bee’s knees.
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