Farewell, my Lovely

BORSALINO HAT - Hat popular with gangsters, invented by Guiseppe Borsalino of Italy. A genuine Borsalino can be rolled up and pulled through a wedding ring and still regain its shape.

BORSALINO HAT

SMOKE/DINGE/SHINE - Derogatory terms for African-Americans.

FRAME - To make an innocent person appear guilty of a crime.

FANCY PANTS - To get clever.

HARLEM SUNSET - A fatal knife wound, alluding to the alleged similarity between the wound and the setting sun.

CONFIDENTIAL LAY - A sensitive and discreet investigation conducted by a Private Eye.

POLICE BLOTTER - Daily record of events, arrests etc at a Police station.


POLICE COURT TRIAL - A low-level court for misdemeanors such as Drunk and Disorderly and the like.

WILL HAYS - First Chairman of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA), responsible for the 'Hays Code' governing on-screen conduct in motion pictures. A byword for censorship and moralising.

MUG - Police i.d. photo, or a sucker, a dupe.

NIFTY - A smart-Aleck or wise-ass.

HACK - A taxi or rented car.

FEI TSUI JADE - Chandler's spelling for Feicui (翡翠) jade, highly prized and valuable in jewellery form.

FEICUI OR FEI TSUI JADE NECKLACE

DOUBLE CROSS -To betray someone.

PROWL CAR - A single-crewed Patrol car also known as a BLACK AND WHITE.

K-CAR - Un-marked plainclothes car, radio call-sign beginning 'King'. Citywide patrol capabilities.

JUJU/REEFER/TEA - Marijuana.

HIJACK - To steal a vehicle, especially a goods vehicle from the driver. From Highway Jackrolling. Alternatively, from the alleged practice of addressing the driver with the words 'Hi, Jack.' to let him know no injury would ensue if no resistance was offered.

HIGHBALL - A drink in a tall glass, possibly from the boiler-pressure indicator ball in steam-trains. To 'high-ball' meant to travel fast, alluding to high-living on the part of the drinker.

HOOCH - Alcohol, esp. illicit.


SANDHOG - Slang term for urban miner.

MORGUE - Newspaper archive.


GOWED UP - Stoned, under the influence.

MATERIAL WITNESS - Influential witness in a court case.

FAKELOO/HOOPLA - A con or flim-flam tale. See also DIPSY-DOODLE.

PARTY LINE - Local looped telephone circuit shared by multiple subscribers. Especially popular with women as a conversational tool.

HOOFER - Dancer.

DARTMOUTH OR DANNEMORA? - Expression used sardonically by Philip Marlowe, in effect asking if a person went to an Ivy League college - such as Dartmouth - or a Prison - such as Dannemora in Upstate New York for their education.

JAP - Due to the atmosphere of the times, Chandler refers to Japanese people as 'Japs.' This was not unusual for the era.

HARD-BOILED - Genre within crime fiction habituated by cynical anti-heroes such as Philip Marlowe, Sam Spade and Mike Hammer. Associated with various publications, but especially Black Mask magazine.

BLACK MASK MAGAZINE

PURPLE GANG, THE - Notorious Detroit-based gang, membership of which was largely from the Jewish community.

AN UNUSUALLY BASHFUL PURPLE GANG SHOW THEIR HATS FOR AN ARREST PICTURE

BLACK AS CARRIE NATION'S BONNET - A reference to the Temperance advocate's famous bonnet.

DICTAPHONE/WIRE RECORDER - Early voice recorder. Early models used spools of wire to record speech magnetically.

DICTAPHONE

WIRE RECORDER

WIRE RECORDER BY THE WEBSTER COMPANY OF CHICAGO.

WEBSTER RECORDER FEATURED IN 'THE TWO JAKES' (1990)

DIZZY DEAN - Pitcher for the St. Louis cardinals. Lived 1910 - 1974.

GRAFTING - Corruption, esp. in public office.

HEEL - A low or base person.

SNEEZER, THE - Jail.

THE HIGH-PILLOW - To sleep in prison, on the top bunk. A reference to a lengthy RAP as long-term inmates traditionally took the top bunk.

FINGER MAN - Criminal used to point out or 'finger' jobs for gangs.

SWAN, I - 'I swear', possibly also 'I understand'.

PBX - Private Branch Exchange, a smallish telephone exchange for use in Hotels, Offices etc.

HOTEL PBX

HOG'S LEG - Pistol, named for the shape of the frame.

TELETYPE/POLICE READER - Early electronic device similar in function to a fax machine where text and later, simple images were sent by telephone wire.

NUMBERS RACKET - Illegal lottery.

JOINT - Place esp. bar or club.

DOUGH - Money.

PINCH - Arrest.

IN A PINCH - To be in a JAM.

BARKER - Person advertising for custom for an attraction, esp. at Carnivals, Fun-Fairs.

YEGG - Crook, esp. thief, burglar or safecracker.

TORPEDO - Heavy gangster, a killer.

HUSTLER - Confidence man/woman.

WOP - Derogatory name for Italian person.

HEATER - Gun.

FARO - Card game, from the name 'Pharaoh'. Once as popular as Poker.

PLANT - A set-up.

HEAT - Pressure from the Police or authorities.

DIVE -  Low class JOINT.