Dick was a slang word for detective back then, so basically they were calling him Detective Tracy in the vernacular of the time.Every person involved in the CDPAP program lives in NY. dick/gumshoe/flatfoot - a detective (If you think about the character Dick Tracy, you may remember that he was a detective during the 1930s.Instead of a 'cop' in the 1930s a police officer was called a copper.) copper - police officer (Look closely and you will notice that part of this word is still used to refer to a police officer.convincer/gat/heater/rod - slang for gun used interchangeably with gat, heater or rod.

Chicago typewriter/Tommy gun - Thompson machine gun also known as the Tommy Gun.

(There was a ton of gang violence in Chicago during the 1930s so it was not uncommon for the word 'Chicago' to be used as a lead word for a slang term relative to violence.)

buzzer - badge indicating someone is a law enforcement officer.

bust out - to escape from jail or prison.

big house - prison (First used in the 1930s, this slang term for prison is still used today.).

A lot of slang terminology that is still used in law enforcement and to refer to criminal activities can be traced back to this era. Quite a bit of slang related to coppers and criminals originated during the 1930s.

slugburger - hamburger patty made with ground beef mixed with slightly stale bread.make tracks - to leave putting distance between yourself and where you were.lincolns - five dollar bills (because they have Abraham Lincoln’s image).hot mama/looker/tomato/dish/sweet patootie - good-looking woman.dog soup - a glass of water used to refer to those who can’t afford to drink anything else.crumb - unsuccessful or unreliable person.city juice - a glass of water used to refer to city water.

cement mixer - a person who is terrible at dancing.bumping gums - making conversation, but of no substance.apple - a large city (Everyone has heard of New York City referred to as 'the big apple,' but in the 1930s, the word apple was a slang term used to describe any big city.).abyssinia - quick way of saying 'I'll be seeing you.' (If you say it really fast you will be able to actually hear it as you say the word.).However, some of the slang words from the 1930s have since taken on a different meaning. Much of the popular slang of the 1930s consists of widely recognizable words that are used today, some in the same way they were used back in the day.

What does thug mean in slang